Titanic’s legacy – safer sea lanes in the North Atlantic

The “Titanic”, a drawing from the book Liners, Tankers and merchant Ships by Robert Jackson Titanic’s legacy – safer sea lanes in the North Atlantic (source: Lloyds of London) The International Ice Patrol, established in response to the Titanic disaster, celebrates one hundred...

April 15th, 2013 | Cruise Industry, Maritime Accidents, News, Tourism | Read More

Wärtsilä signs 5 year maintenance agreement for world’s largest LNG fuelled passenger ferry

The Viking Grace - Wärtsilä Corporation, 14 March 2013 at 2 pm EET – Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, has signed a five year maintenance agreement with Finnish ship owner, Viking Line. The agreement, which became effective from March 1, is...

March 14th, 2013 | Cruise Industry, Marine Equipment Products and Services, News, Shiprepair | Read More

Greece can be the leader, not only in Shipping, but beyond that, if the political cost is set aside…

John N. Faraclas The following are the main points – in brief – from the latest John Faraclas live interview to Panos Thomakos on SBC TV last Friday the 8tht of March 2013: 1)Faraclas begun with the International Women’s day. He said that: “… the success in shipping and particularly...

March 13th, 2013 | Bribery and Corruption, Corporate Social Responsibility, Cruise Industry, Dialogs and Debates, European Union, Marine Equipment Products and Services, Maritime Fraud, Mergers and Acquisitions, News, Politics and Government, Ports & Terminals, Safety and Security, Sanctions, Ship Conversions, Ship Demolitions, Shipbuilding and Shipyards, Shipping Centers, Shipping Indices, Shiprepair, Stock Markets, Tourism, Trade and Commerce | Read More

Waterfront entrance for the “Norwegian Breakaway”

The Norwegian Breakway Norwegian Breakaway, the largest ship ever constructed in Germany, floated out of Meyer Werft’s covered building dock II at the end of February. The luxury cruise ship will undertake sea trials before her delivery to the owner and passage to her home port of New York by May 7th,...

March 12th, 2013 | Cruise Industry, Marine Equipment Products and Services | Read More

Bolidt makes it for Getaway

Full scale decking work on the luxury cruise ship Norwegian Getaway is underway at Meyer Werft. Deck and flooring specialist Bolidt reports a shift in its workload at the Papenburg yard after completing materials supply and installation work on Norwegian Breakaway. Norwegian Breakaway is due delivery...

February 14th, 2013 | Cruise Industry, Marine Equipment Products and Services | Read More

Brittany Ferries first for Bureau Veritas energy-saving notation

The Cap Finistere LEADING international classification society Bureau Veritas has issued the first of its new voluntary SEEMP notations to the 1,500-passenger and 500-car cruise ferry Cap Finistère, operated by France’s Brittany Ferries. Higher efficiency, lower costs and less environmental impact...

January 21st, 2013 | Bunkering, Classification Societies, Cruise Industry, Energy | Read More

World first as LNG-powered Viking Grace is delivered

The Viking Grace The world’s most environmentally friendly large passenger ship, Viking Grace, was delivered at STX Finland’s Turku shipyard yesterday. The world’s most environmentally friendly large passenger ship, Viking Grace, was delivered at STX Finland’s Turku shipyard yesterday. Apart...

January 13th, 2013 | Cruise Industry, LNG, Shipbuilding and Shipyards | Read More

Piraeus port expects more than 710 sea cruise vessels in 2013

The port of Piraeus expects more than 710 sea cruise vessels this year, George Anomeritis, chairman and chief executive of the Piraeus Port Organization said on Wednesday, welcoming the captain of “Costa Magica” sea cruise vessel, the first to enter the port in 2013, carrying 3,336 passengers on...

January 3rd, 2013 | Cruise Industry, Ports & Terminals | Read More

The Markets, the World Economy, Shipping and the Greek saga…

John Faraclas’ live interview to Panos Thomakos at SBC TV last Friday the 14th of December 2012 tackled the following issues: 1. The continuation of the downward markets – wet and dry in dire straits! 2. The Markets, the free fall of the BDI at 784 points! He expressed his concern with the way shipbrokers...

December 17th, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Energy, Markets, News, Politics and Government, Ports & Terminals, Shipbuilding and Shipyards, Trade and Commerce | Read More

From Titanic to Costa Concordia: What is the Achilles Heel of Passenger Shipping? –

Dr. Aleka Mandaraka-Sheppard introducing the event. From Titanic to Costa Concordia: What is the Achilles Heel of Passenger Shipping? By James Brewer Too many serious maritime accidents are never investigated, or are looked at but never result in any recommendations being made. Many inquiries fail to...

December 2nd, 2012 | Conferences, Seminars, Forums, Cruise Industry, Events, Legal, Marine Insurance | Read More

Bolidt flooring is selected for Norwegian Breakaway

The Aqua Park main pool Bolidt announced today that well-known creative forces at Tillberg Design and SMC Design have selected the company to supply flooring for Norwegian Cruise Line’s (Norwegian) newest ship, Norwegian Breakaway. Many of the ship’s main public areas will be enhanced by Bolidt’s...

November 22nd, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Marine Equipment Products and Services | Read More

Maritime Tourism will save the day!

Greece’s Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni In her first official visit since she was sworn in as Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni was in the British capital last week aiming to gain lost ground vis-à-vis UK holidaymakers being reluctant to choose Greece. Clearly, the turmoil following...

July 24th, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Maritime Tourism, People and Places, Politics and Government, Ports & Terminals, Story of the Month, Tourism, Yachting | Read More

Wärtsilä Hamworthy wins MBR contract for UK’s largest cruise ship

The MBR Wärtsilä Hamworthy has won a contract from Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. to supply two Membrane BioReactors (MBRs) to the 141,000gt newbuilding under construction for Carnival group member P&O Cruises. Hamworthy has delivered more than 25 MBR advanced wastewater systems...

June 25th, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Shipbuilding and Shipyards | Read More

Passenger ship safety recommendations agreed by IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), 90th session, 16 to 25 May 2012 Briefing: 18, May 25, 2012 Recommended interim measures aimed at enhancing the safety of passenger ships, in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident in January, were agreed by IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), when it met at...

May 25th, 2012 | Cruise Industry, IMO | Read More

Focus on Greece and the Cruise Industry

A Cruise Update at Posidonia 2012 Wednesday 6 June 2012, Metropolitan Expo Following rapid developments as Greece enters the post-cabotage era, a Cruise Update Seminar will take place within the framework of Posidonia 2012. Sponsored by the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP), the Cruise Update at Posidonia...

May 15th, 2012 | Conferences, Seminars, Forums, Cruise Industry | Read More

Cruise industry report highlights the China phenomenon

The ‘unprecedented speed of the demographic change in China’ provides a ‘huge opportunity’ for cruise companies in that country, according to the latest Seatrade Research Report, “Cruising through the Perfect Storm”, authored by industry analyst Tony Peisley. China’s outbound...

May 11th, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Maritime Tourism | Read More

Cruising Through the Perfect Storm

New report to analyse potential impact of IMO fuel emission regulations Limits set out by the Marine Environment Protection Committee will reduce the maximum levels of sulphur in marine fuels to 0.1% and will come in to force in 2015. This regulation is a positive step towards improving the environmental...

April 23rd, 2012 | Books, Cruise Industry, Environment | Read More

The current situation on the Cruise Industry in Greece

Andreas Stylianopoulos Andreas Stylianopoulos, vice president of SEEN (Passengers Shipping Association), member of the BoD of SETE (Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises) and President of Navigator Travel & Tourist Services, exclusive representative of Royal Caribbean International in Greece...

March 13th, 2012 | Cruise Industry | Read More

Industry shoos away cruise blues

MV “Aegean Odyssey” – photo courtesy of Voyages to Antiquity - James Brewer reports from the Destinations travel show in London. Cruise lines and operators are hoping that the UK passenger market will help keep them buoyant, after a difficult 12 months which saw itineraries modified...

February 5th, 2012 | Conferences, Seminars, Forums, Cruise Industry | Read More

Back-to-back cruise dockings for Gibdock

Back-to-back cruise ship projects at Gibdock’s No. 1 dock have seen “Thompson Destiny” – photograh by Dani Van Weert the return of the 37,584gt, 1,575-passenger capacity “Thomson Destiny” for its fourth visit since a first refit in Gibraltar in 2006. The Thomson Destiny...

February 3rd, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Shiprepair | Read More

Financial climate will force insurers to review pricing, as Costa Concordia adds to loss woes

Financial climate will force insurers to review pricing, as “Costa Concordia” adds to loss woes. IUMI leader speaks of growing pressures to update business model. By James Brewer. Marine insurers need to abandon their “old fashioned” business model, regardless of any impact from the...

January 25th, 2012 | Corporate Social Responsibility, Cruise Industry, Education and Training, Insurance and Reinsurance, Marine Insurance, Maritime Accidents, News, Organisations, P and I Clubs, Pollution, Safety and Security | Read More

Gibdock digs deep to repair Pullmantur Zenith

Pullmantor Zenith at Gibdock Gibdock’s growing reputation as one of the leading cruise ship repair and refurbishment centres in the Mediterranean has been enhanced by the docking of the 42,255 gt, 1992-built Pullmantur Zenith. The vessel arrived in Gibraltar on November 7th for work that had to...

January 6th, 2012 | Cruise Industry, Shiprepair | Read More

Sparks fly as Queen Mary 2 changes flag‏

The Queen Mary 2 James Brewer writes: Sparks fly as the “Queen Mary 2″ changes her home port to Hamilton, Bermuda, from Southampton under a Cunard reflagging exercise. Hamburg maritime historian Joachim Pein, took this photo* symbolising a historic transformation. It shows work on...

December 19th, 2011 | Breaking News, Cruise Industry, Flags, HR, Manning - Seafarers and Offshore, News, Shiprepair | Read More

Cruise of the Year 2011 Special Award Goes to Fuji Maru

Fuji Maru For Support Activities in Areas Stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami - TOKYO, 15 December 2011 – Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today announced that support activities by the cruise ship Fuji Maru in areas stricken by the Great East Japan...

December 15th, 2011 | Cruise Industry | Read More

European cruise convention confirms positive growth prospects for the maritime tourism industry

The Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention, which came to a close at the Hamburg Messe exhibition centre yesterday, concluded that growth prospects for the international cruise industry continue to be excellent. This, despite the global order book for the construction of new cruise ships...

September 30th, 2011 | Conferences, Seminars, Forums, Cruise Industry, Exhibitions, News | Read More