In 2000, the ship struck an underwater obstacle and was damaged; it was subsequently grounded – to prevent sinking – and abandoned in the Solomon Islands.

The ship was renamed "Lowell Thomas Discoverer" and ran 7-day Great Lakes Chicago to Montreal (and the reverse) St. Lawrence Seaway cruises.

The ship carried a fleet of inflatable dinghies, allowing passengers to move closer to ice floes for observation.

[5] During the period from November through February (Austral summer), the ship conducted cruises in the Southern Hemisphere and visited places like Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Chile and Argentina.

World Discoverer was classified as a Swedish/Finnish 1A Ice Class, allowing the ship to withstand minor floe impacts.

[6] The World Discoverer also had a 13,000 km (8,100 mi) cruising range, allowing the ship to travel the Northwest Passage.

[7] On 30 April 2000, at 4 p.m. local time (0500 GMT), the ship struck a large uncharted rock or reef in the Sandfly Passage, Solomon Islands.

[8] Michael Lomax, president of Society Expeditions, congratulated the captain and crew for their heroic and professional actions, saying that they performed in an "exemplary manner" during the crisis.

The ship became a tourist attraction with the locals of the island as well as other cruise lines that pass by World Discoverer, including MV Princess II.