November

Antarctica
The small vessel ms Clelia II, on a cruise in Antarctica marketed by Adventure Life Voyages, has apparently hit underwater rocks. The incident happened in Possession Bay Antarctica. No word of any injuries, nor of damage to the ship. The amount of accidents is ever increasing in these waters, we remember the sinking of another small cruise vessel after hitting an ice float, ms Explorer in November of 2007.

Seamen, contractual officers, crews of passenger ships and personnel of platforms from around the world in one place? It is possible now! A new, global website www.MyShip.com has taken off The MyShip.com website is the first that meets the seamen dream, which due to the specific nature of the profession, was unattainable thus far. We will never lose contact with a colleague again and we will know who will be our mates or captain before we muster. The new website MyShip.com is a global community of professional groups, related to work at sea, exchanging contacts and opinions within their circle. There has never been a portal of such a modern and approach. From now on you'll know, even before you leave, what the vessel conveys, which route it takes, the nationalities of the crew members, and it’s sailor’s ratings.

NZ National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) oceanographer Mike Williams said four icebergs - Video - up to 250m in length had been spotted by fishermen about 80km northwest of the Auckland Islands, 400 to 500km off the coast of New Zealand. Rodney Russ expedition leader on the polar tourist ship "Spirit of Enderby" and an expert on Sub Antarctic New Zealand said this is the first time in almost 40 years of visiting this area that he has seen icebergs so far north. The crew of the vessel has been put on special 'iceberg lookout' as these icebergs pose a significant risk to shipping. The ms Spirit of Enderby is owned and operated by Heritage Expeditions a award winning New Zealnd Expedition Company.

Hong Kong
The half owner of Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line said in a recent report that it has enough cash on hand for now, but warns about continued risks in the world economy and demand for cruises.
The report by Genting Hong Kong, which until recently was known as Star Cruises Ltd., says, "There is no assurance that cash flows from operations and additional financings will be available to fund our future obligations." more...

Los Angeles
A jury has acquitted a Princess Cruises waiter on federal charges of sexually assaulting a passenger while at sea. FBI Special Agent Charles Gravis acknowledged he lied to Teixeira, but claimed that it is a fair interrogation tactic. more....

Miami
In a conference call with Wall Street analysts earlier this month, Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein admitted the ship wasn't quite as booked up for December as the line had forecast. But he indicated the company expected a surge in last-minute bookings after what are expected to be highly publicized inaugural events that start today. Confident that it has built a ship worthy of a hefty premium, Royal Caribbean has kept prices for cabins on Oasis' early sailings extremely high -- in some cases, at more than twice the level as on other Royal Caribbean ships -- and Goldstein says the company is unwilling to lower the rates to fill every last cabin. Still, in a research note this week, Wall Street analyst Matthew Jacob of Majestic Research questioned whether the giant premiums Royal Caribbean is getting for Oasis would last.

Port of Spain, Trinidad
For the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which will be held from Nov. 22-30. To supplement housing for this prestigious meeting, where leaders of 53 Commonwealth countries will convene to discuss global, political and economic issues, Landry & Kling has secured two ships on behalf of the Government, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas and Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess, which will be docked within walking distance of the Hyatt Regency, the host venue. In addition to supplementing accommodations with up to 2,500 rooms, they will also function as adjunct convention facilities and dining venues to complement the Hyatt Hotel. A host of meetings will be held on board the two ships, and a casino will be transformed into a trade show with up to 20 table-top exhibits. more...

Vlissingen, NL
This is the start of a new Era in polar expedition cruising: the Dutch flagged expedition vessel "Plancius", operated by Oceanwide Expeditions from Vlissingen, the Netherlands, is almost ready to set sail to Antarctica, offering the maiden voyage on 08 January 2010. “Plancius” shall be christened on 14 November and will depart on 5 December for her ocean voyage to Ushuaia in Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, the starting point of Antarctic voyages. more... Oceanwide Expeditions: World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator 2009
We proudly announce that Oceanwide Expeditions has won the World Travel Award 2009 in the category World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator.more...

Miami/Shanghai
Royal Caribbean International has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai International Port (SIPG) at Shanghai International Passenger Terminal. The memorandum will strengthen the strategic partnership between the two parties in areas of cruise operations in port, market promotion, staff training and management experience exchange. This cooperation will open more gateways to overseas visitors to Expo 2010 Shanghai and further boost China’s cruise market. 
RCI/Celebrity to charge $35 for paper-tickets: Royal Caribbean (Videos) today announced it's switching to e-tickets as the default option at its three North American brands -- Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises. RCI says that, effective for bookings made on or after Dec. 13, passengers on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships who still want a paper ticket will have to pay a $35 fee. The fee will be waived for Azamara bookings.

Sit,Croatia
The ferry Marco Polo that ran aground on Sit Island on 24 October has been trapped in the same place for the last two weeks, and its future is doubtful. According to experts, the ship has suffered enormous damage. The daily "Novi list" has reported that the only sail the ship will have is one to the scrap yard, to which "ships go to die." It seems the re-floating price, including the purchase of special equipment, is the main problem. Even experts from Smit Salvage Company in Rotterdam have come to Croatia to help their Croatian colleagues analyse how best to re-float the ferry. On the other hand, ferry owner Jadrolinija head Slavko Loncar said the ship would not be scrapped and its final status would be known only on 17 November. Meanwhile, Marco Polo is being publicised as a tourist attraction because it is rare to see a ship "parked" on the island.

Saga Cruising has chosen Swansea Dry Dock in Wales to undertake a major refit of their newly purchased ship – the 18,891 gross ton Saga Pearl II that was built in 1981 and acquired by Saga earlier this autumn. The Saga Pearl II refit will be the most comprehensive and expensive in the company’s history and Saga will be spending in the region of £20 million to bring it to the exacting standards expected by Saga cruise customers. As well as the addition of balcony cabins; the show lounge, restaurants, spa and swimming pool will be upgraded. Andrew Goodsell, Executive Chairman, Saga Group commented:“The multi-million pound refit will ensure that Saga Pearl II is splendid throughout and with 446 passengers she will have an intimate atmosphere and the quality of service our passengers have come to expect.I am delighted that we are able to support a British yard, and that in doing so we will help with the regeneration of the Swansea docks.”

Princess Cruises has debuted an innovative array of digital documents designed to transform the way passengers plan for and learn about their upcoming cruise. The all-new electronic format will deliver more information about their cruise than ever before, arriving conveniently by email and right to their computer desktop from the time of booking and continuing through departure. The timely digital documents include a brand-new email series filled with personalized pre-cruise information, a downloadable Princess Countdown Connection widget that delivers useful and entertaining information to a passengers computer, personalized online luggage tags, and customizable shore excursion eBooks. The change from printed information to fully digital documents applies to all North American passengers on voyages departing on or after January 21, 2010.

Miami
The Miami-based cruise company (NYSE: RCL), the world's second largest, said it expects a small loss in the fourth quarter. Third quarter profits of $230.4 million, or $1.07 a share, down 44 percent from $411.9 million, or $1.92 a share, in the year-ago quarter. Royal Caribbean noted that its new ships – the Oasis of the Seas and Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice-class vessel – continue to command significant price premiums and volumes. more...

Manila, PH
For Italian liner Coasta Classica's maiden call to Manila, no less than Tourism Secretary Robert Ace Durano and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who presented the key of the city to Dario Rustico, sales and marketing director of Costa Cruises Pacific Asia operations and ship captain Giancarlo Cha, were on hand to say "Mabuhay." Read more...