Several attempts were made to rescue the stranded cruise ship, but options were quickly running thin. Luckily, there’s good news: On September 14, the Joint Arctic Command announced that the ship has been successfully freed.

If the water is too shallow to support the depth of the cruise ship, it can become lodged in one spot. In the case of the Ocean Explorer, the 342-foot-long and 60-foot-wide ship’s only hope was to be pulled free by a larger vessel or to wait for a change in tide to dislodge it from being stuck. Let’s take a look at the obstacles faced while attempting to free this ship.

Commander Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command spoke of the stressful situation, revealing how challenging certain aspects of the rescue had been. “Our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavorable,” he said.

At this point, all the passengers and crew members aboard the ship could do is wait until help arrived. The Danish navy ship would take days to reach the site of the stuck cruise ship. Commander Jensen said that everyone was doing what they could to remedy the situation and that officials were taking it “very seriously.”

Alpefjord Captain Flemming Madsen of the Danish Joint Arctic Command even joked about the stranded ship. Speaking of the paying passengers aboard the Ocean Explorer who were expecting a relaxing vacation, he said, “All I can say is that they got a lifetime experience.”

“We are actively engaged in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer from its grounding,” the statement said. “Our foremost commitment is to ensure the vessel’s recovery without compromising safety.” If all else fails, officials are banking on the cruise ship being set free by the high tide.

SunStone Ships of Copenhagen and the Joint Arctic Command were expected to band together in an effort to finally set the stationary ship free. After some inspection, the organizations said in a statement, “There have not been any injuries to anybody onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull.”

Aurora Expeditions revealed that the infected passengers had been kept away from the others on board. “These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” the company said in a statement.

Other ships were stationed nearby and “if the need arises, personnel from the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol can be at the accident site within an hour and a half.” As people on the ship awaited their rescue, members of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol had already visited the passengers to quell everyone’s nerves. According to reports, the visit “calmed them down as some were anxious.”

Steven Fraser of Australia was aboard the ship. In an interview with reporters, he revealed, “Everyone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world.” The Ocean Explorer has 77 cabins, 151 beds for passengers, and 99 beds for crew members.

Thankfully, the ship, surrounding water, and the passengers aboard the vessel remained out of harm’s way. Tarajoq, the research vessel that freed the Ocean Explorer, had already been involved in several earlier attempts to rescue the ship.

Despite what would typically be considered a stress-inducing incident, all 206 passengers were in relatively good spirits during the time they spent stranded. However, it’s no surprise that the passengers are eager and thankful for their safe return home.