Strict controls are necessary in order to avoid a Titanic-style disaster in the Arctic Ocean, experts have warned, following the first ever cruise in the region.
The 68,870-gt Crystal Serenity (built 2003) sailed through the Arctic’s northwest passage in the summer.
It left the Alaska anchorage on 15 August and docked in New York a month later.
Tero Vauraste, boss of Finland’s Arctia, told Sky News: “Navigation in icy waters is made more difficult by poor satellite imagery.
“An ice field might move at a speed of 4-5 knots, but a ship will receive a satellite picture of it that is 10-20 hours old.”
There is no port on the journey between Alaska and Greenland, something that could make the response to a possible incident even more difficult.
Daniel Skjeldam, chief executive of cruiseship owner Hurtigruten, added: “Potentially, an accident involving a mega-ship could represent an environmental disaster.”
Both shipping executives noted that Arctic countries should come together and work on a regulatory framework.
