CRUISES TO NOWHERE

Offshore Gaming Bill

The South Carolina Senate amended and then approved General Bill 3002, which would prohibit certain "cruise to nowhere" gaming operations. As passed by the Senate, the bill would impose a general prohibition against gambling on cruises that begin and end in the state, and which do not make an intervening stop within the boundaries of another state or a foreign country. The measure provides an exemption from the general prohibition for voyages and voyage segments that begin and end in the state, are part of a voyage to another state or a foreign country, and in which the vessel reaches the outer state or foreign country within three days after leaving the state in which the segment begins. Gaming vessels that embark and disembark passengers in South Carolina, but which make an intervening stop in a neighboring state, would be required to comply with the SOLAS standards and requirements normally applicable in international waters. In North Carolina, House Bill 19, legislation to prohibit "cruises to nowhere" and regulate certain other offshore gaming operations, passed the state's House of Representatives. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Commerce Committee.

Judge Dismisses Complaint

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Administrative Law Judge Norman Kline ended the dispute between the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) and South Carolina Maritime Services, Inc. Maritime Services, operator of cruise-to-nowhere vessel M/V Tropicana, filed a complain against the SCSPA in October. It was seeking an investigation by the FMC regarding its claim by the SCSPA to refuse Maritime Services a berth for its vessel at state-owned docking facilities

The South Carolina Senate amended the House-passed version of General Bill 3002 before approving the measure, which would prohibit certain "cruise to nowhere" gaming operations. The House subsequently altered the Senate amendments; the Senate failed to concur with the changes; and the measure was referred to a conference committee. The House-passed version prohibited gambling on voyages beginning and ending in the state

Lease Agreement for Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Announced

According to Mayor Bloomberg, Carnival Cruise Ship lines and Norwegian, have committed to New York as their exclusive Northeastern port of call through 2017. A long-term lease agreement will allow New York City to move forward on its plans to create a modern cruise terminal on the Brooklyn waterfront. The lease agreement reached between the City's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey enables the City (PA) to take control of Piers 11 and

American Shipbuilding Industry Poised For 21st Century

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) represents the six largest shipbuilding companies in the United States: Avondale Industries, LA; Bath Iron Works, ME; Electric Boat, CT and RI; Ingalls Shipbuilding, MS; National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, CA; and Newport News Shipbuilding, VA and CA. These shipbuilders are the largest private manufacturing firms in five states and represent hundreds of thousands of supplier manufacturing jobs in 46 states.

Clean Tanker Decline Deepens

Tumbling freight rates for clean tankers in the Atlantic have dropped steeply this week, and brokers pointed to the almost total closure of most transatlantic arbitrages as the reason. "The Continent transatlantic market has collapsed with the close of the arb'," said one New York tanker broker. "I believe it's 100 percent closed now." London's Baltic Exchange closed on Tuesday with its assessment of the Rotterdam to New York trade down by nearly nine points on the preceding day to $0.26

U.S. District Court Rules Against Closing Chicago Locks

The American Waterways Operators (AWO) applauded the decision announced on Thursday by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that denied a motion for preliminary injunction filed by five Great Lakes states to close Chicago area locks as a way of preventing the migration of Asian carp into Lake Michigan.  AWO and a coalition of industries and associations had intervened on the side of the defendants, the U.S

Carnival Assigns Previously Ordered Vessel to P&O Cruises

Carnival Corporation & plc has assigned the newbuild slot for the previously announced 116,000-ton cruise ship to U.K.-based P&O Cruises. To be built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in spring 2008. The new 3,100-passenger vessel will become the largest cruise ship specifically built for British cruise service and continues Carnival’s ongoing European expansion strategy. An itinerary for this vessel has not been announced

MARAD Offers Cruise Passenger Stats

Cruise lines carried 11 percent more passengers from U.S. ports in the first quarter of 2003 than they did in the first quarter of 2002, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) reported. Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International maintain the largest market share among the top 10 cruise lines, accounting for 32.7 and 26.4 percent, respectively. The statistics are part of a new statistical series issued by MARAD on U.S

Cruise to Take Center Stage in Hamburg

(Photo Credit: Richard Grable) Cruise vessels will take center stage at the SMM 2004, 21st Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology, International Trade Fair Hamburg, which is to take place at the Hamburg Fair site from 28 September to 2 October. Cruising and cruise vessel construction have had to maneuver in difficult waters in the past year. The very active ordering activity of recent years has slowed down to become steady, dependable growth