The 'Pride of America' suffered a technical issue on April 16, 2024. Despite the efforts to maintain the original itinerary, the issue impacted ots departure from Hilo, Hawaii, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled visits to Kona, on April 17 and Nawiliwili, Kaua’i, on April 18. In collaboration with local experts work was on to resolve the issue. The 'Pride of America' finally left the port of Hilo on the morning of April 18, after three days docked. Before ending the current cruise in Honolulu on April 20, the vessel was set to make a shortened visit to Nawiliwili. Passengers will receive a $200 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom, in addition to a Future Cruise Credit (FCC). The FCC will be equivalent to 20 percent of the paid fare for the current cruise and can be used towards any of Norwegian’s published itineraries scheduled through December 31, 2025. Pre-purchased excursions for the cancelled ports of call were also fully refunded.
News
XIN RONG HAI 1
On the evening of April 22, 2024, the 'Xin Rong Hai 1' allided with a guard pier under the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 National Highway in South China's Guangdong Province. The ship, carrying over 4,900 tonnes of rolled steel, was sailing from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, to the city of Heshan, Guangdong, when it hit the base of a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge at 9:20 p.m. The cargo hold started taking on water. The ship later ran aground and finally sank at around 11:40 p.m. There were a total of 11 crew members on board, seven of whom were rescued and four missing. As of 9:00 a.m. on April 23, the local government had coordinated maritime, fishery and social rescue forces in dispatching 32 vessels and more than 400 personnel to participate in SAR efforts. Experts quickly conducted a preliminary assessment of the bridge and found no obvious damage to the main structure. However, there were abrasions on the pillar -- requiring further safety assessments. After preliminary investigations, the accident was determined to have been caused by operating error resulting from flood. Traffic police have implemented traffic control for both directions of the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 National Highway from 6 a.m. on April 23 to 6 a.m. on April 24. The maritime department has implemented navigation control, with all vessels prohibited from entering the three-kilometer water area upstream and downstream of the bridge, except for emergency rescue boats. Passing vessels were advised to detour. Reports with photos: https://english.news.cn/20240423/dee1d7dccf6948ff9245836174c7ca46/c.html https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/23/WS6627586ba31082fc043c3822.html
Jiangyin
Norwegian shipping and tank terminal company Odfjell SE has finalized the sale of its stake in Odfjell Terminals Jiangyin (OTJ), China. The indirect 55% equity interest in OTJ has been sold by Odfjell Terminals Asia Holding to Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) for a price of about USD 46 million.
London
All new ships for UK waters ordered from 2025 should be designed with zero-emission capable technologies, according to ambitious plans set out today by maritime minister Nusrat Ghani to cut pollution from the country’s maritime sector. The commitment is set out in the Clean Maritime Plan published today. The government is also looking at ways to incentivise the transition to zero-emission shipping and will consult on this next year. The plan also includes a £1m competition to find innovative ways to reduce maritime emissions and is published alongside a call for evidence to reduce emissions on UK waterways and domestic vessels.
CGC ORCAS
The US Coast Guard has decommissioned the 'Orcas (WPB1327)' during a ceremony in Coos Bay, Oregon, on April 23, 2024. Rear Adm. Charles Fosse, the commander of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District, presided over the ceremony honoring the 35 years of service Orcas and its crews provided to the nation. Commissioned on April 14, 1989, the 'Orcas' was the 27th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet. The 'Orcas' has been stationed in Coos Bay, Oregon, since 1989 and was the 6th Coast Guard cutter to be stationed in Coos Bay since 1935, being used as a multi-mission platform that conducted operations to support SAR response, marine environmental protection, and national defense, from training allied nation maritime forces, conducting the largest-ever cocaine seizure in the history of the Pacific Northwest, and saving countless lives and hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of property on the Pacific Ocean. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3752989/coast-guard-cutter-orcas-decommissioned-after-35-years-of-service-in-coos-bay-o/
NIEUW STATENDAM
The 'Nieuww Statendam', en route from Rotterdam to Funchal, requested the medical evacuation of a passenger with a possible stroke on April 23, 2024, about 91 nautical miles from A Coruña. The CCS Finisterre of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 402. The patient was hoisted and taken Alvedro, where an ambulance was waiting for further transport to hospital.
Nhava Sheva
Middle East-India-Africa Express (MIAX) to start operations in October 2019 Hapag-Lloyd is expanding its African liner services and will offer its MIAX (Middle East-India-Africa Express) service starting in October 2019. It will include direct connections between the Arabian Gulf, India, Colombo (Sri Lanka), La Réunion, South Africa and West Africa.
Ngqura
South African state-run logistics company Transnet has suspended a number of employees for taking part in a lengthy go-slow campaign at the Ngqura Container Terminal in the Eastern Cape. The port said in a statement yesterday it had “suspended a number of employees at its Ngqura Container Terminal for engaging in an illegal industrial action.
CG WINSLOW GRIESSER
The 'Winslow Griesser' interdicted an unlawful migration voyage in the Mona Passage on April 19, 2024. Coast Guard watchtanders at Sector San Juan received notification on the morning from the aircrew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft, reporting the sighting of a suspected migrant vessel, approximately 55 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter to interdict the suspect vessel. Once on scene, the crew deployed their over-the-horizon small boat and stopped the 20-foot go-fast vessel that was carrying eight people and multiple cockfighting roosters. The migrants claimed to have departed from Dominican Republic on a voyage to Puerto Rico, however, they experienced engine malfunctions which forced them to return to Dominican Republic before being interdicted. Working in coordination with the Dominican Republic Navy, cutter Winslow Griesser’s crew took the migrant vessel in tow and rendezvoused with a Dominican Republic Navy vessel, who embarked and received custody of the migrants. Further investigation efforts by Dominican Republic Navy and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed three of the alleged migrants were U.S. citizens with active U.S. warrants. Following the interdiction, Dominican Republic Navy authorities detained three U.S. citizens, who were affiliated with a criminal gang and wanted in connection with a July 2020 shooting at a residential community in Puerto Rico in which four people were killed. The suspects were taken under the custody of the Dominican Republic 'Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD) (United States Marshals Service Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office Fugitive Investigative Unit). United States Marshals Service Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force for the District of Puerto Rico are coordinating the deportation of the three suspects. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3751974/coast-guard-interdiction-leads-to-the-apprehension-of-3-wanted-us-citizens/
COSTA DIADEMA
A passenger was medevaced from the 'Costa Diadema', en route from Malaga to Barcelona, on April 23, 2024, about 14.3 nautical miles from Peñon de Ifach. The ship had requested assistance after a passenger was suffering from respiratory problems. The CCS Valencia of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 215, which hoisted the patient and took him to the Denia Firefighters heliport for further transfer to the hospital.
Kiel
Maiden call by Marella Cruises in Kiel. In the early Tuesday morning (16th July) the cruise ship Marella Explorer (see also CruiseMapper) berthed in the port of Kiel with 2,000 mostly anglo-phone passengers on-board. The vessel follows an itinerary of 14 days leading it all across the Baltic Sea. It started in Newcastle on 13th July and will conclude its cruise in the same port on 27th July.
Tyne
The Port of Tyne has created a new baggage handling for Marella Cruises at its International Passenger Terminal, which is located in North Shields near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. The port has reconfigured 300 square metres of its terminal, creating space to process 1,000 bags as well as a marquee that functions as an undercover baggage handling facility. There are now also 382 additional parking spaces specifically for Marella Cruises’ guests. Marella Cruises’ customer will be able to drop off their luggage before heading straight to a dedicated car park. The baggage will be checked by security and loaded onto the ship, expediting the embarkation process.