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The Port of Mombasa this year expects to handle a total throughput of slightly over 31 million tons and 1.2 million Twenty Foot Equivalent (Teus) up from 30.35 million tons and 1.190 million Teus handled last year.

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Cheniere Energy Inc officially opened its $15 billion Corpus Christi LNG export facility in Texas. The company, however, would not say when the first cargo will actually leave the facility, which produced its first LNG on Wednesday. There is an LNG vessel, the LNG Golar Tundra, docked at the plant that analysts say will take the project’s first cargo soon. At a celebration marking the opening of the facility, Cheniere’s President and CEO Jack Fusco was joined by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and other state and local officials. Corpus Christi is the third big LNG export terminal to enter service in the lower 48 U.S. states.

ABB is to deliver a marine automation system for a China-built cruise ferry for the first time, after signing an agreement to implement its technology onboard Viking Line’s new LNG vessel. Currently under construction at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co’s yard, the 2,800-passenger cruise ferry will be equipped with the ABB Ability System 800xA. The solution is built on the Microsoft Azure cloud and consolidates power, propulsion and vessel management systems into one platform. This will provide crew and onshore personnel with a comprehensive overview of the newbuild’s operational performance, while the additional marine automation functionality will improve project management and vessel efficiency. Viking Line’s ice-class newbuild will also benefit from ABB’s electrical power generation, distribution systems and bow thruster motors. Plus, she will be the first cruise ferry in the world to feature ABB’s twin XO 2100-type Azipod propulsion units.

Windstar Cruises is to carry out multi-million dollar renovations and ship lengthening projects for Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride. The US$250 million Star Plus initiative, which will take place between October 2019 and November 2020 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, will improve every aspect of the onboard experience. In addition, Windstar will replace the seven engines on each ship with four more environmentally friendly engines that will use cleaner fuel to reduce emissions.

The Presidential House estimates that the new Moín terminal will serve up to 10 boats per week next year. The Dutch concessionaire APM Terminals was recently given the go ahead to start commercial operations. The first ship to arrive was the Captain Beatrice with 2,500 refrigerated containers. 300 of them went down to the port to be filled with national products to export. A few days later, the Polar Mexico unloaded and then loaded 700 containers of pineapple and banana going to northern Europe. The terminal is 97% done and will be formally inaugurated in February 2019. The number of ships served and services offered will gradually increase. This terminal will allow access to larger vessels and new routes.

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Cheniere Energy Inc officially opened its $15 billion Corpus Christi LNG export facility in Texas. The company, however, would not say when the first cargo will actually leave the facility, which produced its first LNG on Wednesday.

American actors Carlos and Alexa PenaVega and their son Ocean christened Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas – the world’s largest cruise ship – at PortMiami in Florida, US on 15 November. Royal Caribbean’s first-ever godfamily officially named the vessel in front of almost 1,000 people at the cruise line’s new Terminal A , which was opened on 2 November. It was the largest-ever ship naming ceremony in Royal Caribbean history and included performances from an electronic violinist, Florida International University’s Marching Band and student drummers from Miami Southridge Senior High.

The "Kahayan" ran aground on the Pomako River on Nov 15, 2018. The vessel got stuck due to low tide.

Ten bridges will be built in Istanbul, as part of the construction of a shipping channel, Turkish media reported referring to the Transport and Infrastructure Minister of the country Mehmet Cahit Turhan on Nov. 15. Turhan noted that the construction of the shipping channel will begin in 2019. The minister also noted that the project is one of the most important and priority projects in Turkey. The intention to implement the project of construction of the Istanbul shipping channel was announced for the first time in 2011 by the current President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Damen Shipyards Group is celebrating the success of Multraship and its innovation arm Novatug in winning the Maritime KVNR Shipping award 2018. Working with a number of industry partners they developed the ground-breaking Carrousel RAVE Tug (CRT) design that is safer, stronger and more manoeuvrable for its size than any equivalent vessel operating today. Two vessels were built at Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam using hulls fabricated in Germany, and were delivered in February and May this year. Since then they have been a great success, thanks in part to Damen’s unrivalled experience in engineering and building market-leading, high-quality harbour tugs.

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has officially started building Carnival Cruise Line’s first LNG-powered ship, which will be the largest-ever vessel in the line’s fleet when she debuts in 2020. Meyer Turku marked the start of construction by hosting a traditional steel-cutting ceremony for Carnival executives and other invited guests. The shipyard is scheduled to deliver the 180,000gt XL vessel in 2020, when she will become the first in North America to operate using LNG fuel. The newbuild, which will offer various onboard innovations, will be joined by a sister in 2022 – the same year that Carnival celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The "Aristea", en route from Primorsk with a crew of 22 on board, being in position lat 50 15 15N, long 001 38 40W, about 23 nautical miles southwest of the Isle of Wight, was reported not under command in the early morning of Nov 17, 2018. The vessel was carrying 99,950 tonnes of crude oil. The ship was adrift with three knots 27,2 miles from the port of Yarmouth at 01.20 a.m. At 11.40 a.m. The crew completed repairs without requirement of tug assistance. The vessel was now under way again as per intended course.