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On this page, additional information will be given on interesting news concerning cruises and cruise ships. The intention is to renew this page on a regular base. The current information consists of the following items. For expired news items please go to page archive.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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!!

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.

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.

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 >>>>>

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.

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

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

Miami Dec. 12 - 2010 Last week Brilliance of the Seas was hit by rough weather of the coast of Egypt in what the line called a serious incident. According to Royal Caribbean, while approaching Alexandria, the Brilliance encountered extreme wind and sea conditions, resulting in severe ship movement. There was damage to the ship’s interior, forcing the closing of three public rooms for the rest of the cruise, and loss of electricity in some staterooms, but no impact on operating systems or the powerplant. 105 passengers were injured 3 of them seriously. The ship did not call in Alexandria and instead went to the next port of call, Malta, and will conclude the cruise in Barcelona as planned. The captain is inactive set by Royal Caribbean.

Offenbach Oct.12-2010 Oct.12-2010 German cruise operator Delphin Kreuzfahrten has filed for insolvency after its chartered vessel, Delphin Voyager , was arrested by its Greek owner in Piraeus this week in a row over unpaid charter bills. Athens-based Restis Group, better known as a leading dry bulk and tanker owner, said it acted because of the German operator’s "failures time and time again to pay hire". Restis was chasing allegedly unpaid hire for its solitary cruise vessel amounting to €2.4m ($3.4m) as of last week. Delphin Kreuzfahrten claims that the reconstruction of the vessel was not done as specified in the charter contract and that the owners have failed to correct these shortcomings. As a result, Delphin has cut the charter rate. In order of Restis last month the Delphin being arrested at Villefranche. Cruiseship Delphin belongs to the same German Group. Hansa Kreuzfahrten is also related to the same Group is also affected by the insolvency.

Seattle Sept.17-2010 The family-run operation, whose roots go back nearly 64 years to a pioneering Alaska tour company, announced it will cease operations today and is canceling all cruises. Cruise West was founded by Dick West’s late father, Chuck, who was known as ‘Mr. Alaska’ for his pioneering efforts to open the state to tourism. Chuck West established his first Alaska tour operation in 1946 in Fairbanks. He sold Westours to Holland America Line in 1973. After trying over the past year to secure an investor or strategic partner, sell assets or the company itself, Cruise West has run out of options. In late July West had secured a personal bridge loan of $1.5m to maintain operations and the company said it was pursuing prospects investors or partners, while a sale/leaseback of 120-passenger flagship Spirit of Oceanus was another possible option. However all options failed and the Spirit of Oceanus was sold to Danish investors in a deal announced Tuesday. (See Fleetlist under T) as Sea Spirit. The line had valued the 1991-built vessel at $15m to $20m. however the selling price was far below. Cruise West operated the 100-passenger Pacific Explorer, the 96-passenger Spirit of ’98, the 102-passenger Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Endeavour, the 78-passenger Spirit of Alaska and Spirit of Columbia, the 84-passenger Spirit of Discovery and the 138-passenger Spirit of Yorktown. (For Fleet overview please visit Fleetlist-C)

Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act

Washington, july/aug. 2010 The outlook for passenger security improved significantly when US President Barack Obama signed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (HR3360) into law. It will improve the safety and security of all cruise ship passengers travelling in and out of US waters.

The most important Key provisions of the bill:
*Guard rails reach 42 inches in height; entry doors of each passenger stateroom and crew cabin have peep holes, security latches, and time sensitive key technology.
*Ship owners would be required to implement fire safety codes as well as technology to detect when a passenger falls overboard. Procedures would be established to determine which crew members have access to staterooms and when.
*Ships will be required to use the latest technology to detect passengers falling overboard, including imaging systems. Video surveillance cameras will be required in almost all parts of the ship (beyond private areas), so that when crimes do occur they can be more easily prosecuted.
* Fire regulations on board the ship will be the same ones approved by the US Coast Guard.
* Cruise ships will be required to report crimes, missing passengers and suspicious deaths to the US Coast guard and FBI soon after they occur, so they can be more effectively investigated. They will also be required to preserve crime scenes. The information on the types and numbers of crimes at sea will be made available to the public
* Each ship would be required to carry both rape kits and aforensic assault specialist. In the case of rape, on board doctors would be instructed to respect the confidentiality of the victim in these matters. As well, the victim will automatically be given the 800 number of an outside sexual assault organization so they can speak with someone not associated with the cruise ship

Stateroom doors will now be equipped with safety latches and peep holes.

Room key cards will have "time sensitive" technology installed, to better monitor their use.

Ships will be required to use the latest technology to detect passengers falling overboard, including imaging systems. Video surveillance cameras will be required in almost all parts of the ship (beyond private areas), so that when crimes do occur they can be more easily prosecuted.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/blog/?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A3ec3ac40-db8a-4d10-a884-acf9ccad0879Post%3A4859135f-3fb9-4734-8f57-c3c76ae70218#ixzz0wgIu14Dl

Stateroom doors will now be equipped with safety latches and peep holes.

Room key cards will have "time sensitive" technology installed, to better monitor their use.

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New Orders

August 12 - 2010 In recent months, there are a number of new ships ordered. Carnival Cruise Lines placed an order for the "Carnival Breeze" at the Italian shipyard Fincantieri with delivery in 2012. It is a sister ship of the already in service "Carnival Dream", followed in 2011 by the "Carnival Magic". It are vessels of 130,000 GT. suitable for 3690 passengers on lower beds. Princess Cruises has commissioned two vessels of 139,000 tonnes also at Fincantieri. This will be of a new type suitable for 3600 passengers on lower beds. Expected delivery in the spring of 2013 and 2014.The Libyan state company General Maritime Transportation Comp. (GNMTC), a total stranger in the cruise world,commissioned a ship of 139,400 gt. at STX-France. The delivery takes place in 2012. The ship is more or less a copy of MSC Fantasia class. How to operate the ship is as yet unknown it is expected that the ship will be on charter for MSC Cruises. MSC itself has signed a contract with the same yard for a Fantasia class ship with delivery also in 2012 . The ship will be named MSC Fantastica measuring approximately 139,000 gt, 3502 passengers based on lower beds.
Today AIDA Kreuzfahrten has ordered another Club ship from Meyer Werft Germany. The cooperation between the Rostock-based cruise company and the yard started as early as in 2004. The new ship will be number ten in the AIDA fleet and will be delivered in spring 2013. It will then be the seventh ship built by Meyer Werft. The new 71,300-gt ship belonging to the AIDAblu class is 252 m long and 32.20 m wide. 2,192 passengers can be accommodated on board, who will be taken care of by a crew of 661. The new ship will be number ten in the AIDA fleet and will be delivered in spring 2013. For more information see Fleetlist of this site. Please Click here >>>>>>

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MSC tender charge

Genoa - july -2010 MSC Crociere has been testing a new way to generate onboard revenue. Cruises on MSC Lirica out of Genoa, the vessel call at Portofino where it stays at anchor. Those passengers who would like to tender ashore will be charged EUR 13,- for the tender ride. At the moment this is the only cruiseline and tender port where a tender fee is being imposed, but is this just the beginning? According to a statement from MSC, Portofino is not an official port of call. Therefore, we introduced a tender fee. You ask yourself why the ship then calls in Portofino? This is yet another measure that the all inclusive concept (Slogan of the cruise industry) harm.

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Norwegian Epic visit first Rotterdam

Rotterdam - June 19 - 2010 The brand new Norwegian Epic visit first Rotterdam. NCL's Norwegian Epic which is being completed at STX France in St. Nazaire and handed over on June 17. The largest cruiseship ever built in France will be showcased in Rotterdam on June 19 and the inaugural cruise, a trans-Atlantic from Southampton to New York, will depart on June 24. Singer and actress Reba McEntire will christen the ship in New York on July 2. Between 19 and June 24 the ship will sail a two-day inaugural sailing out of Rotterdam. Return to Rotterdam on June 21. Departure same day for a one-night preview cruise with paying passengers to Southampton, arriving on June 22. For technical data and images of the Norwegian Epic Please click here >>>>

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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 ...................

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.

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