A cruise ship that was recently at the centre of international scrutiny after an elderly passenger was left behind on a remote island has run aground on a coral reef during its first voyage since the incident.

The Coral Adventurer struck a reef off the eastern coast of  Papua New Guinea on Saturday, around 18 miles (29km) from the city of Lae in Morobe province. The grounding occurred just two months after 80-year-old Suzanne Rees died after being left behind during an organised shore excursion in Australia.

Coral Expeditions, the ship’s operator, confirmed the vessel experienced a “grounding incident” but said all 123 people on board – including 80 passengers and 43 crew – were safe and uninjured. A spokesperson said initial inspections suggested there was no damage to the ship, although further checks were due to be carried out on Sunday.

“All passengers and crew are safe,” the company said, adding that it was continuing to assess the situation.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it had not received a distress call but was aware of the incident. “AMSA is currently monitoring the situation and is ready to support Papua New Guinea authorities if requested,” a spokesperson said, The Telegraph reported.

The grounding occurred during a 12-day voyage scheduled to conclude on December 30. Coral Expeditions said no decision had yet been made about whether the remainder of the trip would continue.

Papua New Guinea authorities are expected to assess the environmental impact of the incident, particularly given the sensitivity of coral reef ecosystems in the region.

The incident comes after intense criticism of the Coral Adventurer following the death of Ms Rees in October. She was left on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef after falling ill during a guided excursion. Her family said the ship departed without her and did not realise she was missing for more than five hours.

Her daughter, Katherine Rees, previously said the tragedy was caused by a “failure of care and common sense”, claiming the ship left without carrying out a proper passenger count. A helicopter search was later launched, and Ms Rees’s body was discovered the following morning near a walking track.

At the time, the vessel was just two days into a planned 60-day voyage, which was subsequently cancelled. All passengers were offered full refunds. Australian authorities also confirmed the ship had been experiencing mechanical issues, prompting a regulatory review.