seasons and offering additional cruises during the transitional journeys from one pole to the other. These included a cruise along the west coast of Africa and a cruise along the west coast of South America, stopping at ports along the way. On 23 July 2012, the Expedition touched bottom at Isispynten, east of Nordaustlandet in the Arctic. Reports state that the ship was travelling at a low speed at the time and that nobody was ever in any danger. The ship freed itself under its own engine power and continued on its way. One reason given for this was the buildup of rubbish in the bottom of the channel which had severely restricted the depth of water in an area that the ship had regularly travelled through. In November 2014, several trips had to be cancelled when her port engine failed unexpectedly whilst the ship was berthed in Ushuaia, Argentina. This was fully repaired and trips are now running again normally. However, at the end of the 2015 Arctic season, she was due to have both engines replaced. In November, 2015 two trips were cancelled because of delays in the shipyard in Italy. MS Expedition tours Arctic tours The 2015 Arctic season typically includes three different types of tour. The first starts in Edinburgh, Scotland, and visits Orkney, travels the Norwegian coast and then finishes at Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. Following tours circumnavigate the islands of Svalbard, starting and finishing at Longyearbyen. The final tour of the season travels from Longyearbyen to Greenland and finishes in Reykjavik, Iceland. Antarctic tours The Antarctic season includes various tours starting at either Ushuaia, Argentina or Montevideo, Uruguay, crossing the Drake Passage and travelling along the Antarctic Peninsula, visiting the South Shetland Islands, the Weddell Sea, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Cruising style The ship carries a maximum of 134 passengers and travels the polar regions with a number of on-board guides and scientific experts/lecturers in relevant fields. Numerous trips ashore are arranged to see the landscapes, geology, flora and fauna, by using 12-man Zodiac inflatable boats. In the Arctic, the guides are armed and trained in the use of flare guns and rifles, due to the possibility of polar bear encounters and are in constant radio contact with the ship and each other. The ship contains a heated mudroom in which boots and clothing can be stored after excursions, enabling anything wet to dry