快猫短视频

MELTING ice has smoothed the path for luxury travel in the Arctic. As 快猫短视频 went to press, the high-end cruise liner Crystal Serenity was seven days into its eight-day journey through the once impassable North-West Passage, en route from Seward, Alaska, to New York.

With the capacity to carry 1070 passengers and 655 crew, the mega-liner is the largest vessel to embark on the perilous journey since receding sea ice first opened up the route in 2007.

This summer鈥檚 sea ice is at the third lowest level on record, finds the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. The all-time low was recorded in 2012, when 421 people made the same voyage. Last year, 17 ships took advantage of the shorter, cheaper route between the two oceans.

But it is the passage of the behemoth 鈥� 13 decks high, 250 metres long and with a 鈥済ross tonnage鈥� of聽68,870 鈥� that has angered as well as local Inuit communities, whose villages passengers will visit along the way. They are worried about damage to pristine environments, and the influx of people and rubbish.

Crystal Cruises claims that its use of 鈥渦ltra low-sulphur content marine gas oil鈥� and slow speed minimises the ship鈥檚 carbon footprint.

The waterways are not free of ice 鈥� and risk, so Serenity will be accompanied by an icebreaker and two ice-scouting helicopters.

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淟uxury liner鈥檚 Arctic voyage鈥�