Carnival Cruise Lines' love affair with Europe has been an on-again-off-again romance. Only time will tell whether the cruise line and the continent are headed for "divorce" or just a trial separation. For now, Carnival is packing up in Europe and moving out of the market for 2014. The line has two ships in Europe for this summer: the newly re-built (at a cost of $100 million) Carnival Sunshine - formerly the Destiny - and the Carnival Legend. While plans for Sunshine's next summer have not been announced, the Legend will head to the waters of cruising's current hot spot, Australia. www.leaderpost.co...

A Danish ferry operator has begun converting a diesel-electric ship into a diesel-electric hybrid. When it's done, it will be the world's largest hybrid passenger ferry. Scandlines commissioned the retrofit of the Prinsesse Benedikte, a ship that can carry 300 vehicles and 900 passengers on the short, 18-km hop between Rødbyhavn, Denmark and Puttgarden, Germany. Thanks to 2.7 MWh of batteries, the ship will be able to travel on electric power alone while in a harbour. The conversion is possible because of modular lithium polymer energy storage packs from Corvus, a company based in British Columbia whose products are capable of sustained output of large amounts of power that's comparable to a diesel engine. The AT6500 modules, which will be fitted to the Prinsesse Benedikte, can recharge in 30 minutes from shore power or generator power, and can propel the 15,000-tonne ship for about 30 minutes without diesel fuel. www.wired.co.uk/n...

Around 15.00 LT, passengers vessel Louis Jolliet ran aground at the western tip of Orleans island, close to Quebec City. No one was injured. No spill oil leaks, no water in the vessel were noted. Louis-Jolliet will be towed at the high tide in the evening.

The Madras high court has appointed an advocate to sell the "Chemical Arrow" which was moored at Kakkinada since Mar 20, 2013, by public auction. The order has been passed on a civil suit filed by the city-based Sabah Ship Suppliers. In his order, the judge said the advocate-commissioner should advertise the auction-sale and then file a report in court on June 10 with details of the sealed tenders.

About eight months after ist grounding on Oct 31, 2012, the "Pratibha Cauvery" was permitted to leave Chennai by the Madras high court, after its auction-sale was confirmed on May 17. The total consideration for the ship was 16 crore and the amount had been deposited with the office of the registrar general of the high court by the successful bidder, Baltanas Shipping Limited in Charlestown, Nevis.

02/2013 scrapped in Aliaga

The "Kat Express 2" was facing trouble with an error a technical snag one of the ship's four engines the recent days. After having encountered delays during the past few days because the ferry was more difficult to maneuver, the Mols-Line on May 16, 2013, announced to cancel two sailings. Technicians were called to look at the problem. The ferry has been in operation on routes between Jutland and Zealand since May 2.

The "Maersk Kalmar" left Bremerhaven on May 12 at 10.20 a.m. and berthed at the APM Terminal in Rotterdam on Apr 13 at 10.15 p.m. After the cargo was unloaded, it was expected at the Schiedam Yard of Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam on May 16 at 10 p.m. for repairs of the collision damage. The "Conmar Avenue" was undergoing repairs at Bredo Shipyard in Bremerhaven.

beached at Mumbai 05/2013

beached at Chittagong 05/2013