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AIDAluna saves shipwrecked people off Spitsbergen – spectacular effort!
AIDAluna rescued shipwrecked people off Spitsbergen during a cruise. The emergency call was made on June 3, 2025 in difficult weather conditions.
AIDAluna saves shipwrecked people off Spitsbergen – spectacular effort!
On June 3, 2025, a dramatic rescue operation occurred off Spitsbergen in which the cruise ship AIDAluna had to intervene in an emergency situation. Part of a 19-day cruise entitled “Highlights of the Arctic Circle”, the ship was near the scene of the accident after a stop in Longyearbyen.
Another passenger cruiser made an emergency call around 11 p.m. because 19 people were floating on a life raft in acute distress. Despite the dangerous weather conditions with air temperatures of only 1 degree and water temperatures of 3 degrees, the AIDAluna reacted immediately, in accordance with the requirements of international maritime law, which obliges ships to help in such emergencies.
Change of course and rescue measures
The AIDAluna immediately changed course and informed the approximately 2,000 passengers of the critical situation. As a first step, a rescue helicopter was requested to investigate the situation, as it was unclear whether the shipwrecked people should be rescued by helicopter or tender boats. Meanwhile, the medical team on board was put on alert so that they could intervene quickly in an emergency.
Finally, the helicopter managed to safely pick up everyone from the life raft. They were then flown to Longyearbyen Hospital for medical treatment. After completing this spectacular mission, the AIDAluna continued its planned journey towards Iceland.
Current travel information
AIDAluna's cruise began on May 25, 2025 in Hamburg and will take her through several stops, including Bergen, Sortland, Hammerfest and Honningsvåg, to Akureyri in Iceland, where she is scheduled to dock on Friday. The return to Hamburg is scheduled for June 13, 2025.
In addition, reports mention that there had already been previous incidents within the AIDA fleet that affected safety precautions and procedures on ship voyages. However, the incident off Spitsbergen is impressive evidence of the professionalism and lightning response of the AIDAluna crew, who willingly provided help in an emergency situation.
For more information about this incident, see Rosenheim24 and Day24.