The Scenic Eclipse II, a luxury expedition ship with capacity for 228 passengers and 176 crew, became trapped in Ross Sea ice on Jan. 17. Video shows the USCGC Polar Star — the U.S. Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker — cut a channel through the ice and escort the cruise ship to safety. The rescue coincided with the Polar Star’s 50th anniversary and occurred during its deployment for Operation Deep Freeze 2026 to resupply U.S. Antarctic stations.
Dramatic Rescue: U.S. Heavy Icebreaker Frees Luxury Cruise Ship Trapped in Antarctic Ice
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area/TMXU.S. Coast Guard rescues cruise ship stuck in ice
A luxury expedition vessel, the Scenic Eclipse II, became trapped in a sheet of ice in the Ross Sea on Saturday, Jan. 17. Video obtained by PEOPLE shows the U.S. Coast Guard responding with its only heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, which cut a navigable channel and escorted the cruise ship to safety.
Icebreaker to the Rescue
Footage shows the Polar Star steaming through thick sea ice as large fissures form and the frozen sheet breaks apart. The icebreaker circled the immobilized Scenic Eclipse II, carving a path of open water that allowed the cruise ship to shift and ultimately follow the Polar Star out of danger. The Scenic Eclipse II — operated by Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours — can accommodate up to 228 passengers and 176 crew, according to the ship’s website.
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area/TMXU.S. Coast Guard rescues cruise ship stuck in ice
Polar Star: A Unique Capability
The rescue coincided with the Polar Star’s 50th anniversary: the vessel was commissioned on Jan. 17, 1976. On this deployment the icebreaker was headed to Antarctica as part of Operation Deep Freeze 2026, the annual U.S. mission that transits the Ross Sea to resupply American Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Polar Star is the service’s most powerful ship and remains the United States’ only heavy icebreaker capable of cutting a navigable channel to reach McMurdo Station, the logistics hub for the U.S. Antarctic Program. The Polar Star departed its homeport in Seattle on Nov. 20 to begin the months-long deployment.
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area/TMXU.S. Coast Guard rescues cruise ship stuck in ice
Why this mattered: Heavy ice conditions in the Ross Sea can immobilize even modern expedition ships. The Polar Star’s unique icebreaking capability allowed a safe, controlled extraction without reported injuries or major damage.
Video of the operation, released by the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and obtained by PEOPLE, highlights both the hazards of polar cruising and the operational importance of having heavy icebreakers available for search-and-rescue and logistics missions in Antarctic waters.
Sources: U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area press materials and PEOPLE magazine coverage.
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