August

Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd. announced today that it has completed the high level design for its innovative rigid sail known as the EnergySail. This revolutionary device will allow ships to harness the power of the wind and sun in order to reduce fuel costs plus lower noxious gas and carbon emissions.

The EnergySail (patent pending) is unlike any other sail - it can be used even when a ship is at anchor or in port and has been designed to withstand high winds or even sudden micro-bursts.  The EnergySail can also be fitted with a range of renewable energy technologies such as solar panels and wind power devices.

The EnergySail can be configured to suit the operational profile of a vessel. For example the number and type of solar panels can be easily changed or a variety of other devices can be fitted to the EnergySail.

The flexible nature of the EnergySail design will also allow for it to be upgraded during the life-cycle of the ship or vessel it is fitted to.

"We spent a lot of time during the design phase focused on incorporating safety features into the EnergySail and also making it flexible in terms of being easy to re-configure or upgrade the device.  Wind and solar power technologies will improve during a ship's operational lifespan so in our view it was critical that the EnergySail be easily upgradable" said Greg Atkinson, Director of Research & Design at Eco Marine Power.

The EnergySail has primarily been designed for Eco Marine Power's Aquarius MRE System however other applications for its use are also being studied.

Guilford, CT
American Cruise Lines, operator of the newest fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships in the United
States, is proud to announce that on Saturday, August 25, in Nashville, Tennessee, Phyllis Dale, a nationally-recogniz ed travel agent and small-ship cruise expert, will christen Queen of the Mississippi and help celebrate the company’s first-ever season on the Mississippi River. Following the ceremony, Queen of the Mississippi, the first authentic paddlewheeler built for the Mississippi River in nearly 20 years, will set sail at full capacity on an eight-day voyage from Nashville to St. Louis. 
The Queen of the Mississippi was designed and built to set the standard for modern river cruising. During each eight-day journey, guests will explore Queen of the Mississippi’s numerous amenities, including the most spacious staterooms and suites in the industry, unique lounges and libraries. Staterooms features private balconies, many with large sliding glass doors, hotel-style bathrooms, access to room service, in-room phones, Wi-Fi and satellite TV. Seasoned cruise passengers will
also appreciate American Cruise Lines’ exclusive, open seating dining plan, which allows guests to enjoy meals in a single seating or at the time of their choice, while surrounded by panoramic views of the River.

The Freedom Ship - Freedom Ship International - Pictures - has little in common with a conventional ship; it is actually nothing more than a big barge. The bolt-up construction and the unusually large amount of steel incorporated into the ship meets the design engineer's requirements for stability and structural integrity and the cost engineers requirements of "economic feasibility" but the downside is a severe reduction in top speed, making the ship useless for any existing requirements. For example, it would be too slow to be a cruise ship or a cargo ship.

But what if this big, overweight, barge was assigned a voyage that required slowly cruising around the world, hugging the shoreline, and completing one revolution every 3 years? If the designers then incorporated the following amenities into this barge, what would be the results?

18,000 living units, with prices in the range of $180,000 to $2.5 million, including a small number of premium suites currently priced up to $44 million.
3,000 commercial units in a similar price range
2,400 time-share units
10,000 hotel units
A World Class Casino
A ferryboat transportation system that provides departures every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, to 3 or more local cities giving ship residents access to the local neighborhood and up to 30,000 land-based residents a chance to spend a day on the ship.
A World-Class Medical Facility practicing Western and Eastern medicine as well as preventive and anti-aging medicine.
A School System that gives the students a chance to take a field trip into a different Country each week for academic purposes or to compete with local schools in numerous sporting events. For example; The Freedom Ship High School Soccer team plays a Paris High School team this week at home and an Italian team next week in Italy, while the Freedom Ship High School Band presents a New Orleans Jazz musical at a concert hall in London.
An International Trade Center that gives on-board companies and shops the opportunity to show and sell their products in a different Country each week.
More than 100 acres of outdoor Park, Recreation, Exercise and Community space for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
Many of you already know what we have created. Those of you who "do not get it" may feel free to move on to the next web site.
For those of you who are still with us, I am sure we do not need to explain to you what this lifestyle will be like - you already know! Therefore, we invite you to join with us in the creation of this new lifestyle.

With a design length of 4,500 feet (1400 m), a width of 750 feet (230 m), and a height of 350 feet (110 m), Freedom Ship would be more than 4 times longer than the Queen Mary. The design concepts include a mobile modern city featuring luxurious living, an extensive duty-free international shopping mall, and a full 1.7 million square foot (160,000 m²) floor set aside for various companies to showcase their products. Freedom Ship would not be a cruise ship, it is proposed to be a unique place to live, work, retire, vacation, or visit. The proposed voyage would continuously circle the globe, covering most of the world's coastal regions. Its large fleet of commuter aircraft and hydrofoils would ferry residents and visitors to and from shore.

Current naval engineering techniques are inadequate for the construction of such a large vessel. At present supertankers cannot be made larger because of the enormous stresses imposed on hulls by hogging and sagging in heavy seas, leading to catastrophic failures. Freedom Ship International has said on the Discovery Channel's Engineering the Impossible that they plan to use a barge building technique, which would reduce the stress of the enormous weight. Also, this would reduce the cost of custom made parts for the ship, which would allow living costs to be more reasonable. The program has also said that the propellers would be a series of 400 fully-rotational azipods; despite the high number of screws, the ship would still be the slowest in the world.

American Cruise Lines, which operates riverboats and small cruise ships, on Aug. 3 launched the Queen of the Mississippi, the first new, authentic paddlewheeler built for the Mississippi River in 17 years. The 150-passenger riverboat will depart on its first cruise on Aug. 4, a sold-out, eight-day, round-trip from New Orleans.

“The launch of Queen of the Mississippi represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Mississippi riverboating, where 21st century amenities are offered aboard an authentic paddlewheeler that is historic in appearance,” said Charles Robertson, president and CEO of American Cruise Lines. “We know Queen of the Mississippi will set a new standard for river cruising expectations.”

Queen of the Mississippi was actually completed earlier than expected. Built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., the vessel has an all-American crew. Almost all of the ship’s 300-square-foot staterooms—billed as the largest in the industry—offer private balconies with sliding glass doors. Every stateroom has hotel-style bathrooms, access to room service, in-room phones, Wi-Fi and satellite TV.

Queen of the Mississippi has an open seating dining plan, which allows guests to eat in a single seating or at the time of their choice. It also offers daily educational events and themed entertainment centered on life on the Mississippi. American Cruise Lines has already announced plans to build a second riverboat for cruising on the Mississippi, which would represent its third riverboat overall. The other vessel, Queen of the West, sails and the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest.

Matzatlan/Miami
The Ocean Star Pacific may soon sail again if Peter Villiotis and his ship management company, IALAS/PV Enterprises International, succeed in their venture. Villiotis has previously entered into a charter agreement with an option to buy the Ocean Star Pacific from her current owners, who have, at least for now, given up on their Ocean Star Mexican cruise project. Villiotis said he has made a $5 million down payment.

Villiotis brushed off some reported complaints by crew of unpaid wages and mistreatment, noting that his company had fallen a little behind on pay but was straightening it out. He also said he has spent $285,000 on food for 150 crew members for 65 days. He said that is a lot more money than most cruise lines spend on food for crew. Plus, the crew onboard are living in passenger cabins, so he said they have little reason to complain.

A previous $13 million, four-month charter to Korean interests for the 1,231-passenger ship to be used as hotel accommodations in conjunction with an exhibition in South Korea fell through. Meanwhile Villiotis said his plans range from launching a cruise line out of Colon, where his company already operates a ferry service, to chartering the ship to a tour operator, who will take over the sales and marketing, while he runs the ship operations.

Miami
International Shipping Partners (ISP) has finalized the acquisition of the cruise vessel SC Atlantic for Ocean Atlantic Partners Ltd., which is owned by an investor group arranged by ISP.

During 2010 the vessel was converted from a passenger ferry with capacity of more than 400 pas- sengers to a cruise vessel with 118 outside cabins. The conversion was done in the Far East at a cost in excess of $10 million.

The vessel has been delivered in drydock in Poland, where it will be renamed Ocean Atlantic, and the Classification changed from Russian to Bureau Veritas. The vessel will complete drydocking and upgrading and thereafter will be available for charter. Atlantic has a 1B Ice Class and with its substantial interior spaces, restaurants, bars and lounges, is excellent for cruises in the Polar Regions, as well as in warm waters.

Ocean Atlantic will also be very attractive as an accommodation vessel for windmill installations and offshore work.

ISP is the Owners’ Representatives and the Administrative Manager of the company, Ocean Atlan- tic Partners Ltd., as well as the Technical Manager for the vessel. The vessel has a small car deck with both an aft and side ramp, which are especially attractive for employment as an accommodation ship, and it can hold more than 20 containers.

Few ships of this generation are still cruising and MS "SERENISSIMA" (ex.Harald Jarl, ex Andrea) is a great testament to her present and previous owners that they have seen fit to invest considerable sums over the years to keep her in top form and complying with the stringent health and safety requirements. She spent many years cruising the Norwegian coast as the˜"Harald Jarl".
The decision by the Norwegian owners, Hurtigruten, to invest in much larger new vessels, presented an opportunity to the American company, Elegant Cruises, to purchase the vessel in 2002 . 
After a substantial refit  in Sweden she began her new life as "Andrea"  and undertook worldwide cruising around Britain, Greenland, Norway,  the Baltic and Mediterranean  and as far away as Antarctica. Perhaps, one of the best known and loved features of this vessel is its unique style. During the major refit in Sweden the then owners commissioned Swedish interior designers to create a Gustavian style interior. This bright Swedish 18th century influenced, country house style works particularly well on a vessel of this vintage, providing intimacy and classic nautical sensibility often lacking in larger vessels.

After purchasing the vessel in spring 2012, joint owner Serenissima Cruises , intends to undertake in 2012-2013 a profound refurbishment of MS "SERENISSIMA" which includes new crew cabins, zodiac fleet, life tenders, fin stabilizers, jacuzzi, Lido bar and fitness center, the addition of new suites with balconies on upper deck, replacement of carpets, wall-papers, fabrics in existing passenger areas.

Accommodating  just  over 110 guests, the 59 cabins are attractively designed for comfort and convenience and are fully air conditioned with a modern shower and toilet, telephone,  flat screen televisions and other thoughtful appointments. There are eight co different grades of cabin arranged over five decks and with the exception of the five inside cabins, all staterooms feature either windows or portholes, some of them with balconies.
The free seating Venice Restaurant accommodates all guests in one sitting. In addition there is an outside dining area for when the weather and itinerary permit. Other facilities on board include two lounges,  library with computers for internet access, a spacious observation deck, fitness area, laundry service, first aid, massage and an elevator. In areas such the United Kingdom, Greenland and Norway the vessel is equipped with Zodiac craft allowing us to visit remote places where normal tender arrangements are not possible.
The European captain, officers, expedition staff and crew offer a first class service and have been selected for their professionalism and caring attitudes. The atmosphere on board is warm and welcoming and dedicated to discovery and relaxation.