November

Folkstone
Saga Cruises, the UK based company that sells only to customers only aged 50 or more, has changed its plans regarding the ms Astoria it acquired with an intention to operate it as Quest for Adventure on fly cruise basis under the Spirit of Adventure brand. The ship will now be renamed Saga Pearl II and operate under the Saga Cruises brand as a replacement of the ms Saga Rose that will be retired next year. Saga said the ship will undergo a multi-million pound refit before its inaugural cruise 1 July 2009 from Harwich around the Baltic.

Southampton
The QE2 has arrived at its home port of Southampton ahead of its final voyage, after it ran aground on a sandbank as it sailed in.
Five tugs were sent to assist the 70,000 tonne liner after it hit a sandbank at about 0530 GMT at the entrance to Southampton Water.  Thousands of people are expected to line Southampton Water on Tuesday evening to wave the ship off as part of the the celebrations before it leaves for Dubai. The Duke of Edinburgh will lead the farewells, which include fireworks and a fly-past. The 40-year-old liner is being taken out of service next month and turned into a floating hotel. The QE2 is expected to leave Southampton Docks at 1915 GMT. more >>>>

Torshaven, Faroe Islands
The Faroese shipping company Smyril Line’s weekly sailings between Torshavn and Bergen will be laid down in the beginning of 2009 due to the company’s financial situation. “We are forced to take drastic measures to get surplus again. We need new investors and therefore we have to show that we can improve the result”, says the Smyril Line CEO Peter Holm to Bergens Tidende

Savona
Costa Cruises’ 10 million euro terminal extension plan is due for completion by early 2010. The official inauguration has taken place of the third berth at the Savona Palacrociere, the cruise terminal managed by Costa Cruises. “The upgrading of the Palacrociere (webcam) will enable us to provide adequate support for our largescale fleet expansion program, with some five new ships scheduled for delivery by 2012. Both the new ships due to enter service in 2009 will call at Savona: the Costa Pacifica for the whole  year starting in June, and the Costa Luminosa in the fall,” announced Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi. The pier was officially used for the first time for the arrival of the
Costa flagship Costa Concordia (114,500 gross tonnage and total Guest capacity of 3780), which departs from Savona every Monday.

Monaco/Baghdad
The Iraqi government plans to sell a luxury yacht, moored off the French resort of Nice, that was one of many opulent treasures belonging to former dictator Saddam Hussein, a senior official said on Sunday. The palatial Ocean Breeze is expected to be sold within weeks, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said. The 270-foot pleasure boat, expected to fetch $30 million, features gold-tap bathrooms, a mini-operating theater, a helicopter landing pad and a secret escape passageway, according to a report from the British Sunday Times. more >>>

Hamburg
A crewman aboard the luxury British cruise liner Queen Mary 2 was arrested last night after strangling his girlfriend in his cabin. Police said the victim, 32, was his boss and had ended the relationship. "He was drunk and didn't like what he heard," they said. The liner, in Hamburg, Germany, for repairs, is now a crime scene. A post-mortem will be held on the victim, who is from the Philippines, today while her suspected Filipino killer, 38, appears in court.

Miami
Executives at industry giant Carnival Corp. say the economic meltdown of the past six weeks has caused a significant drop in bookings, and they're hunking down for a tough year ahead. "The consumer (has) shut down," Carnival chairman and CEO Micky Arison told Wall Street analysts this morning in a hastily-arranged conference call. "We've heard this from all segments of the economy, and we've heard it globally. Like other cruise companies, Carnival suddenly is dealing not just with falling bookings but a tightening of credit markets that has made it more difficult to borrow money to pay for new ships. Cruise ships must be ordered years in advance, and the 87-ship company is locked into contracts with shipyards to buy 17 additional ships between 2009 and 2012 -- five of which will arrive over the next year.