Hamburg, Sept. 14- 2012  The  Europa  flagship of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, is the only cruise ship in the world to be awarded the highest rating 5-stars-plus in the new edition 2013 of the renowned "Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships". Both expedition ships of the fleet the Hanseatic with 5 stars and the Bremen with 4 stars retain their high ratings.
Rated with 1852 points out of a maximum of 2000, the 408-passenger Europa received again - since its commissioning in 1999 - the highest rating of all 284 ships tested.
Author Douglas Ward and his team tested a total of 284 cruise ships from all over the world, assessing criteria such as ship furnishings, quality and diversity in the restaurants, service and crew, entertainment and cruise experience. As a consequence, Ward describes the Europa as offering "the best cruise experience available today unless you own a private motor yacht". In this new edition of the "Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships", once again the rating 5-stars-plus has been awarded to only one ship.
"Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2013" by Douglas Ward, 704 pages, paperback; available from 1st October 2012 from all good bookshops. Also available as an application for iPhone, iPad and iPod from 15th September 2012.

For technical information and images Please Click here>>>>>

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Ocean cruise passengers top 20 million:

Miami Sept. 8 - 2012 The number of people around the world who took a cruise holiday grew by 10% in 2011 – an increase of almost 2m resulting in 20m global ocean cruise passengers. The figures were compiled from industry associations including the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the European Cruise Council, Passenger Shipping Association, International Cruise Council Australasia and industry analysts G P Wild (International) Ltd.The numbers increased from 18.7m to 20.6m between 2010 and 2011. The main markets are North America (11.5m) and Europe (6.2m).

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Faster to the Fun:

Miami aug. 5 - 2012 Carnival Cruise Lines will test a new ‘Faster to the Fun’ program that provides priority embarkation, early stateroom availability and express luggage delivery, among other features, at a fee of $49,95 per stateroom. The pilot program will roll out on Carnival Imagination Aug. 20 and Carnival Liberty Aug. 25.
‘Faster to the Fun’ includes early embarkation, early stateroom availability, express luggage delivery service, priority dinner seatings and tender availability, and choice of early or late debarkation. The program enables passengers to start their Fun Ship vacation early and includes express access to the ships’ guest services desk for any assistance. For Diamond and Platinum level members of Carnival’s VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) Club passengers recognition program, all ‘Faster to the Fun’ benefits, including the two new benefits of early stateroom availability and express luggage delivery service, are free.
‘Faster to the Fun’ is currently available for purchase at Carnival's website via the shore excursion section.

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Salvage operations of the Costa Concordia:

Isola del Giglio juli 2012 Salvage operations of the Costa Concordia. On this site  http://thelastsalute.eu/  you are an eyewitness of the salvage of the Costa Concordia.

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Fire is still the largest risk at sea:

London, May - 2012 Fire is still the largest risk at sea, says head of NAMEPA. Clay Maitland, founding chairman of North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), has expressed concern at the safety standards of cruise shipping, stating that ‘fire at sea remains the biggest threat to passenger shipping. Speaking of the increasingly unmanageable scale of any potential evacuation at a conference aboard HMS President in London, he remarked that, ‘these ships have 16-17 decks. They're not ships now, they’re floating hotels. We are looking at the potential loss of thousands of lives – try doing a muster with 5,000 people. Cruise companies need constantly to be asking “how do we get everyone off this ship?” he said. ‘The passenger shipping industry needs to be more risk averse and more honest about the risks.’ Maitland acknowledged that this would create a potential loss of business in the short term, but indicating that in the long term, a heightened safety awareness would do much to rebuild reputations. So far the cruise industry has adopted a number of new policies following the post Costa-Concordia operational safety review. They cover mandatory muster drills before leaving port, enhanced reporting to ensure accuracy and consistency in marine casualty reporting, voyage planning, bridge access and life jackets. All the policies will be reported to the IMO for consideration at the Maritime Safety Committee session this month, which will delve into the Costa Concordia incident.

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Grand opening Felison Cruise Terminal:

IJmuiden, may 4-2012 Today the new Felison cruise terminal at IJmuiden festively opened.  The new terminal is a large capacity expansion arise in comparison to the already existing terminal. The great animator of this expansion has undoubtedly been the Italian cruise line MSC. This year MSC makes 22 calls out off the new terminal. The company wanted to IJmuiden as a major destination in the route network to northern Europe. By the use of the existing terminal, it was impossible to realize this schedule. The first ship that visited the new terminal was the MSC Opera. The terminal was built within 4 months. The municipality of Velsen welcomed this new development and the building permit was granted without any delay or bureaucracy. The new Felison Cruise Terminal has two berths for cruise ships up to 295 meters and a depth of 10 meters. The terminal can handle 2000 passengers. The grand opening ceremony was held by the Mayor of Velsen Mr. Frank Weerwind, Mr. Frans Baud CEO KVSA (the owner of the terminal) and Mr Pierfrancesco Vago CEO of MSC Cruises. IJmuiden is the third cruise-gateway  to the Netherlands. It has direct access to the North Sea. Ships have easy access without the use of locks. Ships using IJmuiden i.o. Amsterdam save time. Approximately 3 hours of sailing through the North Channel and have lower costs. Passenger Terminal Amsterdam and Felison Terminal are both members of Amsterdam Cruise Port

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Disaster year?

Apeldoorn, April 2012 It would appear that 2012 will be a disastrous year for the cruise industry. In just 4 months several incidents have occurred. One of the worst years for the cruise industry in recent memory. In January, the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy, killing at least 32 passengers and calling into question the safety practices of the entire industry. Six weeks later, another Costa cruise ship, the Costa Allegra, was left adrift off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean after fire broke out on board. In March, the Silver Shadow collided with a cargo ship in Vietnam. The Azamara Quest caught fire on march 31 in waters south of the Philippines. Five crew members were injured. One was seriously injured and needed hospital care. No passengers were injured in the fire. The Plancius an expedition/cruiseship for Polar operations is out of order caused by serious mechanical dysfunction of the main propulsion system. The ship is sheltered in safe position resting alongside the jetty of King Edward Point Research Station in Grytviken. The ship is sheltered in safe position resting alongside the jetty of King Edward Point Research Station in Grytviken. Even a costly refurbisment the Saga Sapphire is ending her maiden cruise in Valencia on april 12 due to engine problems. Dutch registered river cruise ship Bellriva, chartered by German 1AVista Reisen, started taking on water in the early hours of Tuesday April 17 after a collision on the Rhine River. Some 114 passengers and crew were evacuated safely. According to the Mannheim Shipping and Waterways Authority, Bellriva collided with a jetty near Plittersdorf (Rastatt) around 4 a.m. which resulted in a ‘massive water intake in the fore part of the ship.
Allure of the Seas suffered on April 21,what the cruise line has been quoted to call, a "small and short-lived engine fire." The Allure was sailing from St. Maarten to Port Everglades when an engine fire broke out at 7:45 p.m. Friday. No passengers or crew members were injured and the ship is continuing under its own power. It is scheduled to return Sunday.
There is also media speculation about whether the Star Princess ignored other mariners in distress.  A Panamanian fisherman who saw his two friends die from exposure in an open boat after more than 16 days at sea says a big ship passed but kept going despite their signaling for help.
Two Americans aboard the cruise ship Star Princess in the same area believe they saw the fishermen adrift at sea and they alerted the crew, but the luxury liner continued on its course. The incident took place March 10

For more details the ships concerned. Please Visit the Fleetlist.

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Plancius stranded:

Vlissingen April 9-2012  Plancius an adventure/expedition ship operated and owned by Oceanwide Expeditions from Vlissingen - The Netherlands is stranded in the South Atlantic. The ship lost power on April 9 after setting out from Ushuaia, Argentina on March 29. No passengers or crew were injured by the mechanical failure that sapped most of the ship's propulsion power. As a result of the propulsion failure the ship has only very limited sailing capabilities ( maximum 4-5 knots in calm conditions), which means the vessel will not be able maintain course in rough seas of the open ocean. The Plancius which was originally built for the Dutch Navy in 1976 as the Tydeman, is now docked at King Edward Point Research Station in Grytviken, South Georgia, the largest town on the remote group of islands more than 600 miles from the Falkland Islands. The 31-day expedition's ultimate destination was Ascension, the British territory, but many stops at some of the world's remote islands were planned along the way. All 73 passengers and at least 42 crew members are safe on board according to a press release from Oceanwide. They are waiting for a rescue ship to arrive from Mar del Plata, Argentina on Friday. In the meantime, passengers are participating in "local walks and excursion program organized by expedition staff." It is planned that all 73 passengers and some crew members will be repatriated onboard chartered passenger vessel m/v Ushuaia. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Montevideo on April 24 for disembarkation and connecting travel arrangements.

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Fire on the Azamara Quest:

March 31-2012 A cruise ship with about 1,000 people on board was drifting in waters south of the Philippines on Saturday after a fire disabled its engines, the Philippine coast guard said. Five crew members were injured. One who was seriously injured and needed hospital care.The fire on the Azamara Quest started late Friday, a day after the ship left Manila for Sandakan, Malaysia, and was immediately put out. The ship was carrying 590 passengers and 411 crew members. Mostly American and European passengers. Azamara Club Cruises is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The cruise company statement said the ship was running on emergency power in "calm seas" near Indonesia's Borneo Island.The captain of the ship mustered all passengers to the assembly stations as a precaution. Engineers had earlier managed to restore power to one of the liner's engines allowing it to re-establish air conditioning, running water, refrigeration and food preparation on board the ship. The damage caused by the fire has meant that the remainder of the cruise will be cancelled once the ship has arrived in Sandakan, the company said. The condition of the crew member who suffered serious smoke inhalation has improved, but is still serious, Azamra Club Cruises said on Saturday. Azamara Quest is traveling at a speed of about six knots with arrival to Sandakan expected at 10 p.m. Sunday.

This is the fourth accident with a cruise ship in a very short period. In January, 32 people died, after the Costa Concordia ran into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. Six weeks later, another Costa cruise ship, the Costa Allegra, was left adrift off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean after fire broke out on board. March 16-2012 The Silver Shadow collided in deep fog with a container ship off Vietnam, punching a hole in the container ship. No one was hurt everyone was certainly shaken up about the incident.

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 Love boat for scrap:

Genua, march 2012 The Pacific Princess cruise ship that served as the backdrop to corny jokes and cheesy romance on "The Love Boat" is set to be scrapped. A story from Italy La Repubblica that said the ship has been sold to a Turkish demolition company for approximately $3 million. The ship, was built in 1971 and sailed for the Princess Cruises between 1975 and 2002. Our hearts go out to Doc, Isaac and Captain Stubing during what we can only imagine is a very difficult time for them. The series became immensely popular and put modern cruising on the foreground. Sistership Discovery is still in operation.

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Costa Allegra adrift 200 miles ZW the Seychelles:

Rome Febr. 27 The Costa Allegra is adrift in the Indian Ocean without power following an engine room fire.There are no reported injuries.The Allegra is some 200 miles ZW from the Seychelles and about 20 miles of Alphonse Island.The company was notified today at 10:39 CET that a fire had broken out aboard the Costa Allegra in the electric generators room located in the aftship. The fire did not spread to any other area of the ship. There were no injuries or casualties. As a precaution, on board, the general emergency alarm was given and all passengers and crew members, not engaged in the management of the emergency, -reached the muster stations with the safety equipment. The Allegra is going to be reached by tugs. Merchant ships in the area are request to make their way towards the vessel. Also other naval and aerial units are on the way. There are 636 passengers onboard of of various nationalities and 413 crew members. The ship departed from Diego Suarez on Saturday, Feb. 25 and was cruising toward the port of Victoria (Mahè - Seychelles) where it was expected to arrive tomorrow Feb. 28.In a statement released this afternoon, the Italian Coast Guard, which is in contact with the ship, said Costa Allegra had no power though its communication equipment was working. Fishing trawler Trevignon is towing the ship to Mahé where arrival is due Thursday morning.Two tugs are proceeding towards Costa Allegra to assist
which will speed up the vessel's journey
Costa said helicopters will ensure continuous supplies of food throughout the voyage and comfort items such as flashlights to mitigate the difficult conditions on board, where there is no air conditioning and only emergency lighting.
Febr. 28 Today afternoon the two tugs reached the Costa Allegra to assist the ship as well as French trawler Trevignon and maintains a speed of about 6 knots. At current speed and with stable weather conditions Costa Allegra may also anticipate its arrival in Mahé on March 1 early morning, Costa Crociere said in a statement. Thanks to the arrival of a small generator, carried by a naval ship present on site as support, the ship's crew is doing everything possible to make the situation on board more comfortable. Costa Cruisess "Care Team" has arrived in Mahé: a group of 14 people made up of executives and qualified managers as well as specialized technicians with the task of providing the necessary assistance both to the ship and to passengers as well as to crew members on their arrival in Mahé. Eight of them will board Costa Allegra tomorrow morning ( 29) thanks to a local naval ship.
March 1 The Allegra arrived in Mahe earlier today and all crew and passengers have disembarked. The company reports all guests and crew are in good health. Seventy percent of the 627 guests have accepted an offer to continue their vacation in the Seychelles on Costa, with one or two week options. The rest of the passengers will be return home on flights organized by Costa.

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New ships for MSC

St Nazaire Febr. 16 -2012 MSC Cruises and the STX Europe ship yard in Saint-Nazaire, France, today began the 100 day countdown to MSC Divina’s long-awaited christening which will take place on May 26 2012 in Marseilles, France.
As the third addition to the MSC Cruises’ flagship Fantasia class, MSC Divina will become the 12th and most magnificent ship of the MSC Cruises’ fleet.

In 2013 an other Fantasia class ship will be the 13th of the fleet. The next cruise ship for MSC is called MSC Preziosa. Original the ship was order by the Libian State oil comp. GNMTC. as Phoenicia. Order cancel june 22-2011due to change political situation in Libia. The Phoenicia was based on MSC Fantasia class. The condition under which the vessel MSC has acquired,  bought or on charter were not disclosed yet.

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Strike on Costa Deliziosa:

San Fransisco Jan. 28-2012 - More trouble with a Costa Ship.There is an ongoing strike aboard the Costa Deliziosa when ship docked in San Francisco this weekend.  The Costa Deliziosa is on a round-the-world tour that started in Italy on December 28th. At arrival at San Fransisco some 50 waiters most of Philippines origin walked off their jobs. They were angry at being paid in dollars instead of the Euros as they were promised in their contracts, and other working conditions aboard the ship. "Sue this company, because they are taking lots of money from us, not only for the salary, even the food they give us is for a pig or dog," waiter Eduardo Garcia told ABC7 news. They decided to get off the ship in America because they thought it was the perfect place to take a stand.

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Costa Concordia hits rocks off coast of Italy;

Rome Jan.14 - 2012 Costa Concordia leans after it ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio island, Italy in the evening of jan.13, gashing open the hull over about 60 m. Aboard were 4229 passengers and crew.  Evacuate aboard lifeboats and helicopters to the nearby Isola del Giglio island, early Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. About approx. 1,000 Italian passengers were onboard, as well as more than 500 Germans, about 160 French and several other nationalities. Some leapt overboard and swam to shore as the  ship started to sink into the cold waters near the island of Giglio, off the Tuscan coast. Passengers' dinner was interrupted by a loud boom at around 8pm and a voice over the tannoy initially claimed that the ship was suffering an electrical failure, (however until now this is not confirmed ) before ordering everyone on-board to don life-jackets. Since in the crack was found a huge boulder is certain that the ship has gone on a rock. Probably a human error caused the accident. A coastguard spokesman, said that at least three bodies were retrieved from the sea and at least three more were feared dead. Pregnant women and young children were among the passengers.
To date there is no true insight about the number of dead, wounded and missing people. Unofficially, there are three deaths and between 20 and 70 missing. The entire rescue operation was chaotic.
The bunkers are full of oil. The highest priority is to remove without environmentally damage. Only then can be decided what should happen with the wreck.

Update:
Jan.16 - Until now Six people died and still 16 are missing, most with German nationality. Costa Crociere said Costa Concordia’s captain may have erred by sailing too close to shore and ‘in handling the emergency appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures. Costa has engaged Smit-Salvage a top Dutch specialized salvage company to remove 2300 tons of heavy fuel oil. To develop an action plan to  establish a protection perimeter around the Costa Concordia to prevent eventually environmental damage.
Costa said in a statement: "The captain stayed aboard the ship for a long time after the accident and  moving the ship close to shore before grounding it. he may have saved many lives.
Jan.18 Eleven people are confirmed dead, while 24 are still missing.Rescuers are planning to bore three more holes in the hull to search for missing passengers. However the search for survivors on the Costa Concordia cruise ship has been deferred for the second time after sensors revealed the grounded vessel had shifted a few centimeters. For that reason the salvage comp.have the discharge of oil interupted.

Jan.19 Following the tragic Costa Concordia accident, Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of Costa Cruises and nine leading cruise lines around the world, today announced a comprehensive audit and review of all safety and emergency response procedures across all of the company’s cruise lines. Carnival Corporation & plc and the cruise industry as a whole have maintained an excellent safety record over the years.“However, this tragedy has called into question our company’s safety and emergency response procedures and practices,” said Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.
In releated news, analysis of Lloyd's List Intelligence vessel tracking data shows that Costa Concordia sailed within 230 m of the coast of Giglio Island on a previous voyage, even closer to shore than where it hit rocks last Friday. Lloyd's List has uncovered new evidence which indicates that last Friday's Costa Concordia disaster may not be a black and white case of shipmaster error. Charts of the area show no rocks in the area where Concordia was holed.This new evidence does not mean the Captain is innocent, it only means Costa may also be guilty of reckless navigation policies. Nothing changes the cowardly behavior of the captain after the accident, or the lack of order during the evacuation.
In an unexpected move, the chairman of RINA, the classification society for the Costa Concordia, Gianni Scerni has resigned with immediate effect from January 17- 2012. According to RINA, his decision was made as a result of comments about the Costa Concordia tragedy attributed to him in a personal capacity in the media. Scerni has disputed the veracity of these comments, but has decided to resign in order to distance
 

Jan. 24 Italian authorities confirmed 15 people dead and still 17 missing. The names of 9 dead people  are released. Costa Crociere on Monday denied there were ‘clandestine’ people on board the ship. Research has shown that the master does not has used drugs. Italian public prosecutor launched an investigation into the role of Costa Management. Such as selection procedures of captains, staff training, safety instructions, and why a number of lifeboats did not work.Thursday starts Smit Salvage with pumping oil out of the ship. Currently small amount of oil leaking from the ship.

Jan. 28 Divers found on Saturday the body of a woman, bringing the confirmed death to 17. Still 15 people are missing. Plans to begin pumping fuel out of the ship were suspended due to bad weather. Smit Salvage declare that the operation may be held up for several days until Tuesday due to the weather forecast.
The compensation package for Costa Concordia passengers is based on 11.000 including nonpaying children, regardless of their age. Reimbursement of the value of the cruise, any medical expenses resulting from the cruise etc. The families of the deceased and guests who were injured and required medical treatment on site will be covered under a separate proposal that will take into account their individual circumstances. Costa also has pledged not to deduct from this sum any amount paid by any insurance policy stipulated by guests. In addition, the company will return all goods stored in cabin safes, where retrieval is possible.
The Nautical Institute notes with extreme disquiet the alacrity with which the ship’s owners, Costa Cruises, blamed all on the Master, Captain Francesco Schettino, accusing him of unprofessional conduct before any investigations could have taken place. The Nautical Institute is also extremely uneasy with the speculation in much of the world’s media.

Febr. 2 Pier Luigi Foschi, chief executive officer of Costa Crociere, a unit of Carnival Corp. testified that Schettino called Roberto Ferrarini, Costa Crociere's head of marine operations at least six times before the call for evacuation was made. The first call was made at 9:57 pm when Schettino informed Ferrarini that the ship had hit a rock and was taking on water. Foschi's testimony seemed to contradict earlier claims that Costa officials were not notified of the accident until well after it occurred. Rescue workers decided to suspend searches of the underwater part of the capsized Costa Concordia.  According to fire department spokesman Luca Cari "We have definitively stopped the underwater search inside the ship." In the three weeks since the cruise ship struck rocks and capsized near the island of Gigli on the Italian coast, 17 bodies have been recovered, and 15 people are still missing. Officials said the search for bodies will continue when possible on the non-submerged part. Bad weather was also hampering efforts to recover fuel oil from the ship. At good weather conditions the oil removal will take about 4 weeks.
Costa Cruises has called for tenders 10 companies throughout the world to present a working plan to enterely remove the hull of the Costa Concordia.
The invitation has been sent to the world’s leading operators, who have the capabilities to perform the work in the shortest time possible, while ensuring maximum safety and the least possible environmental impact: 1) Smit Salvage BV, 2) Svitzer Salvage BV, 3) Mammoet Salvage BV, 4) Titan Salvage, 5) Resolve Marine Group Inc., 6) T&T Marine Salvage Inc., 7) Donjon Marine Inc., 8) Tito Neri S.r.l., 9) Fukada Salvage & Marine Works Co. Ltd., 10) The Nippon Salvage Co The plans must be presented to Costa Cruises by the beginning of March 2012, for joint assessment with the Civil Protection Scientific Committee, in order to allow the best one to be selected by the end of March 2012. Time needed for complete removal will be about 10 months.

Febr.10 In the days immediately following the Costa Concordia accident, there were a lot of amateur videos being shown in the media taken by passengers aboard the ship and interviews with them about the evacuation. None of them, the passengers nor their interviewers, seemed to have any depth of knowledge about safety procedures on cruise ships, nor did they bother getting true experts to speak to the issues being raised. Instead they made assumptions, usually that the crew members were untrained or incompetent, and proceeded as if that were fact and moved on.Costa itself hasn't wanted to comment in the media on specifics of the accident due to the ongoing investigations. One of those investigations has been in the Italian Senate. Costa CEO Pier Luigi Foschi has testified in front of them twice. There are lots of answers in his testimony to questions the news media erroneously assumed they knew the answers to. The English-language press as ignored this valuable source of information, according Mr. Foschi statement.

Latest news from the Island of Giglio is that the wreckage of Costa Concordia has moved two feet since January 13, and conditions are still preventing the fuel from being removed.  

Febr.15 In response to the decision by the Italian consumer association Codacons to lodge a complaint against the Chairman & CEO of Costa CrocierePier Luigi Foschi and other Company executives, reported by the Italian Ansa news agency on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, the Company reserves the right to take any and all steps necessary including any legal action required to protect its reputation and that of its executive officers.

One month after Costa Concordia hit the rocks off the island of Giglio, Costa Crociere is actively fighting to dampen the groundswell in the Italian media which is questioning the future of the Costa brand. We have been annihilated in the media. Our brand has been massacred,’ Mr Foschi told La Stampa. The enormous attack of the mass media on Costa Crociere, for the most part unfair and unverified. He added that although the company is financially very strong and the company will not go bankrupt, there is no certainty about the brand.

Febr.22 Divers discovered eight more bodies in the wreckage of Costa Concordia on Wednesday, nearly six weeks after the 114,500-ton ship slammed into rocks and capsized. Among the victims is a 5-year-old child. The victims as soon as possible from the wreck salvaged. In total 25 bodies found still 7 missing. Four ship’s officers and three Costa Crociere executives were added to the list of those under criminal investigation by Italian prosecutors.

Febr.28 Smit Salvage reports oil has been removed from all six forward tanks and the hoses, pumps and valves have been disconnected with the flanges sealed off. Fuel has also been removed from three different double bottom tanks and from the double bottom sludge tank. Two fuel tanks in the aft part of the vessel are in progress of being pumped. Outstanding work includes the removal of HFO from four double bottom tanks, the fuel storage tanks located in the engine room and the removal of sanitary residues.

March 15 It appears that since approximately 2 weeks the ship's bell of the Costa Concordia had been stolen. According to a statement from the authorities. Despite continuous surveillance of the wreck. The heavy bell is located at a depth of 8m. An investigation into the theft is already set.

March 23 Five more bodies have been located today in the wreckage of Costa Concordia. It takes days to remove. In total there are 30 bodies found. An other 2 are still missing.The discovery comes a day before the expected end of the fuel removal process.
The operations to remove the fuel from the Costa Concordia are going to be completed by Friday, March 23 Defueling, which was carried out by experts from the Neri/Smit Salvage team hired by Costa Crociere, began at 5 pm on February 12 and continued around the clock whenever the sea and weather conditions were favorable.The removal of the oil from 17 tanks of the ship will be completed by Friday night, according to Costa. The defueling Operation has been performed using a system of pumps and valves. Basically, “hot tap” valves were attached to the side of the ship, a hole was drilled into the tank and a pipeline was attached. This enabled the oil to be heated and pumped out while sea water was pumped in so as to maintain the ship’s stability. Small amounts of fuel cannot be pumped out from the bulkheads of the tanks; but they are in such small quantities as to pose no significant environmental risk, the company stated.

April 21 US salvager Titan and Italy’s Micoperi have been awarded the contract to remove the Costa Concordia wreck, an operation expected to begin in early May and take about 12 months. The ship will be floated in one piece then towed to an Italian port. In announcing the decision on Saturday, Costa Crociere said environmental protection will take top priority throughout the removal process. Once the main work is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted. All six tenders submitted by the March 3 deadline were of a very high standard, but the Titan/Micoperi proposal best fulfilled the main objectives in the tender specifications: removal of the wreck in one piece, minimal risk, minimal environmental impact, protection of Giglio’s economy and tourism industry, and maximum safety.

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Viking Ocean Cruises:

St. Nazaire Dec. 21 -2011 STX France SA received an order to build two luxury cruise ships from Viking Ocean Cruises, an affiliate of Viking River Cruises. The vessels will be delivered in spring 2014 and spring 2015, respectively, and will be part of Viking's new Ocean Cruise brand. An option for a third ship is being considered. The vessels will be operated primarily on the Mediterranean seas and be dedicated mainly to Viking's US, British and Australian customers.
The vessels will measure 230 x 26.5, carrying 888 passengers in 444 cabins with a complement of 444 crew members.With the announcement from STX France that Viking River Cruises has ordered two ocean-going 888-passenger luxury ships for deliveries in 2014 and 2015 comes the inevitable speculation that Norwegian-born Torstein Hagen, chairman of the Basel-based riverboat company, may bring back Royal Viking Line, if not in the name, at least in the service and reputation.
Update: Oslo April 4 - 2012 STX France has been informed by Viking River Cruise that they have decided to withdraw from further discussions concerning the previously announced project for two luxury cruise vessels announced on 21 December 2011. No further explanation was provided by STX or Viking Ocean. Fincantieri issued a statement yesterday denying that it was involved. The Viking Ocean contract with STX was subject to acceptable financing
Italian state shipbuilder Fincantieri may have snaffled orders for two luxury ocean-going cruise ships from arch-rival STX France, according to informed industry sources in Italy. The size of the 2 Viking ships are a little changed. It will be ships of 45.000 gt. with a passenger cap. of 998.

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Free Cruise Celebrity from Amsterdam:

Miami October 14-2011 Celebrity Cruises is offering on Sept. 5- 2012 a free two-night cruise on the "Constellation" from Amsterdam to Southampton. To qualify to be another Celebrity cruise must be booked. Choose from:  Celebrity's 12-night Scandinavia and Russia Cruise departing Aug. 24- 2012 or the 12-night  Europe Wine Cruise departing Sept. 7- 2012. The first is before, the second after the English Channel cruise. To take advantage of this offer, bookings must be made by Dec. 16-2011. Contact your travel agent.

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Would you pay for extra hours to stay on board ?

Miami october 5 - 2011 Now available on all Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships in Europe, the program "Late Departure"  allows passengers to stay aboard the vessels on disembarkation day instead of a traditional early-morning departure. Passengers who sign up for the program can stay on their ship until 90 minutes prior to its next sailing. Passengers signing up for Late Departure will have access to all of ships public areas and select restaurants but still must vacate their cabins by the traditional 9 am. departure time.
For this service Celebrity charge you: $59-for adults and $29.50 for children ages 3-12
Royal Caribbean $35 for adults and $35 for adults and $17.50 for children ages 3-17

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First newbuilding TUI-Germany

Hamburg/Helsinki Sept. 25 - 2011STX Finland Oy and TUI Cruises Germany have today signed a contract for the design and construction of a 97,000 GT cruise vessel. There is an option for a second. The sophisticated and highly innovative cruise vessel is scheduled to be delivered in spring 2014. The vessel has many environmentally friendly features, with a particular emphasis on the vessel’s energy efficiency. The vessel will be approx. 295 meters long and approx. 36 meters wide. The ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will serve maximum of 2,500 passengers and a crew of 1,000 persons. High balcony ratio will ensure that most of the passengers will have a possibility to enjoy their own balconies during the cruise. The newbuild will have the same focus on well-being as the company’s existing ships, Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2. Mayby the name shall be Mein Schiff 3; TUI is developing Mein Schiff as a cruise brand in its own right.

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Happy Cruises/Quail ceased operations.

Madrid  Sept. 24-2011 The sudden cessation of operation on Sept. 24^th by the Spanish cruise company Happy Cruises/Quail took many people by surprise. For some their dream holidays are all but ruined. For others, their immediate concern would be how to get home. The three chartered ships were at that moment in the Mediterranean. The Gemini and the Ocean Pearl belongs Danish Clipper group and managed by ISP Miami. The Happy Dolphin belongs Greek  Enterprises Shipping and Trading SA. (Restis Group). All ships are for sale or charter. The first two are located in Gibraltar. The Happy Dolphin return to Greece. It is highly unlikely to avoid total liquidation of the company. Crew members are since 4 months waiting the salary.

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  Fire on board Nordlys:

Ålesund sept.15 - 2011 Two crew members have died and two were seriously injured in a fire aboard Hurtigruten’s Nordlys off the coast of Norway nearby Ålesund en route to Kirkeness this morning. Nine persons are injured, including the two with serious burns At this moment it is unclear whether they are crew or passengers. More than 100 passengers were evacuated safely before the ship was towed into port of Ålesund. The Nordlys had a total of 262 persons aboard, including 207 passengers. The passengers had various nationalities, the majority of the passengers were Germans.  'It was a well-organised evacuation. The crew did a really good job. Everything went calm and smoothly. There was no panic according a statement of one of the passengers.
Nordlys was still at risk of capsizing. However Sept.16 Rescue teams  have managed to seal a fair number of leaks and she is coming back slowly, with the help of a floating crane. There was also a fire incident on the Nordlys in March of this year.

For more information and ship details/foto's and video clip Please click here: http://www.nedcruise.info/nordlys.htm

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Oceanwide Expeditions acquired Ortelius:

Flushing-aug. 2011 Oceanwide Expeditions, the only Dutch cruise operator, has acquired te Russian owned “Marina Svetaeva”.The ice-strengthened vessel  is renamed in “Ortelius” it is an excellent vessel for Polar expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica. It has the possibility to adventure remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land. The “Marina Svetaeva” was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989 as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The new name "Ortelius"is a tribute to the Dutch / Flemish cartographer. Abraham Ortelius (1527 – 1598).
Ortelius” offers a comfortable hotel standard, with two restaurants, a bar/lecture room and a sauna. The Oceanwide Expeditions voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 100 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
For ship details please Click here: http://www.nedcruise.info/ortelius.htm

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New Orders:

Miami, Aug. 3- 2011 Costa Crociere S.p.A., placed an order with Fincantieri S.p.A. for the construction of a new cruise ship. The new ship ordered today, with a gross tonnage of 132,500, 3,700 lower berths, 4,928 total Guests and 1,854 cabins, will be the largest Italian cruise ship and the 10th ship ordered from Fincantieri by Costa Cruises in the past 10 years. The new flagship in the Costa fleet is a derivative of the Costa Concordia will be built at the Fincantieri shipyards in Marghera (Venice), for a total ship owner’s all-in cost of approximately €150,000 per lower berth. Delivery is planned for October 2014

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has reached an agreement, and signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA), with Carnival Corporation & plc calling for the construction of two new 125,000-ton cruise ships for its AIDA Cruises brand. The ships will be the largest ever constructed for this cruise line. Delivery for these two 3,250 passenger ships is scheduled in March 2015 and March 2016. These two AIDA ships mark a return by Carnival Corporation & plc to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries which built two ships for Princess Cruises, both of which were delivered in 2004. Those ships are Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess. Earlier, in 1990, Mitsubishi had built Crystal Cruises’ first ship, Crystal Harmony (renamed in Asuka II). Other cruise deliveries include Frontier Spirit (renamed in  Bremen) for NYK and Fuji Maru and Nippon Maru for Mitsui.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has agreed to build the ships at about €10,000 to €15,000 per berth cheaper than recent newbuilding orders placed with European yards, indicating a discount of up to 10%, figures show. AIDA’s 3,250 passenger vessels contracted in Japan will cost about €140,000 per lower berth

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MSC upholds art of cruising with elegant gala night.

Genua, June -2011 MSC Cruises operates a fleet of 11 ultra-modern ships offering casual, relaxed and informal cruise holidays to suit all passengers, from families and groups of friends to singles, couples and seniors.MSC knows that guests love to indulge in old-fashioned glamour and relive the sophistication of the golden age of ocean travel, even if only for one night. As part of the MSC cruise tradition, the MSC Gala Dinner takes place at least once every cruise. Hosted on board MSC’s luxury cruise liners, Gala Night is the epitome of elegance, hospitality and grandeur and the whole evening, from the cuisine to the show, is a carefully-considered display of refinement and elegance. Guests are encouraged to don their finest gowns and tuxedos whilst the Captain and Officers also join the party, dressed in their ceremonial white parade uniforms. Each MSC Gala night comprises three elements: a cocktail, gourmet dinner and a show.
The elegant Gala Night always concludes with a live show in one of the ship’s sumptuous theatres. Talented singers, dancers and acrobats perform an entertaining musical and dramatic mix, often calling upon willing guests to partake in the live experience.

The press release does not mention whether an extra fee for this Gala Night should be paid!!

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Order Cruiseship voor Libya cancelled.

HAL's Rotterdam cruises year round from city of Rotterdam

Zwolle-The Netherlands May 17-2011 In a press meeting today at Jonnie Boers 3- star Michelin Restaurant "de Librije". CEO and President Holland-America Line and Seabourn Stein Kruse inform the Dutch press that the Rotterdam will be begin of 2012 homeported year round in the city of Rotterdam. This is the first time that HAL as cruiseline based a ship in her birthplace. The Rotterdam will also be performing a 91 day round-trip to Indonesia the former Dutch colony.

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New orders Meyer Yard:

Papenburg Febr. 11 -2010 Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. has signed a letter of intent with shipyard Meyer to build the first of a new generation of Royal Caribbean International cruise ships. Developed under the code-name “Project Sunshine,” the new vessel design incorporates new and exciting features that take advantage of the best of Royal Caribbean’s experience and imagination. The project is a result of over a year of dedicated research and development.
The order calls for one ship to be delivered in the Fall of 2014 with an option for a second ship for Spring 2015. The 158,000 Gross Registered Tons (GRT) new build will carry just over 4,100 guests based on double occupancy. Which makes them the biggest cruise liners ever built in Germany The estimated all-in cost per berth is about €170,000. This all-in cost includes the yard’s base contract price plus everything needed to design, operate and build the vessel, from architect fees to supervision costs and all loose inventories from computers to art and bed linens.
Norwegian Cruise Line announced on oct. 25-2010 that it has reached an agreement with Meyer Werft to build two new next generation Freestyle Cruising ships for delivery in spring 2013 and spring 2014.
Each of the 143,500 gross ton vessels, the largest passenger ships to be built in Germany, will have approximately 4,000 passenger berths and a rich cabin mix. 
Norwegian has decided not to build sister ships to the Epic at STX France after cancelling plans to build two more ships in the F3 (Epic) class. Instead, the company has placed a newbuilding order with Meyer Werft in Germany for two ships of a slightly smaller size.

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Skywalkers moved from Grand Princess:

Miami Febr.10-2011 The most significant transformation ever of a Princess Cruises ship will occur this spring aboard Grand Princess.  During a 24-day makeover the ship, which was the prototype for the line’s “Grand Class” vessels, will undergo a remarkable renovation to receive many of Princess’ trademark features introduced since the ship’s 1998 debut including the signature Piazza atrium.  Several new features will be also be added including a unique tea lounge and library called “Leaves”; and “Alfredo’s,” a full-service pizzeria showcasing this renowned Princess dish. A brand new nightclub called One5, inspired by its deck location, will be created on the top deck of the ship, replacing its iconic Skywalker Nightclub, which has given the ship its distinctive profile.  Skywalkers will be removed from its 18th deck perch, with its replacement located on deck 15.  This change will significantly improve the operational performance of the ship, including greater fuel efficiency. The newly renovated Grand Princess will debut on May 5 in Ft. Lauderdale where the ship will depart on a transatlantic crossing for her summer and fall homeport of Southampton, from which she will cruise a variety of European itineraries The Grand Princess skywalker was constructed with heavier materials than the Skywalkers on the Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess and Star Princess and removing them from those ships would not offer the same efficiency gains. Changes will be made during a drydock from April 11 to May 4 at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas. For images and details of old and new layout of the Grand Princess Please Click here >>>>>

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Hapag-Lloyd Cruises extend its capacity:

Hamburg Jan. 10-2011 Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will strategically extend its product offering until 2013 by adding two ships to the existing fleet. The luxury segment will be enhanced by a long-term charter for the new "Europa 2". The new ship is being acquired by a third-party proprietary company outside the TUI group at the French STX shipyard and will enter service in 2013. The charter agreement is being concluded for a period of 12 years. The"Europa 2" will have a passenger capacity of 516.
The premium segment will be enhanced by the two-year bareboat charter of Oceania Cruises "Insignia"  ( bwj. 1998 - 30.277 bt.) The vessel will be renamed  as "Columbus 2" and start operation for Hapag-Lloyd april 2012. A statement from Oceania said the charter period will last for two years with the 684-guest vessel rejoining the Oceania fleet in April, 2014.
With little equity capital of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises the passenger capacity become more than doubled.

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Seabourn is moving to HAL headquarters:

Seattle Jan. 7 -2011 Seabourn headquarters are moving to Seattle to share offices with Holland America Line, with HAL evp Rick Meadows adding the Seabourn presidency to his duties once the relocation is completed. The transition from Miami to Seattle will take place over the next few months. Seabourn’s president, Pamela Conover, will continue to serve in her role during the transition period but has chosen not to move to Seattle at this time. Following the transition, she will continue to serve as special advisor and brand ambassador for Seabourn.Seabourn and HAL will maintain independent brand management teams while leveraging efficiencies from shared resources, including a unified field sales force and technology platforms. Arison called Meadows 'uniquely qualified' to oversee Seabourn's further progress in its new headquarters. Meadows previously served as Seabourn’s svp sales and marketing where he played a significant role in developing the brand. He will continue as evp marketing, sales and guest programs for HAL. 'Seabourn’s move to Seattle will allow this great brand to further prosper through the natural efficiencies realized from sharing technology and support services with Holland America Line,' said Micky Arison, chairman and ceo of Carnival Corp. & plc. He said annual savings in the $20m to $25m range are estimated starting in 2012. A Seabourn spokesperson told Seatrade Insider that decisions about which key personnel will make the move to Seattle cannot be answered right now. 'This will be a process and we will take it carefully and ensure that it is as humane and beneficial as possible,' he said

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HAL - Culinary Council:

Seattle Jan. 6 -2011 The foodies at Holland America Line have pulled off a culinary coup in snagging five world-famous chefs to join their own internationally known master chef Rudi Sodamin in a new Culinary Council. HAL had considered assembling a panel of stellar chefs for several years. The plan crystallized in 2010 when Meadows, Sodamin, Johan Groothuizen (vp marine hotel operations) and Steve Kirsch (director of culinary operations) compiled their wish list of names. Today Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Jacques Torres and Charlie Trotter—Marcus Samuelsson was absent—dazzled food writers at a luncheon on the Pinnacle Grill of the Noordam. The Culinary Council is chaired by HAL master chef Rudi Sodamin. Members include three-star Michelin chef Jonnie Boer of De Librije in the Netherlands; David Burke, who operates noted restaurants in several major US cities; Marcus Samuelsson, chosen as one of the Great Chefs of America by the Culinary Institute of America; the acclaimed pastry chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres; and Charlie Trotter, whose eponymous Chicago restaurant has won 10 James Beard Foundation awards. Three-star Michelin chef Boer, of De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands, quipped that he signed on with HAL because the one thing it lacked is a Dutch chef on the Culinary Council. The occasion is a luncheon hosted by HAL president and ceo Stein Kruse and evp Rick Meadows to introduce the media, including a number of food writers, to the stars whose insights and guidance are expected to touch every aspect of HAL’s shipboard food service

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 Glorius return of ss.Rotterdam:

Rotterdam aug.4-2008 Thousands of spectators stood along the New Waterway when the ss. "Rotterdam" return home on Aug.4 - 2008 almost 49 year after her birthday. At about 4 pm. she entered the New Waterway. Towed by four Kotugs tugboats to her final destination at the 3e Katendrechtse Hoofd at Maashaven where she was moored ...................

Please read more and watch many images >>>>

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BANKRUPTCY AFTER BANKRUPTCY:

Due to the tremendous new-building programs and of course the Sept. 11 tragedy many cruise lines went for chapter 11 protection or bankruptcy. The most of them will never survive in future. Here are the facts who are following?
List is based on situation Sept. 2000 until this moment. Dates are the first date, that financial trouble came into publication. Some of the bankruptcs are described in detail on the page News or Archive.

PREMIER CRUISE LINE - USA:  Sept.19-2000

COMMODORE CRUISE LINE - USA: Dec.30-2000

RENAISSANCE CRUISES - USA :  Sept. 25 - 2001

AMERICAN CLASSIC VOYAGES - USA: October 19 - 2001

REGAL CRUISES Inc. -USA:  April 28 - 2003

SUN BAY - CRUISES -GERMANY:  Sept. - 2003

OCEAN CLUB CRUISES - MARSHALL ISLANDS:  Jan. 10 - 2004

FIRST EUROPEAN/FESTIVAL CRUISES- GREECE/FRANCE;  March 8-2004

SOCIETY EXPEDITIONS - GERMANY: June 26 - 2004

ATW CRUISES -SAFEZONE - AUSTRALIA:  Dec. - 2004

ROYAL OLYMPIA CRUISES - GREECE:  Jan. - 2005

HOLIDAY KREUZFAHRTEN - GERMANY   Sept. - 2006

WINDJAMMER BAREBOAT CRUISES - USA   Oct. - 2007

CLUB CRUISE - THE NETHERLANDS   Febr. - 2009

VISION CRUCEROS  - SPAIN   March 10 - 2009

JUPITER  CRUISES  INC.  -  VIETNAM  April - 2009

INDIAN OCEAN CRUISES  - INDIA  April - 2009

ADRIATIC CRUISES - CROATIA   May - 2009

TRANSOCEAN  TOURS -  GERMANY      Sept. 2 -2009

CRUISE WEST  -  USA    Sept. 18 -2010

Delphin Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Delphin Cruises GmbH and related Hansa Kreuzfahrten - Germany  Oct. 12-2010

Polar Star Expeditions/Karlsen Shipping Co. ceased operations  May 18 - 2011

Caspi Cruises - Israel ceased operations    July 4 -2011

Quail Cruisers/Happy Cruises - Spain  ceased operations  Sept.24-2011

CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL CRUISES  - PORTUGAL   Sept/Okt. 2012 

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