It's all a matter of timing; Steve Robinson and the Viking cruise ship

Monday, March 25, 2019

Aurora Borealis in Tromsø, Norway 


Photos by Steven H. Robinson

Steve Robinson and his wife Leslie went on a Northern Lights cruise in Norway, up to the arctic circle January 23 - February 8, 2019.

They were on the Viking Sky cruise ship. Steve came home with beautiful photos of the skies full of moving green light.

The Viking Sky cruise ship


On Saturday, March 23, 2019, that same ship on that same cruise nearly met with disaster. The engines malfunctioned, stranding the ship in rough, frigid waters, in the middle of a storm. The ship was in danger of running aground. Waves crashed through windows, sweeping passengers across the floor. Water came up under their feet.

Search and Rescue boat


Steve photographed a Search And Rescue (SAR) ship in Stavanger, Norway, possibly one involved with the rescue operation. However, the seas were too rough for them and they turned back to port.

The Viking Sky


The Norwegian authorities were so concerned that they sent helicopters to rescue the passengers, hoisting them one by one up wires. They managed to evacuate 479 people, with 900 more to go, when the ship's crew managed to restart one engine to control the ship enough to keep it off the rocks. They waited out the storm then limped back to port under their own power. (NPR article here)

Steve says that "We also hit some rough water and skipped one port because of winds and waves. The coast of Norway can be rough at times."

Aurora Borealis at Tromsø, Norway


The main draw for the trip is the sight of the Aurora Borealis, which Steve was able to photograph in port at Tromsø, Norway.

What a difference a few weeks makes.



0 comments:

Post a Comment

We encourage the thoughtful sharing of information and ideas. We expect comments to be civil and respectful, with no personal attacks or offensive language. We reserve the right to delete any comment.

ShorelineAreaNews.com
Facebook: Shoreline Area News
Twitter: @ShorelineArea
Daily Email edition (don't forget to respond to the Follow.it email)

  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP