Experts warn of 'Titanic-style' disaster for luxury arctic cruises

By Sean Dowling, Buzz60

Who doesn't love a luxury cruise? One of the hottest choices out there is in a very cold spot of the world.

But now, experts are warning of another Titanic-style disaster and serious environmental damage unless tougher regulations are imposed on ships sailing through the Arctic Ocean.

Global warming cleared channels into the ice, making way for the Crystal Serenity to sail safely through Canada's Northwest Passage this summer, from Alaska to New York in just over a month.

The ship's operator, Crystal Cruises, says on its website it'll repeat the journey in 2017.

If the minimum ticket price of $21,855 per person isn't enough to scare you, this will.

According to Fox News, there was no port on the journey between Alaska and Greenland.

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Translation; if they ran into any trouble, help might arrive too late, considering the Northwest Passage is thousands of nautical miles with nothing around.

Despite a United Nations Polar Code which takes effect next year, which toughens demands on ship safety and pollution, experts are calling for tougher regulations; like limiting the ship size, and banning heavy oil, which can get trapped under the ice if there's a spill, on vessels sailing through the Arctic.

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