The Empress of the North, a Majestic America Line ship, hit a rock at the southern end of Alaska's Icy Strait early Monday, forcing 281 passengers to evacuate to nearby ships. The AP first broke the news and noted that there were no immediate reports of injuries and that it wasn't immediately clear why the ship ran around, causing it to take on water. Majestic America Line, based in Seattle, began operations in January 2006.