An expedition cruise aboard Hapag-Lloyd’s HANSEATIC Spirit took an unexpected turn last week, when the vessel became trapped in rapidly forming ice in the northern Baltic Sea.
The ship, carrying over 200 passengers and 175 crew members, found itself immobilised in the frozen expanse of Bothnian Bay, situated between Finland and Sweden. The incident occurred on 30 March 2025, during a 15-night expedition that had departed from Hamburg, Germany.
“During the night, our HANSEATIC Spirit got stuck – a sudden cold snap had frozen Bothnian Bay, the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea, in solid ice,” the cruise line explained. “Only with the help of Finnish icebreakers, the journey continued. A spectacular maneuver that many guests wouldn’t miss. Now, we’ve reached the Kvarken Archipelago and the wild, romantic Åland Islands.”
The unexpected predicament became a captivating spectacle for the passengers, who braved freezing temperatures of -5°C (23°F) to witness the dramatic rescue. The Finnish icebreaker, Kontio, arrived with its 20-strong crew, equipped with towing forks and winches, to free the trapped vessel. Kontio, operated by Finland-based Arctia, is one of five icebreakers designed to navigate and break through exceptionally thick ice.
The HANSEATIC Spirit, a 15,650 GT vessel designed for polar expeditions, had previously called at Stockholm and Lulea in Sweden, and Kemi in Finland, before becoming trapped near Oulu, Finland’s largest northern city. Despite its ice-class credentials, the ship found itself overwhelmed by the unusually rapid formation of ice, which reached depths of nearly 3 metres (10 feet) due to a sudden cold front.
Following its release by the Kontio, the HANSEATIC Spirit continued its journey to Rauma, Finland. It is now scheduled to call at Copenhagen, Denmark, before returning to Hamburg on 5 April, 2025.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and that standard safety protocols were followed throughout the incident. The cruise line highlighted the event as a unique and memorable experience for passengers, adding an unexpected layer of adventure to their Baltic expedition.