Chinese cruise ship ‘stuck at sea for two days in smog’
Vessel unable to dock safely in Tianjin because severe air pollution limited visibility, newspaper reports
A large cruise ship with more than 2,000 people on board was stuck at sea for two days because it was unable to dock in the heavy smog that has enveloped much of northern China, according to a newspaper report.
The vessel finally returned to the Port of Tianjin on Monday afternoon after drifting for two days at sea, according to the Beijing Evening News. The thick air pollution had earlier made it impossible to safely berth the vessel, according to the article.
A passenger was quoted as saying that the ship was scheduled to return on New Year’s Eve after travelling to South Korea and Japan.
But she was told by the crew that the ship could not dock as visibility was severely compromised by the smog.
She said the passengers had been unsure how long they would be stuck at sea but were grateful there was plenty of entertainment on board to kill time.
“Unlike passengers who are stuck at some public facilities like an airport, we got to use the pool and the gym to keep ourselves busy,” she said.