Port Klang
Star Cruises today announced the sale of the SuperStar Gemini which is to be concluded in the following weeks. SuperStar Gemini will be chartered back from the new owner until December 2008 to continue offering her cruise itineraries before being handed over to the new owner. SuperStar Gemini is presently owned by Star Cruises along with the Asian fleet of other mid-sized ships such as the SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Aquarius, SuperStar Libra, Star Pisces, Megastar Taurus, Megastar Aries and Wasa Queen, of which she has been part since 1995.
STAR did not name the buyer and speculation by so called experts, name as potential buyers Louis, Fred.Olsen who owns already the sister ship ms Braemer and Phoenix. We do not speculate however and will report as soon as the true owner will stand up!
London
All Leisure Group plc raised £10m before expenses by placing 10.9m ordinary shares at 180 pence per share on admission to the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market.
At the placing price, the company is capitalised at £110.5m.
Some 5.4m placing shares have been placed on behalf of existing investors.
Roger Allard, chairman of All Leisure Group, said the float will assist in strategic plans to further penetrate the cruise market and its stated intention to reward shareholders via dividend in line with earnings growth.
‘The combination of our existing management, operational expertise and the opportunities from within the global cruising market lead us to be very confident about the Group’s future prospects,’ Allard added.
All Leisure Group is the holding company of All Leisure Holidays Ltd., which owns Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Discover Egypt.
Discovery Cruises Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of All Leisure Group, owns the cruise ship Discovery. A second vessel, Minerva, has been leased for six years starting in November.
Trading in All Leisure shares (ticker: ALLG) will commence on Monday. The Rock, NSW, AUAurora has also introduced a specialty Climate Change expedition that focuses on learning first-hand the dynamic changes generated by global warming. The ‘Jewels of the Arctic’ voyage will endeavour to search for the southern extent of the pack ice north of Spitsbergen, examine glacial retreat in Greenland and look out for coastal erosion as the protection of sea ice diminishes. On board, special guest lecturers will help interpret the effects of climate change and offer practical tips on what each of us can do to help slow down the engines of climate change. Or, for something completely different, why not join Aurora on a Circumnavigation of Spitsbergen as the midnight sun is plunged in complete darkness during a total solar eclipse. Aurora has purchased the Russian vessel mv Marina Svetaeva which they had chartered for several years. The vessel ahs proved to be very successful and owning the vessel gives Aurora more flexebility to offer year round trips.
Miami
Exstream Software, LLC announced today that Carnival Cruise Lines, the world’s largest cruise operator, has successfully implemented its Dialogue enterprise software to deliver an electronic cruise document system that provides added convenience and efficiency for guests.
Monaco 25th Sept.
Silversea Cruises has announced that it has purchased the 175-berth, 6,075 GT World Discoverer from its owners, Sembawang Shipyard. Built in 1989 as Delfin Clipper and later in service as a cruise ship, gambling ship and corporate yacht as Sally Clipper, Baltic Clipper, Delfin Star and Dream 21, the ship was purchased by now-defunct Society Expeditions in 2001 as a replacement for the original, 1974-built World Discoverer, which sank in the Solomon Islands in 2000. Following a major refit, the “new” World Discoverer entered service with Society Expeditions in 2002. After an embarrassing incident in which the ship was briefly repossessed in Alaska in 2003, Society finally ceased operations in 2004 and the ship was repossessed by Sembawang, which had handled the ship’s conversion and later underwrote the mortgage in hopes of keeping the company afloat. Since then she has been laid up in Singapore for sale, but was unable to find a buyer until now.
According to Silversea, who took possession of the ship in Singapore on 17 September, she will undergo a major refurbishment before entering service in spring 2008. Silversea president Amerigo Perasso said that “the refurbishment will extend to virtually every area of the ship. Although we will maintain much of the vessel’s current configuration, which features all ocean-view accommodations, we will dramatically enhance and redesign a number of public spaces, as well as some of the accommodations, and even some aspects of the ship’s external appearance. This will bring World Discoverer in line with our usual high standards, but with some modifications to better adapt the ship for the special needs of expedition cruises.” Tehran, (CHN Foreign Desk)
Based on scheduled programs, the first marine transportation line between Iranian island of Qeshm and Dubai in United Arab Emirates will be launched within two months. Announcing this news, Ebrahim Larijani, deputy head of tourism department of Qeshm Free Zone Organization, told CHN: “Qeshm foreign passenger terminal has been equipped with all necessary facilities including passport department and is ready to be launched in a near future. The first marine transportation line between Qeshm and Dubai is going to be launched with capacity of 350 passengers and 16 tons of goods by the end of the holy month of Ramadan which will fall on 13th of October.” According to Larijani, this ship has been made in Norway according to international standards by order of Iranian private investors. He further explained that based on initial plans, the ship will cross this route three times a week however, it enjoys the potential to increase its journey everyday with increasing in number of demands. Rhodes, Greece
A prosecutor on Rhodes yesterday charged four officers from a cruise ship, which began listing in the Dodecanese island's harbor on Tuesday, of deliberately trying to run the vessel aground.The Bahamas-flagged Dream was carrying 930 Israeli tourists on a Mediterranean cruise but began listing by 10 degrees when it docked in Rhodes.The prosecutor suggested that the ship's captain, first mate and two engineers, all Greek nationals, intentionally endangered the vessel's safety when they moved ballast from one tank to another. All four suspects, along with a representative of the company that owns the ship, are being held at the Rhodes Port Authority while divers investigate the cause of the ship's problems. It has been claimed that the vessel struck an object while sailing from Turkey.
The vessel is woned by isral CASPI cruises, but the entire onboard management is in the hands of Louis Cruises, Cyprus.
Washington D.C.It's estimated that more than 10 million Americans will go on cruises every year.Now after complaints of onboard assaults, thefts and even mysterious disappearances, Congress is investigating how safe these vacations are. A House Transportation subcommittee is holding hearings on cruise safety....(click on headline for article)
GREECE
Uncollected fuel trapped in the sunken cruise ship Sea Diamond off the island of Santorini is a time bomb for the marine environment and has started to escape from the ship’s tanks into other parts of the vessel, according to experts.
Oil from the cruise ship, which sunk in April close to the island’s port, has yet to be siphoned off as authorities are still searching for a way to safely drain the 400 tons of diesel.
Experts said the fuel has remained trapped in the vessel but has started to seep into other parts of the ship, such as passenger rooms.
Divers are taking video footage of the sunken ship as an investigation continues into the conditions surrounding the accident which resulted in the death of two French tourists. In June, the government fined the owners, operator and captain of the Sea Diamond cruise ship 1.17 million euros for causing marine pollution. Miami, 20th September
Board Re-establishes $1 Billion Share Buy Back Program MIAMI, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) reported record net income for its third quarter ended August 31, 2007 of $1.38 billion, or $1.67 diluted EPS, compared to net income for the third quarter of 2006 of $1.23 billion, or $1.49 diluted EPS. Revenues for the third quarter 2007 increased to $4.32 billion from $3.91 billion in the third quarter of 2006.
Net income for the nine months ended August 31, 2007 was also a record at $2.05 billion, or $2.51 diluted EPS, on revenues of $9.91 billion, compared to net income of $1.86 billion, or $2.25 diluted EPS, on revenues of $9.03 billion for the same period in 2006.
Carnival Corporation & plc Chairman and CEO Micky Arison said that third quarter results came in better than expected primarily due to stronger pricing on bookings taken closer to departure.
Report read here >>>> Lissabon
On September 13th, the Scholar Ship on her first voyage as a floating campus, arrived early morning in Lissabon, followed by ms Delphin Voyager of Delphin Kreuzfahrten a German Company, which also owns the popular ms Delphin. Commencing May 2008, the Scholar ship will mutate again to ms Mona lisa, a rolse she played before for Mr. Fevre, who operated the defunct Holiday Kreuzfahrten. Now he starts a new company called Lord Nelson, but this time he will not charter the vessel full time, only offer five cruises, sailing the Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic. A very popular destination for the German Market. To top Miami
Norwegian Cruise Line goes online to tout the 'hippest ship' sailing.
Norwegian Cruise Line is taking a new approach to building up the buzz
for its new cruise ship, the Norwegian Gem.
The Miami-based cruise line on Monday launched the Web site
gemitgirl.com, which the company says is an online site "dedicated
exclusively to the company's new 'It Girl,' Norwegian Gem." The ship
will make port-of-call stops at Port Canaveral, starting Dec. 24.
The ship's My Space-like Web site features what the company touts as a
blog from the ship; a create-your- own "avatar" tool, allowing visitors
to create virtual personalities of themselves; weekly polls; "virtual
bowling" in the Bliss Ultra Lounge; a calendar of events; and contests.
"Norwegian Gem is the hippest ship to hit the high seas," Norwegian
Cruise Line President and Chief Executive Officer Colin Veitch said, in
announcing the Web site. "It's only fitting that our new 'It Girl' would
have her own dedicated, interactive space where everyone can truly get a
feel for her personality and share in the excitement about her upcoming
arrival."
Ahmedabad, Sept. 12 (PTI)
More than a year after docking at the Alang ship-breaking yard in Bhavnagar, the passenger cruise liner 'Blue Lady' is all set for dismantling following the go-ahead given by the Supreme Court Tuesday.
"This decision is a victory for the ship-breaking industry at Alang. The Blue Lady's dismantling operation will give work to hundreds of labourers and a much-required boost to the sagging industry", Sanjay Mehta, purchaser of the ship said.
He said that the dismantling work would begin a week later once they get the court orders and take the required permissions.
"The dismantling process will take over a year. The fears concerning the radioactive material have all been cleared and whatever asbestos are there in the ship will be handled and disposed of in the most professional manner", he added. The second ship "easyCruise Life" will start cruising in April 2008 on a 7 day itinerary to the Aegean islands and Turkey. Following an extensive makeover during the winter months, you'll recognise the sleek easyCruise exterior plus the cool range of facilities you have come to expect from easyCruise - and more! "easyCruise Life" will carry over 500 passengers, so more than double the capacity of "easyCruiseOne", and of course a bigger ship means bigger and better onboard facilities. MIAMI
Star Clippers has been in discussions with shipyards to build a new five-masted vessel for the line for delivery in 2010. Set to be the largest, most expensive sailing vessel ever constructed, the 7,400 GRT barque is modeled on France II, which at 5,000 gross tons was the world's largest sailing ship when it was launched in 1912. Bergen/New York
Hurtigruten ASA and US based Lindblad Expedition have signed a MOA regarding the latter`s purchase of MS Lyngen for USD 8.6 million. Lindblad will take delivery of the vessel end of October and after a brief refurbishment will offer a variety of Expeditions cruises.(click on Photo) Rabat, Morocco
A ferry service for travellers between Algeria and
Morocco is scheduled to take off before the end of the year, the
Moroccan press has reported.
The report, in the ''Al Massae" newspaper, said the service, the first
of its kind, would be operated by the Algerian company Maghreb Lines
(CML ferries).
It said the new maritime service would run on a weekly basis, from the
port of Oran (Western Algeria) to that of Tangiers (Northern Morocco).
The land borders between the two countries were closed in 1994.
CML ferries is a subsidiary of CNAN Group, which currently has about 20
ships in operation. MIAMI (AP) -- Carnival Corp. said Wednesday it finalized a joint venture with Spanish travel compnay Orizonia Corp. for a previously announced Spanish cruise operation.
Cruise operator Carnival will own 75 percent of Iberocruceros, with Orizonia owning the remaining 25 percent stake.
The joint venture will include two of Orizonia's existing ships, the Grand Mistral and the Grand Voyager, and one Carnival vessel, Celebration. The Celebration is expected to enter service late next spring after undergoing extensive renovations.
Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and chief executive of Carnival's Costa Cruises division, will serve as Iberocruceros chairman. Orizonia CEO Gabriel Subias will serve as a board member. Alfredo Serrano, general manager of Orizonia's Iberojet fleet, will become general manager of Iberocruceros.
The Madrid-based joint venture will be consolidated into Carnival's financial results in the fourth quarter and is seen adding to earnings next year.
The deal is expected to close on Sept. 14. MIAMI, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today announced that it has agreed with Germany's TUI AG (DE: TUAG00) to withdraw its antitrust filings with the German Federal Cartel Agency, Bundeskartellamt, and the Austrian Federal Cartel Agency, Bundeswettbewerbsbehorde. Carnival and TUI had agreed to form a joint venture to develop a new cruise brand for Germany. Carnival cited an extremely difficult regulatory environment in Germany which makes it impossible to close the proposed joint venture this fiscal year. Failure to do so would create adverse tax consequences for the company that would impact the economics of the transaction. As a result of the regulatory and tax issues Carnival and TUI have agreed not to proceed with the proposed joint venture but will continue to explore other opportunities.
Carnival will continue to grow its presence in Germany organically through new ship construction for its successful AIDA and Costa brands, as well as through Cunard Line whose Queen Mary 2 will operate a series of trans-Atlantic crossings from Hamburg in 2008. DEVIZES, England, Aug. 29 (UPI)
A simple key many think could have saved the Titanic from hitting the Atlantic iceberg that sank it 95 years ago will go up for auction in Britain next month.
The key is believed to have been for the luxury oceanliner's crow's nest locker that held binoculars crew members could have used to search for dangerous icebergs, The Guardian reported Wednesday. The key wasn't on the ship during its fateful 1912 maiden voyage because second officer David Blair was taken off at the last minute and he forgot to turn it over to his replacement. more >>> |
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