CAICOS
Cruise Ships Prepare for Hurricane
Five Miami-based cruise ships have changed their itineraries to avoid Tropical Storm Chris. Forecasters have issued a hurricane watch for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands as Tropical Storm Chris threatens to intensify. Royal Caribbean's 3,114-passenger Navigator of the Seas, which plans to return to Miami by August 5, skipped a visit to St. Maarten and will arrive in Nassau on August 4, a day earlier than planned. Royal Caribbean's 3,634-passenger Freedom of the Seas, which also plans a return to Miami on August 5, will be at sea on August 4 rather than call at Labadee, Haiti. Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,974-passenger Valor, returning to Miami on August 6, swapped stops in St. Thomas and St. Maarten for calls at Grand Turk and Freeport. Carnival's 2,758-passenger Triumph, returning to Miami on August 5, will add a stop in Grand Turk to make up for a canceled visit to St. Maarten. The 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation, returning to Miami on August 6, will now visit Grand Cayman and Freeport instead of St. Thomas and San Juan. (Source: Miami Herald)
Grounded Barge gets a Lift
A member of the American Salvage Association (ASA) recently responded to the grounding of the Thor III, a 250’ x 72’ x 16.5’ deck barge carrying 4,000 tons of gravel and sand in a national sanctuary in the Turks and Caicos Island, BWI. The ASA member lightered approximately 3,500 tons of cargo and then proceeded to patch, pump, and blow down the necessary compartments to float the barge from its grounded position
Carnival Announces New Deployments
Carnival Cruise Lines will switch the homeport deployments of its 2,124-passenger SuperLiners Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle beginning in spring 2007. Carnival Legend, which currently sails from New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will be deployed to Tampa to operate year-round seven-day western Caribbean voyages departing Sundays from that port beginning April 15, 2007. Currently based in Tampa, Carnival Miracle will be relocated to New York and Fort Lauderdale
Tugboat Crew Recognized by USCG for Assisting Disabled Vessel
The captain and crew aboard the tugboat Explorer, which is managed by Crowley Maritime Corp, were recognized by U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Baumgartner, who serves as commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District in Miami, for their humanitarian actions, unwavering determination, professionalism and skilled seamanship after they assisted a vessel that ran out of fuel 30 miles west of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands in December.
Carnival Cruise Ship Stricken Again
In what has become an all too familiar scenario, another Carnival cruise ship reported engine problems and ended floating aimlessly while passengers onboard no doubt fumed. The latest in a string of high-profile mishaps for the world’s largest cruise company involved its ship Destiny, carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew. By Wednesday afternoon, technicians had reportedly restored partial power, but only after it had drifted for 27 hours in the Atlantic off the Turks and Caicos Islands
People & Company News
Captain Marine Opens New Office Captain Marine Services, Inc. of Dana Beach, Fla. has been servicing the yachting and sport diving industries for the last nine years for all of their need above and below the waterline as well as, providing immediate procurement consolidation and delivery of marine parts, supplies, and diving equipment. President Capt. Thomas J. Dunzelman recently announced the opening of a new shipping, receiving and agents office in Turtle Cove Marina, Providenciales