Shetland Marine News, UK
28 August, 2007
THE PROJECT team behind a proposed new ferry link between Norway,
Shetland and the UK mainland is re-advertising to allow more companies
to express an interest in the service.
Earlier this month, NORSHUKON managers reported that they had received
four expressions of interests in their proposed ro-pax service.
Yesterday (Monday) they published a new timetable, which they said was
drawn up due to revised timescales for access to European subsidies.
This has also allowed them to re-open the tendering process, they said.
A statement from the consortium said: "The decision to re-open the
process was also taken as a result of the large number of expressions of
interest which were received after the initial deadline."
Project managers were however unable to say precisely how many more
expressions of interests had been received.
NORSHUKON is a partnership between the Norwegian Møregruppen AS,
Shetland Development Trust and the Shetland transport partnership ZetTrans.
Møregruppen AS is a group of private and public bodies that is keen to
create a ferry service linking the busy port of Kristiansund with a UK
mainland port that would provide onward links to the European continent.
A new Queen is slowly sailing with the help of a Tug Boat through the Lagoon of Venecia. At least from the outside, she looks like any other HAL-Carinval-Costa vessel and indeed she was originally ordered for the HAL fleet. BBC, London
Divers are preparing to record the first video footage of the wreck of RMS Carpathia, which rescued more than 700 survivors from the Titanic in 1912.The vessel was herself sunk off the Cornish coast in a German torpedo attack six years later.
Stonefield Castle Group Limited, already one of the largest shareholders in HIC, has purchased 58% of outstanding shares. Stonfield, owns a luxurious Hotel, Golf Course and various shops in Scotland. Since the inception in 2001, have the vessels ms Hebridean Spirit and ms Hebridean Princess accruded heavy losses for HCI. Although highly acclaimed and well booked. Even Queen Elizabeth II was apparently "very amused"...,
As a result of the near-direct hit by Hurricane Dean, there are reports of heavy damage to the cruise piers and facilities at Puerto Costa Maya and the fishing village of Majahual. It appears that the cruise port will be closed for an estimated six to eight months. Port spokesman Cesar Lizarraga told Seatrade Insider, ‘We believe more than 50% of the pier is gone. It’s a multimillion-dollar loss.’ Star Cruises focus on Asia-Pacific
Deal with Apollo Management paves the way for more concerted effort
PETALING JAYA: Star Cruises Ltd, which is 19.89% owned by Resorts World Bhd, plans to focus its financials and resources on its Asia Pacific business, especially Greater China, given the region's growing travel and tourism markets.
The effort will be more concerted, given last Friday's transaction involving US-based private equity firm Apollo Management LP investing US$1bil cash into NCL Corp Ltd (NCLC) in return for a 50% stake in NCLC.
Upon completion, which is expected in the fourth quarter of this year, NCLC will cease to be a subsidiary of Star Cruises. Honolulu, Aug.18th
NCL might end Hawaii Interlisland cruises. We have two options says CEO Colin Veith in an interview he gave to the local newspaper Honolulu Advisor. After the demise of American Hawaii Cruises in 2000, NCL stepped to the plate. Modern newbuildings, build at Meyer Werft in Germany, a huge advertisement campagne, touting all american theme, US flag ships, manned by proud US men and women. Well, it doesn't work. one of the three vessel fleet has been redeployed to Europe, the fate of the other two ships is written on "Pu`u `O`o"
Miami, 20.August
Hurricane Dean the first of this season, is marching towards the Yucatan Peninsular and is said to be moving through the Gulf towards Texas. Here on this website you may see satellite and weather charts, following its movements. Louis decided to buy newer ships after the Sea Diamond’s wreck few months ago. Speaking to Tradewinds magazine, Louis Managing Director, Stelios Koiliaris referred to the changes that his company intends to adopt. “The Company must upgrade its fleet, so as to be competitive in the cruise market. After the acquisition of Crystal, which replaced Sea Diamond, we intend to buy another cruise ship constructed in 1990, which will be able to host 1,500 passengers. The acquisition has been scheduled before summer 2008”, he said.
According to Mr. Koiliaris, Louis will replace more cruise ships in the next few years. “We intend to replace Aegean II, which was constructed in 1957, Princessa Marissa of 1966 and Serenade of 1957. These cruise ships are not in line with the new Safety of Life at Sea (Solas) Regulations of 2010 and must be replaced”, he added.
Speaking to StockWatch, Louis Finance Director, Costas Hadjimarcos confirmed the statements. “Louis aims to sell the three cruise ships before the end of 2008. We are currently having contacts with several interested parties. The ships will be possibly replaced with newly-fangled ships”, he noted. Club Cruise, the Dutch-based company and owner of Van Gogh, Jules Verne, Albatros and Astoria, is seeking a listing of its shares on the London market (either the Alternative Investment Market (AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s global market for young and growing companies or Main-Board) to part finance an intended newbuilding plan.
It its Q2 2007 Trading Update the company said the Board has decided to seek a listing, ‘firstly to issue about four million shares in order to raise the necessary increase in equity for the company’s intended newbuild plan, and secondly to increase the company’s liquidity’. Club Cruise noted it is the final phase of entering into a mandate with investment bank Investec to realise the London floatation. The inteded valuation at which the company intends to issue and introduce its shares on the London market is at a price equivalent of 20 x 2008 forecast net profits.
Traditionally a purchaser of second hand ships, which are all chartered, Club Cruise is negotiating with several yards to build a series of six 20,000gt ships, ‘subject to raising extra necessary equity of about €80m’, it reported.
At the end of the first half of 2007, Club Cruise reported a net profit of €7.7m compared to €5.2m for the first six months of 2006. Commenting on the results Gerard van Leest, Club Cruise ceo said the second quarter was operationally challenging (with the launch of Jules Verne) and financially very rewarding at the same time.’ Club said it wishes to stay focused on the European cruise market for the coming years and accelerate its growth through purchasing second-hand tonnage and implementing a newbuild programme.
Meanwhile Club has secured a charter agreement for 2008 subject to acquiring a suitable (fifth) ship.Its current four ship fleet amounts to around 3,000 passengers in total. The largest ship, Albatros chartered to Phoenix seereisen is 28,018gt. |
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