Damaged Alaskan Cruise Ship has Troubled Past

Empress of the North also ran aground in March 2006 on the Columbia River, 20 miles east of Portland, Oregon, with 260 passengers and crew aboard.

Passengers of the Cruise Ship Empress of the North on the Coast Guard Cutter Liberty. All 248 passengers were offloaded from the cruise ship uninjured and were transported back to Juneau. Photo: Petty Officer Chris Caskey

(JUNEAU, Alaska) - The Ambassadors International Inc. cruise ship that ran into trouble today off the coast of Alaska, forcing passengers and crew to evacuate, has had troubles before.

The 360-foot ship hit a rock and began taking on water about 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the coast of Juneau in 3-foot seas.

Forty workers and 208 passengers were shuttled back to Juneau with the help of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and other vessels, including a state ferry.

The Empress of the North is now en route to Juneau with 33 crew members.

The ship ran aground near Juneau, safely evacuating its passengers Monday morning. They were shuttled back to Juneau with the help of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and other vessels, including a state ferry.

The sternwheeler-style cruise ship operates in the spring and fall on the Columbia and Snake rivers out of Portland.

For 20 weeks in the summer it cruises out of Juneau.

Empress of the North also ran aground in March 2006 on the Columbia River, 20 miles east of Portland, Oregon, with 260 passengers and crew aboard.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated the ship in March after 26 passengers and seven crew members complained of vomiting and diarrhea.

The ship had failed a CDC health inspection in February when it was cited for poor hygienic practices such as hand-washing violations as well as improper storage of food items.