Ship passengers happy despite ice trap Australian explorers are stranded near Antarctica after their ship became wedged in by sea ice. PASSENGERS on a Antarctic-bound cruiseliner are in fine spirits and are enjoying Christmas despite being trapped by ice after a storm. There are 50 tourists, scientists and explorers and 20 crew on the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which is on a Spirit of Mawson voyage along the edge of Antarctica. They are in no immediate danger, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). "The ship is reinforced against ice and well adapted to the conditions," said Alvin Stone, spokesman for voyage operators. He said those on board were in fine spirits and were enjoying Christmas. Mr Stone said the storm was well-timed as those on board has just returned from a 60km trek across pack ice in Antarctica. The ship had sailed from New Zealand to visit several sites. The AMSA received a distress call on Christmas morning. A spokeswoman said three ships had been sent to assist but it would take at least two days for the nearest vessel to reach the remote location - about 1500 nautical miles south of Hobart. "It's in quite a remote part of the world," she said on Wednesday. But we have everyone safe. The vessel isn't in any immediate danger. The ship's voyage is part of a research expedition to commemorate the centenary of Douglas Mawson's exploration. Expedition leader Chris Turney didn't seem too bothered by being stranded. He wrote in a Christmas Day tweet: "Heavy ice. Beautiful; light wind. Only -1degC. All well. Merry Xmas everyone from AAE. The privately funded expedition includes a trip to Mawson's Huts on Antarctica, which had been inaccessible for many years because of an iceberg.