Feds to release report on cruise ship

JUNEAU - Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will release a final report Tuesday on the grounding last year of a cruise ship near Juneau.

The 300-foot cruise ship Empress of the North operated by Majestic America Line grounded on a chartered rock about 25 miles southwest of Juneau on May 14, 2007.

The 206 passengers and non-essential crew members were safely evacuated.

The vessel sustained damage to its starboard underside and propulsion system.

A preliminary report issued last December found the ship was under the watch of a 22-year-old navigator fresh out of a maritime academy with no formal knowledge of Alaska waters.