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SHIPPING NEWS 2009

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SAGA Sisters Sally Forth
January 6: A firework display lit up chilly Southampton docks as the 1965-built SAGA ROSE (ex SAGAFJORD) began her 44th and final world cruise before she is retired following her 37-night farewell voyage around the Mediterranean leaving Southampton on October 30. Her 104-night voyage will take in 39 ports around the globe.

Later the same evening her sister ship, SAGA RUBY (ex VISTAFJORD, CARONIA) also depart Southampton for a 73-night voyage around Africa. Click here for SAGA ROSE and SAGA RUBY stern to stern in Southampton on the Shipping News photos page.

Farewell Lauderdale
January 5: Pictured on the Shipping News Page, ROTTERDAM departs Ft. Lauderdale on her 127-day world cruise, followed by REGAL EMPRESS sailing for Bahamas today at 5pm. Click here for ROTTERDAM and REGAL EMPRESS.

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ORCHESTRA Arrives In The US
January 2: The 92,409 gt MSC ORCHESTRA arrived at Ft. Lauderdale, FL this morning at 7AM. She was greeted by two McAllister tugs basting their water cannons as she manoeuvred unassisted into berth 3, thus displacing REGAL EMPRESS for today to berth 21. MSC ORCHESTRA is the largest of the line's ships to sail in North American waters, and can carry 2,550 passengers. She will sail alternating 7-night roundtrip itineraries from January 10 - April 18: Eastern Caribbean, calling at Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. John, Antigua; and Nassau, Bahamas, with two days at sea. Western Caribbean, calling at Key West, Florida; Cozumel, Mexico; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic, and two days at sea. ORCHESTRA is scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale May 2, 2009 on an 18-night voyage calling at New York for a two-day visit to before heading eastbound to Copenhagen with stops at Ponta Delgado, Azores; Lisbon, Portugal; Vigo, Spain; La Coruna, Spain; and Dover, England before arriving in Copenhagen. Click here for pictures of MSC ORCHESTRA arriving.

Stretching The Truth?
January 2: QE2 has been the center of some rather odd stories circulating the internet. The story that her funnel maybe removed and replaced with an extravagant glass walled suite is well known. But another suggests that she is to be stretched by adding a new 30-meter center section, and in Bremerhaven. However, though QE2 Enterprises has not mentioned this plan, it has said, "that the ship will be transformed into a hospitality-themed complex, with 200 hotel rooms, a maritime museum, residential property on the land side, retail outlets, restaurants, a theatre, an entertainment complex and a Wellness Centre/Spa." MaritimeMatters has been informed that she will leave her current berth, one that she has occupied since her arrival in November, and enter Dubai Dry Dock company's yard on January 15.

RUBY Decked!
January 1: Princess Cruises's 2008-built RUBY PRINCESS is the latest ship given a comprehensive history and top to bottom tour by Peter Knego in his continuing MaritimeMatters blogspot Decked!. Click here for RUBY Decked!

DISNEY WONDER Makes Surprise Call
January 1: DISNEY WONDER made a rare and un planned call at Port Everglades, FL this morning. The brief stop was for medical services for a passenger. The ship was met by a EMS truck, after which the ship again departed for sea. Click here for a picture of DISNEY WONDER on the Shipping News photos page.

Wreck Found Under Apartment Building
January 1: Construction workers digging the foundations for a luxury apartment building near the River Plate in Buenos Aires appear to have dug up the well-preserved remains of a 17th-century Spanish galleon. The wreck has been preserved by silt since it sank some 300 years ago when the Puerto Madero neighbourhood of the Argentinian capital was a beach. So far, five large cannons and cannon balls have been excavated. The Buenos Aires Culture Department's chief plans to raise the whole ship.

The Year Of The Sea Trek
January 1: Rounding out 2008 in his "Sea Treks", Peter Knego blogged on Two QUEENs for a day: QUEEN VICTORIA's Maiden Visit to Los Angeles, and QUEEN MARY's 40th Year in Long Beach in January.

In February, he took us to San Francisco for In And Out Of The Fog Blog covering the INDEPENDENCE departing for parts unknown and the decaying MV FAITHFUL prior to her tow from Alameda to the Sacramento River.

March saw old favourite REGAL EMPRESS in Peter Knego's REGALLY Impressed Blog featuring a cruise on Imperial Majesty Cruise Line's MV REGAL EMPRESS, the former Greek Liner OLYMPIA of 1953. Quickly followed by the BALMORAL Blog on one the newly-stretched ship's cruises from Miami, FL.

April starts back in Los Angeles for Peter Knego's beautifully illustrated "QE2 Blues" Blog
on her final visit. Then we move to the Made on The Jade blog, on board NORWEGIAN JADE (ex PRIDE OF HAWAI'I) from Alexandria, Egypt to Piraeus, Greece. Without a stop, we go straight to NCL's F3, New Wave cabins and keel laying at St. Nazaire, France.

May provides an Abbreviated DISCOVERY Blog, as we sail briefly in the Caribbean on Voyages of Discovery's 1972-built 20,216 gt MV DISCOVERY (ex ISLAND VENTURE, ISLAND PRINCESS, HYUNDAI PUNGAK, PLATINUM). Then back to Los Angeles for the L.A. Mod. 2008 Blog, from the L.A. Modernism Show, the year's theme "Design In Motion" included the wall of glass, mahogany and nickel from EMPRESS OF CANADA's Mayfair Room, Luzzati's Colonna Traiana and Heraldic ceramics from Incres Lines' VICTORIA and Luzzati's masterpiece, the silver leaf painting "Chariots" from STELLA SOLARIS. Meanwhile, another container of rescued items arrive in California in "Unload, Upload!" blog

In June we take to river cruising on Up A River Without A Paddle Aboard COLUMBIA QUEEN, Peter's journey from Portland, OR to Clarkston, WA.

For July and into August, a return to Europe for HAL's EURODAM inaugural sailing before moving on to Oceania Cruises' INSIGNIA Venice to Barcelona, part one and INSIGNIA Venice to Barcelona, part two, plus a blog within a blog as Peter Knego visits Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente Yard and reports on Oceania Cruises' MV MARINA's steel cutting with a cabin preview.

Sepember took us on old favourites: IVORY Cyprus to Rhodes followed by SAPPHIRE Greek Island Cruise.

October was up the fjords in Peter's GORKIY to Norway blog, SS MAXIM GORKIY from Bremerhaven to Norway, including visits to Phoenix Seereisen's MV ALBATROS (ex ROYAL VIKING SEA), Hurtigrute's MV NORDKAPP, and the 1949-built Norwegian passenger ship BRUVIK. Then back to the US for an Uncommon Journeys steam rail/river adventure on board Majestic America Lines' steamboat AMERICAN QUEEN on her final northbound Upper Mississippi River cruise from St. Louis to St. Paul for the AMERICAN QUEEN Farewell To Steam(boat) Blog

For November we sail on a two night inaugural and christening cruise of Princess Cruises' RUBY PRINCESS in Ruby Revelations, followed by a four night cruise to the Bahamas on board NCL's NORWEGIAN SKY (ex PRIDE OF ALOHA) for Bahamarama on NORWEGIAN SKY and a secondÊtwo night christening cruise on board Celebrity Cruises' spectacular new CELEBRITY SOLSTICE for Celebrating Solstice.

December began in Barbados with the BRAEMAR Blog from Fred. Olsen's recently stretched, 1993-built BRAEMAR. Then it was on to Naples for MSC FANTASIA Christening and Inaugural blog.

Dake's List Updated
Jan 1: Shawn Dake's List: NEW CRUISE SHIPS ON ORDER has been updated to reflect the latest confirmed cruise ship orders around the world.

A Quiet 2009 For US Rivers
December 31: A second US river cruise company has shut down. RiverBarge Excursion Lines, Inc.'s website now displays the following message: "RiverBarge Excursion Lines, Inc. has been forced to curtail all operations for 2009 due to economic conditions. Rising costs and very soft bookings have forced this decision." The unusual R/B RIVER EXPLORER, which actually consists of two barges, the LA SALLE and the DE SOTO, has been laid up. The staterooms are situated on the LA SALLE, while the public facilities are located on the DE SOTO. Meanwhile, competing steamboat operator, Majestic America Line, ceased operations in November.

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MSC FANTASIA Christening and Inaugural
December 23: In his latest Sea Treks blog, Peter Knego provides a preview of MSC Cruises brand new 133,500 gt MSC FANTASIA, which was christened by Sophia Loren at Naples on Thursday, December 19. Click here for MSC FANTASIA Christening and Inaugural blog.

Click here for previous SHIPPING NEWS October - December 2008

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