Jewel Of The Seas

Eye of Dubai Concept OKd

The consortium “Out and About in Palm Deira”, which is made up of Royal Haskoning (as architects/urban planners), MVA consultancy (transport consultants), Systra (rail consultants) and Sogreah (maritime consultants), has won the design competition for an integrated transport master plan for Palm Deira in Dubai. Palm Deira—the third Palm and a future metropolis for 1.2 million people—is currently being reclaimed from the sea. Transport to and from Palm Deira faces huge challenges because of the development’s unprecedented scale and its proximity to the downtown area of Dubai. The winning submission consists of a fully integrated network of roads, metro lines, causeways, super bridges, tunnels and, last but not least, several multi modal hubs, where exchange between modes of transport is facilitated. The jewel in the crown of the submission is the design for the offshore multi modal hub "the Eye of Dubai" providing mooring facilities for cruise ships, ferries to all the surrounding Palm Islands, helicopter platforms, a dedicated metro station, 10,000 parking places and leisure/retail facilities.

Royal Caribbean Reports 2Q Results

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced second quarter earnings were $66.7 million or $0.34 per share. This compares to $81.7 million or $0.42 per share for the second quarter of 2001. Net revenues per available passenger cruise day ("Yields") were down 3.3 percent, which was significantly better than previous guidance of a decline in the range of 5 to 7 percent. At June 30th, the company's net debt to capital ratio was 56.6 percent and liquidity was approximately $1.6 billion.

Greenpeace Wins Bid To Delay North Atlantic Exploration

Greenpeace won its bid to delay oil exploration in the north Atlantic when a judge ruled the British government was failing to apply a European Commission environmental directive in allocating licenses. "The decision is a huge victory for whales, dolphins and coral reefs," Peter Melchett, the environmental group's executive director, told reporters after the ruling. The government is considering an appeal against the judgment that it is not taking into account the Commission's Habitats

Oslo Companies Are Ripe For Picking

Many Norwegian companies remain under-priced and are likely targets for foreign predators, analysts said. Despite gains in the Total index to peaks this week at around 1,300 points -- the highest so far this year -- analysts said Norwegian companies remain cheap and are natural prey for foreign bidders. "There are still crown jewels on the Oslo bourse, especially in the industrial sector," said Morten Stundstoe, chief analyst in Fondspartner

Panama Canal Cruise Season Starts Today

200 Plus Transits Expected.           The Panama Canal cruise-line season officially starts today, Wednesday, October 5, and runs through the middle of next year. More than 200 transits of these passenger vessels are expected.  The transit of Princess Cruises Island Princess will mark the beginning of the season, traveling for 14 days from Los Angeles, California, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Rolls-Royce Launches $933 M Offer For Vickers

Just as soon as Vickers Plc put the finishing touches on its revived industrial empire - acquiring a myriad of marine propulsion equipment suppliers in order to dominate a once fragmented piece of the international maritime market - wheels have been set in motion to acquire the goliath itself. Last week Rolls-Royce Plc launched a surprise $933 million (576 million pound) agreed cash offer for Vickers Plc in a move aimed at making it the global leader in marine power systems

Passenger Ferries to Sail From Baltimore to Eastern Shore

Maryland’s far Eastern Shore may soon be a quick trip from Baltimore, thanks to a ferry being developed by Maritime Applied Physics Corporation and A. James Clark School of Engineering researchers through the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program. The plane-like boat, which could be in service year-round as early as summer 2007, will fly passengers 18 miles over the water from Rock Hall to Baltimore or back for potential shopping trips, coastal touring, evening dinners, Orioles games

Room with the View

It's As Close to the Real Thing as You Can Get and Still Stay Dry By Larry Pearson June 11, 2004 was a very big day for the advancement of maritime training as the Pacific Maritime Institute (PMI) introduced its full mission simulator in a new 15,000 sq. ft. building in Seattle, Wash. Gregg Trunnell, PMI's director set the tone for the day when he said during dedication remarks, "Oceangoing vessels are not simple pieces of equipment and the days of cabin boys and shanghaied

K-Sea Acquires Sea Coast

K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. has agreed to acquire Sea Coast Towing, Inc. of Seattle, Wash. from Marine Resources Group, Inc., also of Seattle, for approximately $81 million. Sea Coast operates 15 tank barges and 15 tugboats, representing 694,000 barrels of capacity, of which 316,000 barrels are double-hulled. Of the remaining single hulled capacity, approximately 80 percent is eligible to operate in the Jones Act trades until January 2015

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Meets Legend of the Seas in Singapore

Royal Caribbean International’s two Asian-based cruise ships Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas both arrived at Marina Bay Cruise Center Singapore in the morning and were berthed side by side for the first time here. Voyager of the Seas, the largest cruise ship based in Asia, was starting on her eight-night cruise to Shanghai while her sister ship Legend of the Seas was leaving for a two-night Malacca weekend cruise as part of her Singapore season. www.royalcaribbean.com