Quark's Ocean Endeavour hits ice. Forces cancellation of sailing.

Quark Expeditions Inc. had an incident involving the ship Ocean Endeavour near the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica (Lat/Lng:-62°21.0239‘, -62°18.6631‘) at approximately 3:30 AM local time Sunday 15 November.

Ocean Endeavour sustained some damage above the water line to the aft port side of the vessel after encountering ice. There are no passenger or crew injuries, and there has been no damage to the environment. The Master of the vessel performed temporary repairs to ensure safe passage north to Ushuaia for arrival as scheduled tomorrow 17 November.

Due to this unexpected incident, the Ocean Endeavour will need to undergo repairs and a Maritime Authority inspection. Consequently, Quark has made the difficult decision to cancel the Nov. 17, 2015 departure.

Passengers booked on the sailing are being given a full refund, and the company will also cover flight costs not reimbursed by travel insurance, up to $500 per person. If passengers want to rebook for the current season, Quark will move them to other Antarctica sailings, including those that are longer, at no additional cost, or rebook for next year at the same price they paid this year.

Source: IAATO.org and Cruise Critic