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SHIPPING NEWS January - March 2008

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VENTURA On The Move
March 30: P&O Cruises' new 115,000 gt VENTURA, billed as "the largest cruise ship built exclusively for British cruisers", was delivered at the Italian shipyard Fincantieri and has begun her journey to her new home port of Southampton. VENTURA is due to arrive at Southampton on April 6. She will be officially named by British actress, Dame Helen Mirren, on April 16.

SKY WONDER Floats!
March 30: Reports from Turkey today state that tugs have successfully freed the grounded SKY WONDER (ex FAIRSKY, SKY PRINCESS, PACIFIC SKY) after a five day rescue attempt. All of SKY WONDER's passengers were returned home by plane after the ship got stuck on March 26 near Kusadasi, on coast of the Aegean. The news suggests there is no hull damage.

QE2 in Los Angeles - Updated
March 30: Making her 26th and final world cruise, Cunard Line's QE2 has been attracting crowds since the cruise began in New York amid unprecedented fanfare on January 13, 2008. Her last visit to Los Angeles came Sunday, March 30, when she arrived in San Pedro from Honolulu, having said farewell to Hawaii, March 26. Following her Southland visit, QE2 backed down the channel, a rarely seen manoeuvre in L.A. Crowds were sparse due to poor local news coverage. Click here for pictures of her last calls in Hawaii and Los Angeles.

SKY WONDER Aground
March 26: 1984-built SKY WONDER (ex FAIRSKY, SKY PRINCESS, PACIFIC SKY) ran aground in high winds at Setur Marina while docking at Kusadasi, Turkey. 1,029 passengers were evacuated and brought to Kusadasi safely, while 27 passengers, who refused to leave the ship, and 567 crew members remained on board. Efforts to refloat the ship had begun.

Full Speed Ahead For Oceania!
March 20: It has been an interesting time in the world of newbuildings. With the American dollar at an all-time low, both Carnival and arch-competitor RCI's Azamara division have deferred any newbuild commissions from European shipyards for the foreseeable future. Carnival CEO Mickey Arison recently stated that his US-based fleet can "maintain" at its current levels "indefinitely". The situation at RCI-owned Celebrity's Azamara division may reflect a need to better define its market and fill its two former R ships, the AZAMARA JOURNEY and AZAMARA QUEST.

Meanwhile, highly-rated Oceania, currently operating three former R ships, NAUTICA, INSIGNIA, and REGATTA, has announced two exciting newbuilds from the Sestre-Ponente yards of Fincantieri. Oceania have provided many advance details of these ships, which have been designed by Yran and Storbraten of Oslo, Norway. Quoted directly from the company's press release:

"The new Oceania-Class has been designed with all the signature elements that guests and travel agents cherish, and the d�cor will be imbued with the same warmth and charm that the Regatta-Class is renowned for. Signature public spaces will include Martinis, Horizons, The Patio, and a Grand Staircase that sweeps up both sides of the lobby. The color palette will feature a mixture of dulcet tones which will be accented and offset by earthen and jewel tones, while an eclectic assemblage of furnishings and accent pieces will create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that more closely resembles that of a fine home or manor.

The new ships will be awash in rich, dark woods, Italian marble, lustrous granite, fine wool carpets and sumptuous leather. No expense is being spared to create an array of spacious, yet intimate public spaces and luxurious staterooms and suites.

The new ships will accommodate 1,252 guests in 626 staterooms and suites who will be served by more than 780 staff members. 96% of all accommodations will feature private teak verandas and guests will dine in their choice of six open seating restaurants.

"Oceania-Class I" will debut in Fall of 2010 and "II" will debut in the Summer of 2011. The ships will be 782 feet long, 105 feet wide, have a draft of 24 feet, measure 66,000 gt and feature a double occupancy capacity of 1252. They will be propelled by diesel electric motors with two controllable pitch screws, offer six open seating restaurants, 626 guest staterooms and suites ranging from four owners' suites to twenty six inside staterooms.

Additional details on the ships' public spaces, accommodations and dining venues will be revealed in the future."

Click here to see an artist's rendering profile of the new Oceania Class in Shipping News Photos.

OCEAN LINER ORACLES
March 20: Introducing MaritimeMatters' latest Blogspot, OCEAN LINER ORACLES, with our first "oracle", Theodore Scull, renowned ocean liner author, lecturer, and historian.

The Aegean Shuffle, Updated: tWO For PEARL
March 20: Golden Star Cruises has now officially announced that the AEGEAN tWO (ex AUSONIA) will be replaced by the AEGEAN PEARL (ex SOUTHWARD, SEAWING, PERLA) on the company's three and four night cruises from Piraeus. The first sailing for the AEGEAN PEARL commences on May 19. It now appears that AEGEAN tWO will return to Louis Cruise Lines as IVORY on short cruise service from Limassol, although the company's website has yet to offer any specific sailings. SAPPHIRE (ex ITALIA, OCEAN PRINCESS, etc.) will be based in Limassol, replacing previously scheduled cruises for SERENADE (ex JEAN MERMOZ, MERMOZ) which as of now will not be returning to service for Louis. The ship is now reportedly laid up in Greece. Further information regarding Louis' deployments, including whether there will be a replacement for PERLA's published schedule of three and four night Piraeus program, are awaited.

ROTTERDAM On MARY Update
March 16: Klaas Krijnen from the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation gave a presentation on the salvation of the beloved 1959-built Dutch liner today in the Caronia Room of the RMS QUEEN MARY. His beautifully illustrated talk covered the history of the ship in her Holland America Line heyday, her innovative design features and elegant decor. When the liner, renamed REMBRANDT, was laid up at Freeport following the collapse of her last owners, Premier Cruises, in 2000, Klaas was a major force in drumming up support to save the ship from almost certain scrapping. He shared with the appreciative crowd (many of whom were loyal ROTTERDAM passengers) the trials and tribulations of getting the ship towed to Gibraltar from Freeport, the challenges of asbestos removal for her new stationary career, her drydocking in Cadiz, tow to Gdansk, and ultimately Wilhelmshaven, Germany, where the ship is still undergoing a full transformation. ROTTERDAM is due to commence her new role as a floating hotel and attraction at the Port of Rotterdam later this year.

GIORGIS Hits Reef
March 13: The 1959-built day cruise ship GIORGIS struck a reef three miles off Poros yesterday during a Saronic Gulf cruise from Piraeus. All 278 passengers and 35 crew were rescued and taken by boat to Poros. While the ship was reportedly taking on water, she was in no danger of sinking, according to local reports. See Shipping News Photos for a recent image of GIORGIS.

EUROyal Christening
March 12: Holland America Lines announced today that the godmother of its newbuilding Signature Class (the latest evolution of the Vista Class common platform Carnival Corporation series) vessel EURODAM will be christened by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in a gala ceremony at Rotterdam on July 1, 2008. The 2,014 passenger ship is currently under construction at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard near Venice, Italy.

Broken BLUEs
March 10: Click here for latest image of BLUE LADY, taken on March 4 at Alang. The cutting has now reached the original FRANCE superstructure.

BALMORAL on 'Sea Treks' - Completed
March 10: Click here for Peter Knego's latest BALMORAL Blog on MaritimeMatters 'Sea Treks".

ROTTERDAM On QUEEN MARY
March 10: Klaas Krijnen, member of the Steamship Rotterdam Foundation, will be giving a talk on SS ROTTERDAM's past and current disposition on board QUEEN MARY. Sponsored by Steamship Historical Society of America, Southern California chapter, the free event will be held in the Caronia Room (B Deck Forward - port side), Sunday, March 16, 2008, 1PM - 3PM. QUEEN MARY, Long Beach CA.

Going COASTAL
March 8: BC Ferries' newest vessel, the 21.980 gt, 2007-built COASTAL RENAISSANCE inaugurated service today with a 3:00 PM sailing from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay. COASTAL RENAISSANCE replaces the 1976-built QUEEN OF COWICHAN on the route. Two more Flensburger-built ferries, COASTAL INSPIRATION and COASTAL CELEBRATION will join the BC fleet before the end of the year.

Largest Cruise Ferries Sold?
March 8: Vietnam Shipbuilding Corp, is reported to have purchased two cruise ferries form Italy's Grandi Navi Veloci. The Vietnamese company reportedly paid EUR 265m (US$406m) for the 2002-built LA SUPREMA and 2003-built LA SUPERBA, both huge cruise ferries capable of accommodating 2,930 passengers. The twin screw Italian-built ships have a service speed of 31 knots, a cafeteria, shopping center, discotheque, swimming pool, slot machines and a chapel. Both ships, currently operating in the Mediterranean, are expected to leave their routes in the summer of 2008.

BALMORAL on 'Sea Treks'
March 5: Click here for Peter Knego's latest BALMORAL Blog on MaritimeMatters 'Sea Treks".

REGAL EMPRESS Blog on 'Sea Treks'
March 3: Click here for Peter Knego's REGALLY Impressed Blog. Peter sails on Imperial Majesty Cruise Line's MV REGAL EMPRESS, the former Greek Liner OLYMPIA of 1953.

PRIDE OF AMERICA To Dry Dock
March 2: NCL America's last vessel PRIDE OF AMERICA will go for dry docking and U.S. Coast Guard inspection on April 27 at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Honolulu. The work is expected to be completed by May 9, returning her to service before PRIDE OF ALOHA completes her last cruise in Hawaiin waters. PRIDE OF ALOHA has be reassigned to an Asian itinerary.

OCEANIC Panic? - UPDATED
February 25: It has been reported that PACIFIC HICKORY and OCEANIC (ex INDEPENDENCE) were denied a refueling request in Honolulu on February 22 by the EPA and Coast Guard due to toxins on board the ship (PCBs and asbestos -- which, curiously, were not an issue or threat during her 21 plus years of interisland cruise service before being laid up in 2001). OCEANIC is under tow to Singapore and, most likely, the Indian shipbreakers, having departed San Francisco on February 8. The tow is now reportedly proceeding to Guam for refueling.

UPDATE: Although the above was reported on Hawaiian television, a new report from The Pacific News Center cites Patty Arroyo's "On The Radio" show and an interview with U.S. Coast Guard Commander William Marhoffer denying that the tow was refused a refueling stop in Hawaii and that thus far no refueling request has been made with Guam authorities.

Silver PRINCE
February 25: Silversea Cruises announced today that its latest acquisition, the former WORLD DISCOVERER, will be renamed HSH PRINCE ALBERT II after the Prince of Monaco, home to Silversea's headquarters. The Prince is the first incumbent head of state to have reached the northern most point on earth, accomplished on a 2006 exploration of the Arctic's Svalbard archipelago.

"We are deeply honored to have our new expedition ship named after His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco," said Manfredi Lefebvre, Silversea's chairman. "His passion for environmental conservation is well known and we are committed to supporting his mission by offering travelers the chance to discover and appreciate some of the world's most remote and unspoiled regions."

The HSH PRINCE ALBERT II will be named in Monaco on June 12 and is Lloyd's Register A1A ice-rated, purpose-built for expedition cruising and is currently undergoing an extensive multimillion-dollar renovation at the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy.

MANXMAN's Hope Dwindles
February 25: The 1955-built 2,945 gt MANXMAN's reprieve from scrapping may be coming to an end as the Manxman Trust has now concluded that plans to save the damaged, yet historic ferry as a Merseyside attraction cannot progress. In a strange and disappointing announcement, investor Peel Holdings stated, "(The Manxman Trust's) project will undoubtedly involve some form of major visitor attraction...but certainly we would have to say that the MANXMAN would not be appropriate". An alternate plan with American investors is being pursued.

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SOLSTICE Times Five: Grass and Glass
February 24: Celebrity Cruises division of Royal Caribbean International announced that it will take delivery of a fifth SOLSTICE class vessel from the Papenburg-based yard of Meyer Werft in 2012. The 122,000-gt ships will have a length overall of 315 m and a breadth of 36.8 m. 2,850 passengers will be accommodated in 1,425 cabins. Their novelty features will be lawn clubs with "real grass" and a glass blowing museum.

Weaving ROTTERDAM Back Home
February 21: The owners of the 1959-built SS ROTTERDAM, Rederij De Rotterdam BV, announced this week that the ship will open this autumn in the port of Rotterdam. She is expected to arrive in the summer and will host cafes and restaurants, 289 hotel rooms, conference spaces and class rooms.

Meanwhile, the Maritime Museum of Rotterdam is exhibiting four reproductions of the "goblin" tapestries that once hung in the Casino, each measuring 4 meters by 1.3 meters. The tapestries were stolen from the ship in 2004 at Gibraltar and the reproductions will be placed on SS ROTTERDAM when she returns to her home port. The reproduced tapestries were woven by workshop De Uil under the direction of Joke Haverkorn van Rijsewijk and inspired by four paintings of Gis�le van Waterschoot van der Gracht. www.ssrotterdam.net

New Vista For XANADU 2/FAITHFUL
February 17: The 1955-built vessel most recently known as AURORA, best known as XANADU yet still sporting the name FAITHFUL on her hull, has finally left her berth at Alameda and has arrived in Rio Vista, a town on California's Sacramento River, today. Click here for an image taken by Michael Sharps, who was kind enough to provide us an update on this ship, which has sadly spent the greater part of three decades in limbo.

PRIDE Turns To JADE (Updated)
February 16: NCL's PRIDE OF HAWAI'I arrived in Los Angeles on February 9 for a quick identity change. Devoid of the "Hawaiian" hull art, she sailed today on her first cruise as NORWEGIAN JADE on a Panama Canal repostioning voyage to Miami. The ship will then cross the Atlantic before dry docking in Cadiz prior to her first Mediterranean cruise from from Barcelona on March 30. The NCL America logo on the funnel remains for now, while the new "Jade" hull art has yet to be added. Click here for Shawn Dake's photo of NORWEGIAN JADE leaving Los Angeles February 16.

Great Lakes Luxury
February 13: New York based Travel Dynamics is planning to operate the 4,077 gt 1991-built CLELIA II (ex RENAISSANCE IV) on North America's Great Lakes in 2009. The 290-foot ship will be refurbished, including hull strengthening for ice classification for possible arctic and antarctic voyages. Her cruises are expected to operate between Duluth, Minnesota, and Toronto, Ontario.

Announcement:
Steam Ship Historical Society of America (SSHSA) national conference
Cincinnati, Ohio, June 19 -- 22, 2008. click here for registration form. A cruise to the conference begins June 14, aboard the historic steamboat DELTA QUEEN, departing Pittsburgh, PA and arriving in Cincinnati, OH.

"French Line" Newbuilds
February 13: The France-based Compagnie des Iles du Ponant (CMA-CGM GROUP) is in talks with Italian builder Fincantieri over the construction of two 140-meter luxury cruise yachts. Each ship, costing Euro 100 million, will offer 130 exterior cabins and suites, 75 percent of them opening on to a balcony. The new vessels will likely be registered in the French overseas territory of Wallis and Fortuna and fly the French flag. Delivery is expected towards the end of 2010. Compagnie des Iles du Ponant currently operates three smaller luxury cruise yachts, LE PONANT, LE LEVANT and LE DIAMANT.

ALOHA Means Goodbye
February 11: Following this week's transfer of the PRIDE OF HAWAI'I from NCL's NCL America division to NCL to become NORWEGIAN JADE, NCL announced today that its PRIDE OF ALOHA will leave the NCLA fleet in mid-May and be assimilated in the Asian-based Star Cruises fleet. In the same announcement, to confirm its commitment to the scaled-down NCLA division, NCL has scheduled Hawaiian cruises in its PRIDE OF AMERICA through 2010. Also, the ship will receive the company's latest "Freestyle 2" enhancements which include upgrades to dining and staterooms as well as more activities and enhancements to the balcony suite and villa guest experience. NCL has offered a number of packages to compensate guests booked on cancelled PRIDE OF ALOHA departures.

Alang Update
February 10: DAFA, a Japanese-built ferry that most recently operated for Negros Navigation has arrived along with the LUCKY (ex PRINCESA ISABEL, AQUAMARINE, MARCO POLO, ODYSSEUS, LUCKY STAR, etc.), the latter being beached on 29 January. In the interim, structural demolition of BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) has slowed for the time being with just a little more of her uppermost suite decks being removed. ANASTASIS (ex VICTORIA) has all but disappeared.

INDEPENDENCE Departs, FAITHFUL Remains
February 9: Click here for Peter Knego's latest In And Out Of The Fog Blog from San Francisco.

Lost Liner Rediscovered?
February 10: Ken Murayama reports from Japan that the former Mitsui-OSK liner BRASIL MARU, thought to have been scrapped following her tow from Toba, Japan, where she served as a static attraction since 1973, still exists. The ship was reportedly broken up near Guangzhou, China but found further life preserved at Zhanjiang, China as a floating pavilion with the name PEARL MARU. Click here for a Chinese website and recent photo of this 1954-built liner originally commissioned to serve between Japan and South America.

OCEANIC Departs
February 8: OCEANIC (ex INDEPENDENCE, SEA LUCK I, OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE, INDEPENDENCE) was towed from her berth at BAE Shipyard in San Francisco's China Basin this morning at approximately 11:00 AM in a thick fog. After she was hooked up to an ocean-going tug, she was led out past the blanketed-in San Francisco waterfront and toward the Pacific before the fog finally lifted. An accompanying tug gave her a small waterspray salute as she maneuvered under the Golden Gate Bridge, along the Marin Headlands and out to sea. Her next destination is reputed to be Singapore, although a possible tug refueling stop may be made in either Honolulu or Guam. The ship has been laid up in various parts of the San Francisco Bay since the collapse of American Hawaii Cruises in late 2001 and was for a time owned by NCL, who had considered rebuilding her for U.S. cruise service -- that option fizzled after a difficult start up of the company's NCL America division. Click here to see Peter Knego's photos of OCEANIC leaving San Francisco this morning.

PRIDE to JADE:
February 8: NCLA's PRIDE OF HAWAI'I is due at Los Angeles tomorrow, where she will disembark her passengers and get a quick transformation to NORWEGIAN JADE before departing later in the month. Click here to see photos of PRIDE OF HAWAI'I leaving Honolulu.

PEARL Clips THE TOPAZ
February 8: THE TOPAZ (ex EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, CARNIVALE, FIESTA MARINA, OLYMPIC) will be ending her charter with Japan-based Peaceboat this spring when she concludes her current world cruise in April. Her replacement will be the CLIPPER PEARL (ex SONG OF NORWAY, etc.) which is currently undergoing a refit and will be renamed CLIPPER PACIFIC for her Peaceboat service.

A Day With VICTORIA
February 4: Click here for Martin Cox's photo blog of a day on board the QUEEN VICTORIA in Los Angeles.

"The Queen" To Launch VENTURA
February 4: Dame Helen Mirren, the British actress, will name P&O Lines new VENTURA, it was announced today. Mirren, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film, "The Queen", will preside over the inauguration in Southampton on April 16, 2008. Nigel Esdale, managing director of P&O Cruises, said, "Dame Helen Mirren embodies glamour, vitality and Britishness. We are delighted that Dame Helen is to be associated with her (the VENTURA)."

HORNCLIFF Damaged in UK Storms
February 3: As Gale force winds lashed the coast of Britain, the 1992-built, 12,887 gt refrigerated cargo ship HORNCLIFF lost her anchor and over 90 containers some 225 miles (360km) off the Isles of Scilly on February 1. Of the 31 passengers and crew, 7 were airlifted from the ship, including the captain, who had sustained back injuries. HORNCLIFF made Falmouth the following day where a Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyor boarded the vessel to carry out an initial assessment and assist the crew. An 18-inch hole was discovered in the hull, therefore the ballast was pumped out to raise the hole above the water line. Heavy duty lifting and mooring equipment was in place to stabilize the containers and berth the ship securely. 3 people remain in hospital. Insurance assessors arrive February 3, and plans are being made to move the ship to Antwerp.

Exploring For EXPLORER
February 1: The Royal Navy has located the Canadian exploration cruise ship MV EXPLORER which sank on November 23 off Antarctica. HMS ENDURANCE, engaged in hydrographic survey and mapping work in the area, was given the task of locating EXPLORER at the request of the British government. The aim is to look for evidence of possible pollution. The wreck is located at the northwest end of the Bransfield Strait, at a depth of 3,707 feet (1,130 meters).

Floating RUBY
February 1: Princess Cruises' 113,000 gt RUBY PRINCESS was floated out today in a special ceremony at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard (near Trieste). The RUBY PRINCESS is the latest evolution of the Grand Class design, which includes the CROWN and EMERALD PRINCESSes. She will debut in Caribbean cruise service in November of this year.

RIVERDANCE On The Beach
February 1: The 1977-built Irish Sea service roll-on roll-off ferry, RIVERDANCE, has become the latest casualty in worsening storms around Britain. RIVERDANCE was hit by a freak wave, causing the trucks on board to break loose, resulting in a severe list off Blackpool. 19 crew members and four passengers were rescued by helicopter and flown to safety. 9 more remained on board to attempt to save the vessel and were still on board when RIVERDANCE ran aground on the north shore of Blackpool Beach. The remaining 9 were subsequently taken off the vessel by three helicopters from the RAF, Royal Navy and Coastguard and two lifeboats with volunteer crews. The ship's owner, Seatruck Ferries, said it was trying to salvage the ferry. The Bahamas-registered ship has not leaked any fuels, according to aircraft monitors.

Cunarders In California
January 30: Click here for Peter Knego's latest blog, Two QUEENs for a day: QUEEN VICTORIA's Maiden Visit to Los Angeles, QUEEN MARY's 40th Year in Long Beach

BALMORAL Debut Delayed
January 28: Citing "a number of unforeseen technical issues (that) have emerged in the past week" during the stretch and refurbishment of Fred. Olsen's latest ship, the MV BALMORAL (ex CROWN ODYSSEY, NORWEGIAN CROWN), the company's managing director, Mike Rodwell announced the cancellation of the vessel's inaugural cruise, which was to depart for the Canary Islands on January 30. BALMORAL's second cruise, due to depart Dover for the Caribbean on February 13, remains on schedule.

Southern California's "QUEEN" Scene
January 25: On January 30, Cunard's newest QUEEN, the MV QUEEN VICTORIA, currently on her first world cruise, will make her maiden visit to Los Angeles. A plaque ceremony, hosted by Captain Paul Wright, will take place on board. MaritimeMatters' editors Martin Cox and Peter Knego will be on board to document this momentous occasion. In the meantime, the original RMS QUEEN MARY, the famous attraction and first ever Cunard QUEEN, will be celebrating her fortieth anniversary in Long Beach that evening.

John Maxtone-Graham Podcast
January 25: Barry Vaudrin's latest Cruising Authority podcast features ocean liner superstar John Maxtone-Graham. In the one hour long interview, the renowned author and lecturer discusses the tandem crossing of QUEEN VICTORIA and QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, The Simpsons, BLUE LADY/NORWAY/FRANCE, writing his "ocean line bible", "The Only Way To Cross" and more. On January 30, Vaudrin has an interview with Cunard's president, Carol Marlow, scheduled at 5:00 PM EST. For more information and to hear the interviews, go to: www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp

Aegean Shuffle:
January 25: Recent images have shown the AEGEAN TWO (ex AUSONIA, IVORY) still wearing her Golden Star blue funnel color (minus the logo) and hull art, but with the name IVORY on her bow. There are conflicting reports about the 1957-built steamship's future, whether it will be a return to Golden Star, a charter as the STEPS 1 for Christian-themed cruising out of Cyprus, a return to the Louis fleet as IVORY for Cyprus-based cruises or sale. In the meantime, SERENADE (ex JEAN MERMOZ, MERMOZ) is back on the Louis schedule for her Limassol-based cruises to Egypt. The fate of Louis' PRINCESA MARISSA (ex FINNHANSA) remains undetermined, with a reported sale to unidentified buyers late last year or a last minute return to Cyprus-based cruising for what would likely be her final season. SERENADE will be joined by SAPPHIRE (ex ITALIA, OCEAN PRINCESS, etc.).

Salamis Lines is also expected to return to the fold with their SALAMIS GLORY (ex ANNA NERY, CONSTELLATION, REGENT SPIRIT). Louis' AQUAMARINE (ex NORDIC PRINCE, CAROUSEL) and PERLA (ex SOUTHWARD, SEAWING) will operate three and four night cruises from Piraeus and Louis' CRISTAL (ex LEEWARD) will do seven night cruises from Piraeus. Louis' ORIENT QUEEN (ex STARWARD, BOLERO) will be based in Genoa and CORAL (ex CUNARD ADVENTURER, SUNWARD II, TRITON) will sail from Barcelona on Western Mediterranean cruises. If the former AUSONIA does not return under the Golden Star banner, there are some reports circulating that Golden Star will charter BLUE MONARCH (ex RENAISSANCE, WORLD RENAISSANCE, GRAND VICTORIA) for their three and four day Piraeus-based program. Meanwhile, Monarch Classic still has published schedules for BLUE MONARCH, OCEAN COUNTESS (ex CUNARD COUNTESS, OLYMPIA COUNTESS) and OCEAN MONARCH (ex PORT SYDNEY, DAPHNE, etc.).

Club Cruise Paints Brighter Future For VAN GOGH:
January 25: Van Gogh Cruises, (a wholly owned subsidiary of Club Cruise, a Dutch public company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange) have announced that they will continue to sell and operate cruises on 1975-built MV VAN GOGH (ex CLUB 1, CRUISE CLUB 1, ODESSA SKY, GRUZIYA).� Van Gogh Cruises Managing Director, Mark Horwood said, "The MV VAN GOGH is a popular cruise ship within the UK cruise market, which has become well established over the last 6 years. We were grateful that Club Cruise, in conjunction with ABTA, were able to step in at the last minute and save the Round the World Cruise, which departed from Falmouth on the 4th January 2008, following the collapse of the ship's previous UK Tour Operator - no small task given the timescale involved. Club Cruise were keen to remain in the UK market, having established a loyal and committed following over the years � hence the decision to establish a subsidiary company in the U.K for that purpose." Van Gogh Cruises notice: To all former Travelscope customers, please get in touch to reconfirm your cruise by contacting UK sales team:� Sarah Brooks - 01242 633803, Tim Fleming - 01242 633802

Northern California's Ghost Ship
January 23: The Contra Costa County Council in Northern California debates the fate of the 'ghost ship' FAITHFUL/XANADU 2. At a recent meeting, the City Council authorized a $200,000 contract with equipment broker Curt Lind to remove the illegally moored vessel, which arrived via tow more than a year ago on the northern waterfront at Alameda in the Bay Area. "It's currently a ghost ship; it doesn't really have an owner anymore," a councilman said.

On January 18, local press reported, "A 293-foot boat illegally moored along the estuary and slowly leaking 15,000 gallons of oil will be taken to a marina in Rio Vista". The city council was unable to trace the ownership beyond a dissolved company known as Al Boraq Aviation.

This is the sad end for the 1955-built MV XANADU 2 / FAITHFUL (ex WAPPEN VON HAMBURG, DELOS, POLAR STAR, PACIFIC STAR, XANADU, EXPEX), covered in detail on MaritimeMatters, by Peter Knego (click here for XANADU/FAITHFUL). The city of Rio Vista, CA is on the Sacramento River in Solano County, about 60 miles inland from the Pacific.

New Life For FINNJET?
January 23: Known as "the fastest cruise-ferry in the world", the 32,975 gt FINNJET is reported to have been sold by Seacontainers to Club Cruise in Veenendaal, Netherlands at the end of December 2007 for about US$11million. Renamed DA VINCI, she will cross the Atlantic to the Mariotti Shipyard, Genoa for a conversion. There is some speculation that Phoenix Seereisen of Germany have interest in chartering the ship as a replacement for MAXIM GORKY.

Kite Ship
January 22: MS BELUGA SKYSAILS, a new Dutch-built, German-registered container ship, began her maiden voyage from Bremerhaven to Venezuela on January 1. What makes this journey unusual is that it is the first commercial use of the "skysail" technology. A large kite or paraglider is deployed from the bow of the vessel at the end of a long cable. The idea is that the wind will offer extra pull on the ship and thus reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The length of the cable will allow the "skysail" to make use of stronger winds above the reach of conventional sails. MS BELUGA SKYSAILS was launched December 17, 2007 and has an overall length of 132 meters (433 feet).

Alang Update
January 21: BLUE LADY (ex NORWAY, FRANCE) is beginning to succumb to the cutting process as her mast and the greater portion of her two top aluminum decks come down. ANASTASIS (ex VICTORIA) is mostly gone and EGNATIA III remains on the beach awaiting clearance for demolition. Click here for the most recent views of BLUE LADY.

Name That Ship OF THE SEAS
January 21: Royal Caribbean opened a contest with USA Today for reader's to chose names for the two Project Genesis ships now under construction in Finland. Click here to enter the competition.

New York Times Correction
January 18: In today's NY Times: "An article in some editions on Monday about the simultaneous departure of three luxury ocean liners the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria from New York Harbor misstated the context of a quotation from Peter Knego, co-editor of a Web site devoted to the history of passenger ships. When Mr. Knego said, "They would only meet in the Atlantic and were never in port together," he was referring to the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth, not their successors (The Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth 2 were both in port in New York in 2004). (Go to Article)"

DFDS Order
January 18: Denmark's DFDS AS has ordered a new passenger and freight ferry for the Baltic Sea from Italy's Nuovi Cantieri Apuania shipyard. The new ship will operate between Germany and Lithuania, starting service in May 2009, with capacity for 600 passengers and 2,500 lane meters for freight.

Humanitarian Award
January 18: The Masters and Mates Union of the Greek Merchant Marine (PEPEN) gave an award to Captain Theodoris Mitropoulos. Last March, Captain Mitropoulos turned the CENTURY around in Force 6 Beaufort seas to rescue 11 adults and a child 120 nautical miles off the southern coast of Cuba. The illegal aliens had been drifting without food or water for seven days. "It is every sailor's duty not to be indifferent when human lives are at risk at sea," said Mitropoulos, who has been involved in three other rescue operations. PEPEN gave awards to another nine sea captains for their rescue efforts in 2007.

Ship Pictures Uploaded
January 16: Thanks to MaritimeMatters' contributors, we have uploaded a variety of images covering the tandem crossing of the QE2 and QUEEN VICTORIA as well as images of the arrival and departure of the Cunard trio. Click here for SHIPPING NEWS photos page, with thanks to photographers Robert Bianco, John McFarlane, Allan E. Jordan, Benjamin S. Lyons and for images courtesy of Steve Swanson.

Bravo, Bianco!
January 15: USA Todays' television reporter and ocean liner enthusiast extraordinaire, Robert Bianco, provides an evocative and accurate description of the three QUEENs event in New York Harbour Click here for Robert Bianco's stellar coverage.

ICE PRINCE Sinks
January 15: After more that 24 hours spent at a perilous list, (see item January 14 below) the Greek-registered cargo ship, ICE PRINCE (ex SEA ENTERPRISE II), sank in the English Channel 26 miles (42km) off Portland Bill, Dorset, after loosing over 2,000 tonnes of timber cargo. 12 crew were airlifted to Dorset and 8 rescued by lifeboat to Devon during the storm that had caused the ships' cargo to shift. The floating timber, cut in to 33-foot lengths, is of concern to navigation in the area but is expected to wash ashore along the south coast. Over 400 tonnes of fuel oil remain on board.

New York Times Quote
January 14: MaritimeMatters' contributing editor, Peter Knego, wishes to thank the New York Times and reporter Fernanda Santos for including a quote from him in today's coverage of last night's historic "Royal Rendezvous" of the three Cunard QUEEN's off the Statue of Liberty. However, Peter would like to clarify that his quote was actually composited from several statements he made about Cunard and the history of the company's legendary QUEENs. In the first part of the printed quote, "When the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 left its home port in Southampton, England, for Manhattan, the QUEEN MARY 2 would leave the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook for Southampton", Peter was actually referring to the original QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH "meeting" mainly only in the Atlantic and that their being in port together was an extremely rare circumstance (of course, this occurred long before the advent of the Brooklyn Red Hook Cruise Terminal). Further, with regard to the second portion of his quote, "To have the two of them here, plus a third queen, is truly momentous." Peter wants to emphasize that he actually stated that having three QUEENs, let alone three QUEENs in port together, was a momentous occasion.

Of course, Peter is aware that the QE2 and QM2 have already been together in port on prior occasions, including the tandem sailing from New York in 2004, which he was on hand to witness.

Please click here for original article in NY Times

SSHSA Conference
January 14: The Steam Ship Historical Society of America (SSHSA) has announced its national conference, taking place at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 19 -- 22, 2008. registration form can be downloaded by clicking here. A cruise to the conference begins June 14, aboard the historic steamboat DELTA QUEEN, departing Pittsburgh, PA and arriving in Cincinnati, OH, June 19 in time for the national conference.

Timber Carrying Vessel in Distress
January 14: The UK's Maritime and Coast Guard Agency rescued 20 crew from 1990-built timber carrying Greek-registered cargo ship, ICE PRINCE (ex SEA ENTERPRISE II), in the English Channel. The rescue was descibed as the most dificult ever. Twelve crewmen were airlifted fron the vessel by helicopter and the remaining eight were picked up by lifeboats from Torbay. The 100 meter vessel is now drifting in mountainous seas after its cargo shifted in the storm and attempts to get a line aboard have been hampered by the continuing poor weather. The vessel was heading from Germany to Alexandria, Egypt with 5,258 tons of timber when it got into trouble just 35 miles from Branscombe Beach in Devon. It is now listing at 45 degrees to port. A French tug is standing by, hoping to tow the vessel out of shipping lanes, when possible.

Cunard's Fleet Assembles
January 13: Despite some rumours, sparked by heavy weather and, later, fog, both QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 and QUEEN VICTORIA arrived in New York together from their tandem crossing from Southampton this morning and tied up on the West Side piers. QUEEN MARY 2 berthed in Brooklyn. All three will meet near the Statue of Liberty about 7:30 PM local time. Click here for SHIPPING NEWS photos page

Knego Talks!
January 11: MaritimeMatters' contributing editor, Peter Knego, was interviewed by fellow passenger ship enthusiast, Barry Vaudrin, on his Cruising Authority podcast. In it, Vaudrin asks Knego about his interest in ocean liners and his expeditions to see various ships around the world, shipbreaking issues at Alang, the creation of the MidShipCentury website and Knego's efforts to preserve remnants of some recently scrapped ships. To hear the interview, click here and go to "Peter Knego interview".

Mergers In The Yard
January 11: The two largest European cruise ship builders are contemplating a merger. The Norwegian giant, Aker Yards ASA, with a workforce of 20,000 operating 18 yards in eight countries (including Finland, France, Germany and Brazil) is in discussions over a possible merger with Italy's state-owned shipbuilder, Fincantieri SpA.

Last year, a 39.2% stake in Akers Yards was acquired by South Korea's STX Group (includes STX Shipbuilding, STX Corp. STX Pan Ocean).

Two Swell QUEENs
January 10: As QUEEN VICTORIA and QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 sail in tandem from Southampton to New York, passengers have taken some unique images of each ship at sea. Click here for the Shipping news photos page for two such pictures taken January 7. Despite rumours to the contrary, both ships are sailing neck and neck in fairly close proximity as of the afternoon of January 10. However, there is some discussion that at their present speed one of the ships at least, may not be able to catch up the time to arrive in New York as scheduled.

NCL Expands
January 8: In Financial news, the press has been covering the infusion of cash into NCL by private equity group Apollo Management. An investment worth US$1 billion dollars will further expand the NCL brands. NCL will introduce the first of its "F3" (Freestyle 3) 150,000 gt concept ships in 2010, now under construction now in France at a cost of over US$1.1 billion.

EASYexpansion
January 6: EASYCRUISE LIFE (ex LEV TOLSTOY, NATASHA, PALMIRA, THE JASMINE, FARAH) will debut April 19 for EasyCruise, offering seven day cruises to six Greek islands, Syros, Samos, Kalymnos, Kos, Paros and Mykonos and a call at Bodrum, Turkey. The 1981-built former Soviet passenger vessel is currently undergoing an extensive refit to accommodate over 500 passengers, with facilities that include a pool, bar, restaurant, spa, sauna, sun decks, wellness zone, chill out zone and shops.

NORTHERN ADVENTURE Needs Oil Change
January 5: B.C. Ferries' 2004-built ro/ro NORTHERN ADVENTURE (ex SONIA) had an automatic engine shut down triggered by contaminated oil on January 3, canceling her departure from Bella Bella, British Columbia to Prince Rupert. Poor weather was cited as a further reason for the delay. B.C. Ferries chartered aircraft and flew passengers to Port Hardy while eleven passengers remained on the ship with their vehicles to wait for the vessel to be readied. NORTHERN ADVENTURE is expected to sail January 6.

Three Queens, One Meeting
January 4: A unique meeting of CUNARD's three QUEENs will take place on January 13. QUEEN MARY 2, QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 and QUEEN VICTORIA are all scheduled to rendezvous near the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour. The three liners will depart their piers at about 6:30 PM and meet under a fireworks display. QE2 will be retired for use as an hotel ship at Dubai in November. Cunard has recommended viewing locations at Battery Park on Manhattan's southern shoreline and Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, overlooking the Hudson River.

Frank O. Braynard: 1916 -- 2007
January 4: A memorial service will be held for the great American author, artist and maritime historian, Frank O. Braynard on Saturday, January 12th at noon at the Sea Cliff Methodist Church, Sea Cliff, New York 11579. Mr. Braynard authored 34 books, including a six volume encyclopedic work on the ocean liner, SS LEVIATHAN. He is survived by his wife Doris. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Seaman's Church Institute in New York City.

LT CORTESIA Refloated -- Update
January 2: LT CORTESIA was successfully refloated at high tide this evening with the combined power of her own engines and the aid of three commercial tugs. LT CORTESIA was pulled off the Varne sandbank in the Dover Strait, stern first, and will be anchored off Deal, Kent while Health and Safety inspectors, Maritime and Coastguard Agency inspectors, as well as the vessel's classification society, Germanischer Lloyd, decide if she can continue her voyage or where the ship will go next. The Varne sandbank is a well-known shipping hazard that is clearly marked on all shipping charts. There appears to be no pollution, damage or injuries. UPDATE, Jan 3: LT CORTESIA is deemed safe and allowed to continue her journey through the Suez Canal to Malaysia.

Container Ship Grounded Off Dover
January 2: The 90,449 gt container ship LT CORTESIA ran aground at full speed on the well marked Varne sandbank in the Dover Strait off the coast of Kent at 5 AM GMT. The German-registered 2005-built LT CORTESIA is carrying 4,148 containers and was en route to the Suez Canal from Thamesport when it grounded about nine miles (14km) south of Dover just after high tide. There are 27 crew aboard and the hull does not appear damaged or leaking, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). There was one chance of a particularly high tide at 1833 GMT to get the ship off the bank before several days of lower tides. Some of the cargo is listed as hazardous cargo and the Coastguard's 1999-built ANGLIAN MONARCH is at the scene. Three other tugs are converging on the container ship to attempt to free her on the evening tide.

The 1465 gt ANGLIAN MONARCH was in the press in 2006 when she towed Louis Cruise Line's MV CALYPSO (ex CANGURO VERDE, DURR, IONIAN HARMONY, REGENT JEWEL, REGENT CALYPSO) after an engine room fire left the ship without power off Beachy Head in the English Channel.

Could Panamax Grow?
January 2: In October 2006, we reported that an ambitious project to expand the famous Panama canal was voted to go ahead. Today the US$5.25 billion expansion got a boost to double the canal's capacity. The Panama Canal Authority has released a "Request for Proposal" for the design-build contract for the new canal locks. Under the expansion plan, a new lane for maritime traffic will be built alongside the existing locks, thus doubling capacity of the waterway and allowing for wider vessels. Proposals are due by August 2008 and the contract could be awarded by December 2008. The Panama Canal was first opened in 1914, linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but contemporary container ships are simply too large for the canal's locks, despite a series of upgrades. At present, about forty ships a day (14,000 a year) pass through the canal, which accounts for 5% of world shipping. Currently "Panamax" means ships that are under 32.3 meters in beam (105.9 feet), 12 meters (39.3 feet) draft in tropical fresh water and 294.1 meters (964.8 feet) long can fit through the locks.

Was There A Second Berg?
January 2: What sank MV EXPLORER in Antartica November 23, 2007? This question is buzzing in maritime circles and the answer may never be known.

Reports stated that a fist-sized hole was made below the waterline by an unknown object. Some state this was not consistent with ice damage, other suggest submerged ice, or, possibly a boulder embedded in submerged ice. Such damage, in and of itself, should not have caused an ice class ship to sink. Pumps and water tight doors should have been able to stabilize the list and inflow of water. According to some passenger accounts, MV EXPLORER then drifted into a large iceberg, colliding again on the already damaged starboard side. Was it a second collision that overcame the ship's emergency systems? Until an insurance investigation is complete, other sources have been silenced. MV EXPLORER sank in 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) of water and all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.

FRAM Arrives Safely in Tierra Del Fuego
January 1: Hurtigruten Group's FRAM, now famous in the press for hitting an iceberg while suffering a black out, has arrived back in Ushuaia, Argentina to discharge her passengers from the cancelled cruise. FRAM lost one of her lifeboats in a collision with an ice cliff and thus cannot sail without it. Otherwise, there we no injuries or other damage reported.

Built by Italy's Fincantieri shipyard and delivered in April 2007, the FRAM was named by HRH Crown Princess Mette Marit in Oslo, Norway on May 19, 2007. The January 2 cruise is also cancelled while investigators establish the cause of the power failure, reportedly not her first such incident. FRAM is expected to return to service on January 10 from Ushuaia.

Suez Transit Fees Rise
January 1: Egypt's Suez Canal Authority announced that transit fees for ships will increase in 2008 by an average of 7.1 percent. Passenger ships' fees will increase by 5.2 percent, container ships by 5.7 percent, oil tankers by 7.3 percent, natural gas ships by 10.5 percent and naval ships by 10 percent. The Suez Canal, which opened in 1869, was nationalized by Egypt in 1956, and the last fee raise was in April of 2007.

Click here for previous SHIPPING NEWS December 2007

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