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SHIPPING NEWS April - June 2006
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Venice Serenades The MUSICA - updated
June 30: Peter Knego reorts from MSC MUSICA's naming ceremony in Venice, Italy. New images and text, added July 3.Eleventh Ship for Costa
June 30: The 112,000-gt COSTA CONCORDIA was delivered today by Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yard near Genoa. Supermodel Eva Herzigova will be the godmother of the new Costa ship, and new Costa flagship. The naming ceremony will take place on July 7 at Civitavecchia , the port of Rome. With a passenger capacity of 3,780, COSTA CONCORDIA becomes the largest cruise ship flying the Italian flag. The Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Italian television personality Antonella Clerici.Image of BLUE LADY at Anchor
June 30: The first images of BLUE LADY, ex FRANCE, NORWAY off the Indian coast, have appeared online, from Reuters.BLUE LADY Anchors
June 30: Reports from India state the BLUE LADY, ex FRANCE, NORWAY has arrived at Pipavav Port, some 65 km south west of Alang on Friday morning. She will remain at anchor for inspection by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to verify the quantity and types of hazardous materials on board the ship. Their findings will be submitted in a report to the Supreme Court's body of experts headed by the Union Secretary of Environment.
Click on the BLUE LADY, FRANCE, NORWAY page for a compendium of updates and a link to her SS FRANCE era in pictures.BLUE LADY Off Gujarat
June 29: An article in the Hindu Times today places BLUE LADY, ex FRANCE, NORWAY in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat Coast. The owner of Haryana ship demolition company is reported to have said that, "she is expected to reach Pipavav Port tonight or by early morning tomorrow." The ex FRANCE has yet to receive permission to be beached at Alang and will be anchored at Pipavav port in the Amreli district tonight, or early tomorrow. The BLUE LADY will be allowed into Alang only after the local authorities are given the green light by the Supreme Court. The Court had previously permitted "safe anchorage" to the vessel but had directed that the ship cannot be beached or dismantled until it is properly inspected by cout appointed experts.Sophia Names a third
June 29: MSC MUSICA is named in Venice today by Italian beauty and film icon Sophia Loren. Ms. Loren is also godmother to MSC LIRICA and MSC OPERA, which entered service in 2003 and 2004, respectively. MSC MUSICA at 90,000 tons is be the largest ship in the MSC CruisesÕ fleet. Following the festivities, MSC MUSICA sail on a seven-night inaugural round trip cruise, calling at Bari, Italy; Katakolon, Greece; Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey; and Dubrovnik, Croatia, remaining on that itinerary weekly until October 21.Moby Sues
June 29: Following the June 21st collision (see below) between Tirrenia ferry NURAGHES and MOBY FANTASY off Olbia, Sardinia, Moby Line's is reported in the press as suing the captain of NURAGHES, for "rescue omission". Following the accident the statement reads - "the captain of Nuraghes resumed sailing to the harbour without verifying whether MOBY FANTASY was in danger". Other rescue vessels came to the aid of MOBY FANTASY and towed her to safety at Golfo Aranci, while it was reported she was taking on water.Will The Headlines Save ex FRANCE?
June 28: Gulf newspaper Khaleeji Times front page headline today, reads "Dubai bid to save historic cruise liner". The story concerns a group of investors reportedly in a bid to save purchase BLUE LADY( ex FRANCE, NORWAY), from her Indian breakers and spend US$100-120 million refitting the ship as a luxury floating hotel and conference center moored in Dubai's harbour. The newspaper reports "Project Dubai" to be offering the breakers approximately US$3 million profit for not scrapping the vessel. Meanwhile, the ship moves slowly towards the beach of doom. Click on the BLUE LADY, FRANCE, NORWAY page for a compendium of updates on the saga of this ship.Alang Arrival
June 28: The former 33 ORIENTALES, CITY OF RODOS, QUEEN ELENI, QUEEN CONSTANTINA has finally beached at Alang under the delivery name FOREST.New BLUE Rumors
June 26: So many rumors are floating about the BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY), it is difficult to keep abreast of anything tangible. However, the ship did apparently call at Fujerah, UAE for repairs to one of her attending tugs after departing Malaysia on 5 May. She left on 17 June and was due at Alang this week, but the latest indicators from India are that the tug is stalled again and that she will now arrive at the anchorage in two weeks.Ship Cams Page Updated
June 26: Maritime Matters Ship Cams page has been updated, reinstated non working cams from ARCADIA, AURORA, ORIANA and OCEANA, and adding new web cam links from AMEDEA, the new CROWN PRINCESS, COSTA ATLANTICA, COSTA CLASSICA, COSTA EUROPA, COSTA FORTUNA, COSTA MAGICA, COSTA MARINA, COSTA MEDITERREANA, COSTA ROMANTICA, COSTA TROPICALE, COSTA VICTORIA and VOYAGER OF THE SEAS. Click on The Cam page . (For some reason the image from the PRIDE OF ALOHA cam remains up side down).Fate of NORWAY/BLUE LADY
June 25: Click on the SS NORWAY page for updates on the saga of this once great and last French ship of state. While she appears cleared to anchor in India waters, her exact whereabouts, remain a mystery. As the days tick by to her expected arrival at the beach, rumours swirl over last minute rescue plans.A Chinese Cruise on MM
June 22: The JIARI sails onto Maritime Matters. Jonathan Boonzaier describes in text and images a ship rarely covered in the west, Zhongda Cruise Co's 10,000 gt JIARIFerries Collide
June 22: The two ferries collided today in thick fog off Olbia, Sardinia. It was reported that the 37,536 gt Tirrenia ferry NURAGHES struck the port side of Moby Lines' 9,120 gt MOBY FANTASY. The 1976-built MOBY FANTASY was departing Olbia, while the 2004-built NURAGHES was heading for the same port. It is reported that all passengers have been transferred. Those travelling to Olbia were taken on board MOBY AKI, while those on NURAGHES were picked up by a SNAV ferry. Both ferries involved in the crash are damaged and will have to be replaced on their itineraries by other ships. MOBY FANTASY is reportedly taking on water and is been towed to Golfo Aranci.MUSICA Delivered
June 19: MSC MUSCIA was officially delivered today. A ceremony took place at St. Nazaire at Chantiers de l'Atlantique/Aker Yards France, attended by President Patrick Boissier, shipowner Gianluigi Aponte, CEO of MSC Crociere Pierfrancesco Vago, and international film star, Gerard Depardieu.MSC MUSICA is the first of a new series of ships built for MSC Cruises and is enroute to Venice, where on June 29, she will be officially christened by Sophia Loren. She will then sail on her first Mediterranean cruise, visiting Greece, Turkey and Croatia.
MSC MUSICA is the first of five ships ordered by MSC Cruises from Aker Yards France to be delivered over a period of three years: the next delivery will be MSC ORCHESTRA, followed by MSC POESIA and MSC FANTASIA in 2008 and MSC SERENATA in 2009. The latter two will be the largest ships yet commissioned by a European company.
Storied Shipbuilder Applies For Scrap License
June 17: Northern Ireland's Harland & Wolff in Belfast is bidding to become the UK's first shipyard licensed to scrap ships and oil rigs. Harland & Wolff and Golder Associates, a worldwide environmental waste management company, have formed an alliance to offer a new marine vessel and offshore structure recovery and recycling service. European ship recycling regulations are very strict, and, as a result, ship owners will pay to have a vessel dismantled. Harland & Wolff's license is pending approval.Martha Crowns a Princess
June 14: Princess Cruises' new 113,000-gt CROWN PRINCESS was officially named by Martha Stewart, the American home decorating tycoon, at the ship's terminal in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Italian built vessel then sailed on her first Caribbean cruise, with calls at Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Port Canaveral, Florida. The ship will sail nine-day roundtrip sailings to the eastern and western Caribbean during the summer season. In the autumn, she will reposition to San Juan for Caribbean sailings.Carnival's Newbuilds For European Brands
June 13: Carnival Corporation announced that it has ordered two cruise ships for Costa Crociere and Germany-based AIDA Cruises with an option for a third vessel. The 92,700-gt vessel for Costa, (with an option for a sister ship) will be built at Italy's Fincantieri shipyard, while a 68,500-ton ship for AIDA Cruises will be built by at Meyer Werft. Costa's ship is scheduled for delivery in spring 2009. If the option is exercised, the second ship will enter service in 2010. The total cost for each vessel will be approximately 420 million euro. The AIDA newbuild will be scheduled for delivery in spring 2010, at an all-in cost of approximately 330 million euros. Meyer Werft has three ships on order for AIDA for delivery in 2007, 2008 and 2009. All four vessels will operate under AIDA Cruises' "club resort" cruise concept which is marketed exclusively to German-speaking passengers.Alang Update
June 11: As the monsoon season gets underway and NORWAY's arrival draws nearer, the demolition of two important passenger ships still continues at Alang. SS BIG RED BOAT II (ex EUGENIO C, EUGENIO COSTA, EDINBURGH CASTLE, THE BIG RED BOAT II) is down to one section of superstructure and keel. Her angled Turin Polytechnic twin funnels have now been toppled, leaving only a chunk of scarred red hull to identify her by. CHINA SEA DISCOVERY (ex CARINTHIA, FAIRLAND, FAIRSEA, FAIR PRINCESS) is disappearing quickly. The cutting of the burnt-out hulk has gone well past her finned funnel and has consumed her cruiser stern. As there is nothing on board worth stripping, it is expected she will be finished off in weeks, in contrast with the very slow, deliberate demolition of BIG RED BOAT II, which has been at Alang for an entire year. Still no word on ANDAMAN PRINCESS or QUEEN CONSTANTINA and their whereabouts.CROWN Aground, Freed
June 8: Norwegian Cruise Line's 1988-built 34,000 gt, 1,100 passenger MV NORWEGIAN CROWN (ex CROWN ODYSSEY, NORWEGIAN CROWN, CROWN ODYSSEY) grounded on a sandbar in Bermuda between Dockyard and Spanish Point yesterday morning, but was eventually freed by three tugs that evening. The ship has been sold to British-based Fred Olsen Cruises effective this August, but will be chartered back to NCL to complete her scheduled cruise program through 2007. Click here for SHIPPING NEWS photos page.Last US Coastal Steamer Scrapped
June 7: 1925-built NOBSKA, the last remaining coastal steamer in the US, will be scrapped this week. The ship served Martha's Vineyard between 1925 and 1973 has been drydocked at the Boston National Historical Park at the Charlestown Navy Yard for the past 10 years. Scrappers hired by the National Park Service began cutting down the superstructure of the 210-foot steamer. For over 30 years the New England Steamship Foundation tried to save the ship. Two other historic vessels, the USS CONSTITUTION and the USS CASSIN YOUNG, both require use of the yard's drydock for repairs. As a result, Park Service officials announced they must get rid of the NOBSKA. Members of the New England Steamship Foundation hope that the hull can still be saved and floated out of the dock. Over three million dollars in federal money has already been spent on the vessel. New frames have been installed in the hull and all the hull plates have been replaced. However, for NOBSKA to float, 5,000 feet of seam welding between the new plates would be needed.NOBSKA made her last trip to the Islands in September 1973 before being laid up at Vineyard Haven and Nantucket. In May of 1974, the steamer was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The NOBSKA was sold by the Steamship Authority in June of 1975 to become a restaurant in Baltimore, MD. The new restaurant failed, and the ship was laid up in Baltimore. In 1988 the Friends of Nobska were able to buy the ship and return her to New England, where she was tied up at Fall River, Providence, and New Bedford, with volunteers keeping her pumped out and maintained. The Friends of Nobska was renamed the New England Steamship Foundation. The vessel remained there for four years, then was moved to New Bedford. The foundation attempted to run the restored NOBSKA as a passenger steamer on her original route between New Bedford and the Vineyard. In 1995, NOBSKA was towed from New Bedford to the Charlestown Navy Yard where she remained. The foundation was unable to raise the money to rebuild the vessel. http://www.nobska.org/
NOORDAM Saves 22
June 6: HAL's MS NOORDAM rescued 22 people, all wearing life jackets, from the waters of the Aegean Sea after a crew member working on the NOORDAM spotted a person floating in the water. A fast rescue boat and two tenders were used to retrieve the survivors, whose boat had sunk. NOORDAM was on her way from the Greek port of Santorini to Kusadasi on Turkey's Aegean coast. The rescue took place about four miles off the the Greek island of Samos.BLUE LADY To Beach
June 5: India's Supreme Court has now lifted the ban on BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) to enter Indian waters, clearing the way for the iconic ship to be scrapped. The ship will be brought to Alang in Gujarat. The temporary ban on her delivery over issues raised by Greenpeace relating to the significant quantities of asbestos on board has been lifted. The Alang Shipbreakers Association celebrated the decision. The Gujarat Maritime Board will be working with a private company that will monitor potential pollution hazards and a plot of land adjacent to the yard will be used for containing asbestos and the disposal of hazardous materials from BLUE LADY. All arrangements are to be inspected by two regulatory bodies before the ship is beached. Currently, the ship remains outside India's territorial waters, under tow by the tugs INTERSURF and SEAWAYS 5.Notes on tugs: 1976-built INTERSURF (ex BOA PRINCE) and SEAWAYS 5(ex DEYMOS). SEAWAYS 5 towed the 1953-built laker OAKGLEN and the 1959-built laker SEAWAY QUEEN together to Alang in 2004. Both tugs towed the ex NORWAY from Port Klang, Malaysia, departing May 5, 2006.Ê
One Minute To Midnight For MANXMAN
June 5: The Manxman Steamship Co charitable trust has been campaigning for four years to preserve the classic 1955-built Isle of Man steamer (which ended service in 1982) either as a static exhibit, for hosting events, or to full-working order. A partnership with Channel 4 had plans for a series named "The Big Boat", a 10-part documentary illustrating the history of British shipbuilding through MANXMAN's restoration. However, in late April, a gang of thieves almost capsized the ship after cutting a hole at the waterline level and pillaging valuable copper and brass engine parts in the dead of night. When the tide came in, raising the ship off the river bed, water flooded the engine room.Now, a last minute rescue bid is on to save the Merseyside's famous ship from imminent sale to the breakers and instead restore this icon as a centerpiece of the European Capital of Culture 2008 -- Liverpool. Liverpool City Councilperson, Mike Storey, believes the money can be raised to outbid the scrap merchants. The project has received the backing of the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo and Professor Phil Redmond, Daily Post columnist and founder of Mersey Television. When the vessel has been secured, it is hoped Channel 4 will be revive its plans to film the documentary. To be restored by 2008, work must begin by August. Pallion Engineering, which owns the shipyard where MANXMAN is laid-up, want the ship scrapped immediately, citing her as a health and safety hazard and a further target for vandals and thieves. Please visit http://www.ssmanxman.co.uk
Alstom Marine And Akers Combine
June 1: Akers Yards signed its merger agreement with Alstom Marine in Paris yesterday. The new company, Akers Yards SA, will consist of Aker Yards' Cruise & Ferries business and Chantiers de l'Atlantique with shipyards in Saint-Nazaire and Lorient. Aker Yards owns 75 % of Aker Yards SA, and ALSTOM owns the rest until 2010. The COO of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Jacques Hardelay, will become managing director of Aker Yards SA immediately and will report to the president of Aker Yards' Cruise & Ferries division, Yrjo Julin. The shipbuilding companies first announced their intention to join forces in January. Aker Yards now has 15 yards in 6 countries, and over 16,000 employees.SEA PRINCESS Returns To Port, VAN GOGH Leaves
May 31: Princess Cruises' SEA PRINCESS cut short her cruise, returning early to Southampton. Emergency medical staff boarded the ship today after an outbreak thought to be the Norovirus struck down more than 200 passengers. The last leg of the seven-day cruise around France and the Iberian Peninsula, was shelved and SEA PRINCESS is returning her 2,250 passengers back to Southampton. A Princess spokesman said the ship was being brought back early for emergency decontamination. (While the symptoms are unpleasant, they are not considered life threatening).Meanwhile, MV VAN GOGH (ex GRUZIYA, ODESSA SKY, CLUB CRUISE I) has been released by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency following a severe viral infection on board, (see May 28).
Crowned!
May 31: Fincantieri Cantieri Navali, Monfalcone, Italy delivered the new 113,000 gt cruise ship CROWN PRINCESS to Princess Cruises on May 27. The ship is now enroute to New York where she will be named by Martha Stewart on June 14, 2006. ÊAfter the naming ceremony, the 3,080-passenger, Bermuda-registered CROWN PRINCESS will sail on Princess' first round-trip Caribbean departure from New York. The new ship is powered by two fixed pitch propellers each driven by a Siemens electric propulsion motor driven by Wartsila ZA40S diesel engines. Her service speed will be 21.5 knots.CENTURY Returns
May 30: Celebrity Cruises 1995-built CENTURY returns to service following a US$55-million refit at Fincantieri's Palermo shipyard. During the five week refit, some 314 new verandas were added, plus 14 new suites, 10 new staterooms, a new specialty restaurant and an enlarged spa. CENTURY is sailing a series of European cruises, including Baltic, Mediterranean and Norwegian Fjord itineraries, before arriving in Miami in November.Vintage Ship Census Updated
The 2006 Vintage Passenger Ship Census, compiled by Doug Newman, has been uploaded to Maritime Matters
PRIDE OF HAWAI'I Arrives In The Islands
May 29: PRIDE OF HAWAI'I, NCL America's largest U.S.-flagged ship, arrived in Nawiliwili, Kaua'i, today, its first visit to a Hawaiian port. The new ship joins PRIDE OF AMERICA and PRIDE OF ALOHA and will sail seven-day cruises around the Islands. PRIDE OF HAWAI'I is expected at her homeport of Honolulu June 3 and will begin interisland cruises on June 5, calling at Hilo and Kona on the Big Island; Kahului, Maui; and Nawiliwili, Kaua'i. In 2007, NCL will replace NORWEGIAN WIND with the larger NORWEGIAN SUN on its 10- and 11-day Hawai'i cruises, which include a call at Fanning Island.VAN GOGH Can't Go!
May 28: The MV VAN GOGH (ex GRUZIYA, ODESSA SKY, CLUB CRUISE I) was detained at Harwich by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) following a severe viral infection on board during her previous cruise. The 1975-built, 15,402 gt, 650 passenger ship was due to sail on a cruise to the Norwegian fjords at 5:00 PM today for charterer Travelscope Holidays. 500 passengers lined up to board the vessel at the dock were sent home for a minimum of 48 hours as the ship and crew are monitored for any further outbreaks. On the recently completed cruise, 100 people took ill, two of whom had to be sent to Colchester Hospital by ambulance.Announcing QUEEN MARY's Maiden Voyage 70th Anniversary Lecture Weekend
May 25: Sponsored by the RMS Queen Mary Foundation and the Steamship Historical Society of America, SoCal Chapter, Click here for QUEEN MARY events time table. Lectures by Beth Davis, Shawn Dake, Bruce Vancil, Peter Knego, David Main, David Ellery this weekend, Long Beach California.Those Three Two Stackers
May 24: While on board NCLA's new PRIDE OF HAWAI'I this past weekend, MaritimeMatters was able to ask chairman Colin Veitch about the fate of NCL's three classic two stacked liners.SS NORWAY/BLUE LADY: Before the former SS FRANCE was sold for scrap, the art from her two dining rooms, children's playroom, stairtower, and library were removed. These important works are currently in storage and may be utilized on board a revitalized SS UNITED STATES or another ship in the NCL fleet.
SS UNITED STATES: Star Cruises' chairman, Tan Sri LIM Kok Thay, announced during the christening of PRIDE OF HAWAI'I, that the UNITED STATES would be coming back as the fourth ship for Norwegian Cruise Lines America. Her refurbishment will follow or concur with the building of two more ships for the NCL international program. No further details were announced.
SS INDEPENDENCE/OCEANIC: Mr. Veitch did not have an encouraging outlook for the INDEPENDENCE (now SS OCEANIC), stating that she was not laid up properly by her last owners and has deteriorated considerably in the past few years.
Alang Update
May 24: New images from Alang show the CHINA SEA DISCOVERY's (ex CARINTHIA, FAIRLAND, FAIRSEA, FAIR PRINCESS) charred remains half demolished. After a long period of inactivity following the fire that consumed the ship earlier this year, the breaking process has commenced at a rapid pace. The ship is cut back just past her once distinctively finned funnel and will likely disappear within the next two months.Meanwhile, no new passenger ship arrivals, although ANDAMAN PRINCESS, QUEEN CONSTANTINA, and even BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) are expected soon.
INDEPENDENCE Renamed
May 23: SS INDEPENDENCE has been laid up at pier 70 in San Francisco since July 26, 2004. Recent eye witness reports say the name was painted out over the last two days and replaced with OCEANIC. The former American Export Liner was renamed OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE after C.Y. Tung bought the ship in 1974, but the prefix was dropped in 1982.PRIDE OF HAWAII in LA
May 20: The Meyer Werft built 93,000 gt, 2,400 passenger PRIDE OF HAWAI'I is seen here in a photo during her press and travel agent debut in Los Angeles. Click here for SHIPPING NEWS photos page.QUEEN VICTORIA's Keel Laid
May 19: A keel laying ceremony was held at the Marghera shipyard of Fincantieri near Venice, Italy today for Cunard's QUEEN VICTORIA. The almost 90,000-gt ship will be floated out in January 2007 and is scheduled for delivery in December 2007. Her maiden voyage is set for December 11, 2007.BLUE LADY Blues, Continued
May 19: SS BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) departed under tow from Port Klang, Malaysia to Alang, India earlier this month, but is now headed where? Greenpeace activists have succeeded in persuading the Gujarat Maritime Authority to ban the ship from Indian waters until a hearing is held on 1 July to determine if she is too toxic to be beached at the notorious Alang/Sosiya shipbreaking yards. After concerted protests, the ship was banned from the less stringent Chittagong, Bangladesh delta earlier this year.So, whither BLUE LADY? Will she accidentally beach at Alang like the controversial RIKY (ex KONG FREDERIK IX) last year, creating a maelstrom of angst that eventually fizzled out, allowing the ship to be demolished, after all? Or will she be sent back like the French aircraft carrier CLEMENCEAU, which returned to France for decontamination. Will she await a decision from the Indian authorities anchored in monsoonal waters and be taken by swells like so many recently lost scrap-bound liners?
Once the most celebrated ocean liner in the world, the SS FRANCE was launched by Madame Charles de Gaulle. Her furniture, fittings, and artwork were the epitome of midcentury magnificent. Her funnels were aesthetic masterpieces, towering over her sculpted superstructure like two pairs of crimson and black angels' wings.
As the NORWAY, she introduced the "mega ship" experience to legions of Caribbean cruisers. It took about a decade for the competition to catch up, but even when they did, the NORWAY still carried on with a loyal following.
Now, she is the pariah of the seas, denied access to even the world's most undesirable ports.
Renaming AUSONIA
May 19: Many in the maritime community were saddened to read that after 50 years with the same name, AUSONIA was renamed THE AUSONIA then IVORY within a month. The 1957-Monfalcone-built ship is owned by Louis Cruise Line.VISTAMAR Impounded on River Thames
May 17: The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has impounded the 7,478 gt VISTAMAR during a cruise after an inspection in the Port of London revealed "serious safety deficiencies". The 1989-built Spanish owned ship had 178 passengers, mainly from Germany, who were disembarked May 17th. Coast guard concerns were "fire dampers were clearly inoperative; both lifeboats were damaged; escape signs were missing". The vessel remains in the Pool of London.COSTA ALLEGRA Repositions to China
May 15: With her refit completed on April 30, COSTA ALLEGRA sailed from Savona, Italy on a 30-day repositioning cruise to Asia. Carnival Corporation announced in March that its Italian-based subsidiary, Costa Cruises, would become the first western cruise line to offer voyages from Shanghai marketed exclusively to Chinese passengers. The 1969-built COSTA ALLEGRA (ex ANNIE JOHNSON) will operate a series of 24 five-day cruises from Shanghai to Nagasaki, Japan, and Cheju, South Korea, beginning in July. Costa has created a new division, Costa Asia, with offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai opened in April of this year. COSTA ALLEGRA was built as a container ship before being converted in 1992 to a cruise ship and has just undergone a major renovation at Genoa's Mariotti shipyard to appeal to Chinese passengers.Problem Pods
May 12: Celebrity Cruises announced it has cancelled the May 20 SUMMIT cruise from Vancouver, to Seward, Alaska. It was reported that a propulsion system bearing requires unscheduled drydocking.ON THE ROAD TO DVD
May 10: The sixty minute video produced by MaritimeMatters' contributor Peter Knego, ON THE ROAD TO ALANG www.midshipcentury.com/videoalang is now available on DVD format for the first time ever. ON THE ROAD TO ALANG is the first and only video dedicated to the passenger ships broken up at Alang, India. Travel with Peter Knego and Martin Cox as they visit the beach where so many ships have gone to die and see the treasures rescued from many of these vessels being delivered to Knego's home in California months later. The video concludes with a tribute to the liners and cruise ships broken up in the late 1990s through February of 2004. A follow up volume will be released later this year.FREEDOM and Liberty
May 10: FREEDOM OF THE SEAS arrived in New York harbour today after it's first transatlantic crossing. The ship was formally dedicated while at anchor near the Statue of Liberty. Next stop will be Boston before arriving at her homeport of Miami.Next Stop: Alang?
May 6: SS BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) finally left her Port Klang anchorage on Friday at 16:00, according to local reports. The famed ship was taken under tow, and, unless she is resold enroute, will be beached at Alang for scrapping with an estimated arrival date of 1 June.CALYPSO Engine Room Fire
May 6: All 708 crew and passengers are safe following an engine room fire on board Louis Cruise Line's MV CALYPSO (ex CANGURO VERDE, DURR, IONIAN HARMONY, REGENT JEWEL, REGENT CALYPSO) in the English channel 20 miles off Beachy Head. The ship is currently being under tow by the tug ANGLICAN MONARCH and is due to arrive at Southampton at 7:30 PM. A mayday signal was issued at 3:50 AM today after the starboard engine caught fire. No casualties were reported and, while it was not necessary to abandon ship, the boats were lowered in preparation. CALYPSO was enroute to St. Peter Port, Guernsey from Tilbury, Essex when the blaze broke out. The newly-formed Maritime Incident Response Group helicoptered to the ship to assess the fire damage. The MCA has arranged an emergency response center in Southampton, for the vessel, crew and passengers.Dake's List Updated
April 29: Dake's List: New cruise ships on order, has been updated again. Please click her to visit the latest report of 34 vessels totaling 3,510,600 gt.A New York Night On The New NOORDAM
April 28: Peter Knego blogs away on his recent, very brief visit to Holland America's latest Vista Class newbuild, the 81,679 gt NOORDAM. For the quick tour highlighting a slightly evolved configuration from NOORDAM's three predecessors (ZUIDERDAM, OOSTERDAM, and WESTERDAM) and a peek at some of the new ship's artwork, click here.BLUE LADY and BIG RED BOAT II Breaking News
April 27: Further confirmation from Alang indicates the BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) is due on the beach within a month. A consortium of breakers have reportedly bought the famed vessel, still anchored off Port Klang, Malaysia, from her Bangladeshi owner, who in turn purchased the ship from her last owner/operators, Star Cruises.Meanwhile, cutting on BIG RED BOAT II (ex EUGENIO C, EUGENIO COSTA, EDINBURGH CASTLE, THE BIG RED BOAT II has reached the funnels, leaving a precarious tower of torn decks and sculpted twin uptakes atop the ship's ravaged keel.
Two smaller ferries have also arrived, with ANDAMAN PRINCESS and QUEEN CONSTANTINA due next month.
Strong Warning From UK Fire Investigation Agency
April 27: The Marine Accident Investigation Branch, the UK agency in charge of investigating the March 2006 STAR PRINCESS blaze has urged cruise lines to take "immediate action" to prevent fires on cruise ship balconies. It recommended that the International Maritime Organization (which regulates maritime safety)extend the existing fire prevention regulations for the interior of passenger ships to include balconies. Reporting today, the agency said, "the fire erupted on the balcony of a cabin on Deck 10 of the STAR PRINCESS and spread within 10 minutes to three decks, ultimately damaging more than 280 cabins". Currently it is noted that sprinklers are not required at present on balconies.Giant Ship On The Move
April 27: The world's largest cruise ship, the 154,407-gt Akers-built FREEDOM OF THE SEAS, was formally delivered to Royal Caribbean International on April 24th. The giant ship left Hamburg's Blohm & Voss shipyard on April 25th and sailed to Oslo, Norway the next day. She will make a stop in Southampton before sailing across the Atlantic the first week in May.Brief Statement on STAR Fire
April 21: Princess Cruises issued a statement on the March 23rd STAR PRINCESS fire. "Although no definitive cause of the fire has yet been determined, we can confirm that the fire did start on one of the ship's balconies, and spread to other balconies," says the statement. "We believe the fire is an isolated incident," says Princess. The fire remains the subject of an investigation led by U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). Princess has implemented a 24-hour fire watch of its balconies, among other safety precautions. STAR PRINCESS remains in Germany for repairs.A PRINCEly Sum
April 20: American Canadian Caribbean Lines' 1994-built, 90-passenger NIAGRA PRINCE will be donated to three colleges when the ship is retired this Autumn. Shipbuilder Luther Blount said he will give the ship to Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Blount said he expects the schools to sell the vessel, valued at US$6.5 million, and split the profits.STAR To Shine On Chesapeake
April 20: At the end of March, American Cruise Lines announced that its newest cruise ship (currently under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD) will be named AMERICAN STAR. The 100-passenger AMERICAN STAR will enter service in May 2007 and begin its inaugural season with Chesapeake Bay cruises.PRIDE Undaunted
April 19: NCL America took delivery of PRIDE OF HAWAI'I at a ceremony on Eemshaven, Holland today. PRIDE OF HAWAI'I is the third NCL America cruise ship to be placed the Hawaii market and, at 93,500 gt, the largest US registered passenger vessel in operation. Despite recently reported pod problems, the PRIDE OF HAWAI'I is expected to enter service on June 5. She will sail to Baltimore at the end of April before heading on to Los Angeles and San Francisco, finally arriving in her home port of Honolulu. The ship will offer interisland service from Honolulu every Monday, calling at Hilo and Kona and two days each in Kahului and Nawiliwili then returning to Honolulu.FREEDOM Squeeze
April 17: The world's biggest cruise ship, the 154,407-gt FREEDOM OF THE SEAS, drew crowds of thousands as it inched its gigantic bulk into Hamburg's Blohm and Voss shipyard prior to starting her maiden transatlantic voyage. The ship's berth measured only 3 meters wider and 12 meters longer than the ship. Built in Finland for Royal Caribbean International, the ship takes the title of biggest cruise ship in the world away from the longer but slimmer, QUEEN MARY 2. FREEDOM OF THE SEAS can accommodate up to 4,375 passengers and measures 339 meters (1,112 ft) in length, 56 meters (184 ft) wide and has a cruising speed of 21.6 knots. The ship will sail from Hamburg on April 25 for Oslo before crossing the Atlantic and starting Caribbean cruises in June.Alang Alert!
April 17: Singapore-based Star Cruises confirms their sale of SS BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) but cannot divulge the identity of the ship's new owners. Will the 1035 foot liner with one of the most exquisite hulls ever sculpted slip quietly into the hands of Asian scrappers? Word from Alang is that some heavy negotiations were underway last week to bring the ship and her much-desired aluminum superstructure to the Gujarati beach. But Bangladesh and China still remain viable candidates, the latter nation less easily fettered by all the ship's recent asbestos-related notoriety.Meanwhile, the little ISLAND EXPLORER, the former Hurtigrute liner NORDNORGE, is all but gone. Sadly, she slipped from this mortal coil without any significant documentation, so her final days will be unaccounted for in the Alang annals.
BIG RED BOAT II (ex EUGENIO C, EUGENIO COSTA, EDINBURGH CASTLE, THE BIG RED BOAT II) is still extant, if rather fractionized. Her lovely Turin Polytechnic-designed funnels were still recently towering over the last 30 percent of her hull and superstructure, which has finally been dragged close enough to the beach for some quick finishing strokes. That ghastly fiberglass sculpture of a BIG RED BOAT that once fronted Fuzzy Wuzzy's Den in the ship's Premier Cruises days manages to get dragged farther back into the ship as the forward section disappears. The ship has been tangled up in much legal red tape as her breaker has been accused of disregarding new environmental regulations, thus slowing her demolition to a torturous crawl.
CHINA SEA DISCOVERY (ex CARINTHIA, FAIRLAND, FAIRSEA, FAIR PRINCESS) had not been cut as of last week. Investigations are still underway into the cause of the recent fire that killed several workers and injured scores more, ultimately leaving the ship a charred hulk from stem to stern.
ANDAMAN PRINCESS (ex SVEA JARL) has not yet left for Alang, as previously announced. Her owners are opting for a higher asking price and will try reselling the ship again in the near future.
No word about the status of OLYMPIA I (ex ACHILLEUS, ORION, THOMAS II), which was reportedly sold several weeks ago to Alang breakers.
REGAL PRINCESS Aground
April 15: Princess Cruises' REGAL PRINCESS ran aground on a sandbar in the Amazon during her cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Manaus. The ship was freed after one and half hours, by using bow thrusters, and emptying the pools.Pods Of HAWAI'I
April 15: NCL America's latest newbuild, the 93,000 gt PRIDE OF HAWAI'I will head to the Papenburg, Germany-based Meyer Werft shipyard to repair faulty pod bearings. NCL claim this will not delay the ship's forthcoming U.S. debut.Liners Exhibition
April 15: Metro Gallery in Silverlake, Los Angeles, opened a photographic exhibition by photographer and Maritime Matters publisher, Martin Cox. The solo exhibition, called "Transmigration and the Love Boat", features about 30 works in black and white and new color prints of liners and cruise ships, from the brand new to the partially scrapped. Vessels from India, Florida, Los Angeles, the Gulf States and the mid-Atlantic are on display. The exhibit runs until May 12, 2006. For more information, see www.martincox.comQUEEN MARY's TITANIC Dinner
April 15: QUEEN MARY, in Long Beach CA presented a re-creation of the final evening aboard the TITANIC in Third Class. An authentic dinner and lecture by author and historian, Don Lynch, and tour of "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" escorted by exhibition designer, John Zaller. For more information click here, www.queenmary.comFour Queens, One Empress
April 10: Ambassadors Cruise Group, a subsidiary of Ambassadors International, announced its intention to buy the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. from Delaware North Cos. Delta Queen's three boats, DELTA QUEEN, AMERICAN QUEEN and MISSISSIPPI QUEEN are included in the sale and will be added to Ambassadors' newly acquired U.S.-based river cruise line, American West Steamboat Co., which it bought in January 2006. The fleet includes EMPRESS OF THE NORTH and QUEEN OF THE WEST.Cam Page Updated
April 10: Maritime Matters Ship Cam page has been updated with several new ships added, (CARIBBEAN PRINCESS, DAWN PRINCESS, FINNMARKEN, GOLDEN PRINCESS, GRAND PRINCESS, ISALND PRINCESS, LOFOTEN, REGAL PRINCESS, SAPPHIRE PRINCESS, SEA PRINCESS, STAR PRINCESS, SUN PRINCESS, TAHITIAN PRINCESS, QE2, and QM2), click here for Ship Cam page.European EMERALD
April 6: Princess Cruises announced the deployment of its newbuilding 113,000 gt EMERALD PRINCESS April 4. The vessel, currently under construction at the Monfalcone, Italy-based Fincantieri shipyard will debut in April of 2007 with a 12 night cruise from Rome, launching a series of Mediterranean cruises before crossing to Ft. Lauderdale in October.PRIDE OF HAWAII Sails
April 6: The Meyer Werft built 93,000 gt, 2,400 passenger PRIDE OF HAWAII departed the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, today, after completing a final inspection. PRIDE OF HAWAII is expected to be handed over to NCL America at the end of April. NCL have dubbed her "the largest U.S.-flag passenger vessel ever built".Canal To Widen
April 5: The Panama Canal Authority has approved a plan for a US$7.5 billion upgrade of the 1914 built canal. The plan is likely to be approved by the Panamanian government. The new construction project, which will take about seven years to complete, will add huge new locks, allowing wider vessels to transit the canal. The project will be funded by loans, increased transit fees and by selling future transit fees at today's prices.Brooklyn QUEEN
April 3: Queen Mary 2 will switch her western terminus from the historic New York Passenger Ship Terminal in midtown Manhattan to the brand-new $52 million 182,000 square foot Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, making her maiden visit on Saturday, April 15. The new Pier 12 facility in Red Hook will also serve Princess Cruises fleet and bring 330 new jobs to the Brooklyn waterfront.Trials Of The CROWN
April 3: Princess Cruises new 113,000 gt CROWN PRINCESS has completed her first sea trials in preparation for her maiden voyage on June 14, 2006. The outfitting of the ship's accommodation is still underway at the Monfalcone-based Fincantieri yard but installation of the propulsion and maneuvering machinery has enabled the first of a series of tests to be performed.A Romp About The Ravishing RUBY!
April 2: Maritime Matters is pleased to announce a new pair of pages devoted to Saga Holiday's lovely SAGA RUBY (ex VISTAFJORD, CARONIA), which made her maiden visit to Los Angeles last week. Join Peter Knego as he takes you on an informal visit to this rare, mid-sized, spacious, and elegant vessel. Click here for SAGA RUBY Tour.Carmania Online
April 1: Anthony Cooke's London-based, maritime publishing house, Carmania Press, has returned to the internet with a new website on the occasion of the latest publication, theÊ224page, 84 full-colour reproduction, 16 pen & ink drawing, hardback bookÊCunarder, by Stephen Card. See www.carmaniapress.co.uk/Click here for previous SHIPPING NEWS from January - March 2006
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