An embattled cruise ship has been detained by authorities several days after the vessel ran aground off Papua New Guinea during a luxury Christmas cruise. 

The Coral Adventurer struck a coral reef about 30km off the coast of Lae, PNG’s second biggest city, early on Saturday, after leaving Cairns on December 18. 

The latest crisis comes just two months after an Australian grandmother died after being left behind on a stopover on a remote island in October. 

Eighty passengers and 43 crew were on a 12-night Christmas voyage from Cairns in Far North Queensland when the vessel became stranded. 

Passengers, who paid more than $13,000 each, were flown back to Cairns on Tuesday after the ship spent three and a half days stuck on the reef. 

‘The Coral Adventurer was successfully floated and is now at anchor. Initial inspections by certified divers found no significant damage to the vessel’s hull,’ a company spokesman told Daily Mail.

‘Divers are continuing their work today to conduct further assessments of the vessel and local marine environment.’

The vessel has been detained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on ‘reasonable suspicion that it is not seaworthy due to potential damage sustained during the grounding’. 

Coral Adventurer was on its first voyage since the death of NSW grandmother, Suzanne Rees, 80, who was left behind on Lizard Island during a stopover on a $80,000-a-ticket circumnavigation of Australia in October. 

Ms Rees had been hiking to the summit of the Great Barrier Reef island’s highest peak but turned back after becoming too tired to continue.

She failed to reboard the ship, with serious questions were raised about the five-hour delay in launching a search for the missing grandmother. 

Multiple investigations by authorities into the tragedy continue.

Meanwhile, Australian Transport Safety Bureau officials travelled to PNG on Wednesday to interview the stranded ship’s captain and crew. 

‘There are a number of different agencies who will be looking into this,’ ATSB commissioner Angus Mitchell told the Today show on Wednesday.

‘But we’re focused on working out exactly what happened and what lessons can be learnt. Obviously, with 80 people in the middle of a cruise, it wasn’t an ideal way to finish a Christmas cruise.’

Mr Mitchell noted the Coral Adventurer was navigating these confined waters for the first time when it ran aground.

However, other Coral Expedition vessels had operated in the same waters previously. 

‘We want to know what exactly what was planned and what was the passage plan, what were the provisions taken when you operate in confined and shallower waters and obviously, what’s gone wrong,’ Mr Mitchell said.

Investigators have quarantined data from the ship’s voyage recorder and are gathering tracking data, weather reports, and crew, operator and maintenance records.  

‘Pending the outcome of local investigations, the vessel will then travel to Cairns and Coral Expeditions crew and staff will assist local authorities in further investigations,’ a company spokesman told Daily Mail.

‘Coral Expeditions sincerely regrets the grounding of its vessel and apologies to our passengers for the disruption they experienced. 

‘All passengers and non-essential crew have now been successfully repatriated home or to onward connections. 

‘Passengers have also been offered refunds for the affected leg of the journey or credits for future travel.’