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Queen Mary 2 News

04 Oct 2022

Macron's Chief of Staff Indicted Over Link to Shipping Giant MSC

© Studio Porto Sabbia / Adobe Stock

French President Emmanuel Macron's chief of staff has been indicted by the national financial crimes prosecutor over a conflict of interest relating to his alleged links with Swiss-Italian shipping company MSC, the prosecutor's office said.Alexis Kohler, Macron's closest and most influential adviser, sits at the top of the Elysee Palace's administrative pyramid, and news of his indictment - a legal step that puts him under formal investigation in France - is a blow.The prosecutor's office "confirms Alexis Kohler…

31 Dec 2021

Queen Mary 2 Skips Voyage to New York Amid Omicron Worries

© Fototippser / Adobe Stock

Carnival Corp's Cunard cruise line said on Wednesday its Queen Mary 2 ship would skip a scheduled stop at New York and instead extend its stay in Barbados until Jan. 2 to bring in more staffers.Cunard said its decision to add more crew members was a precautionary measure, but it did not detail why it needed more workers.The ship, Cunard's flagship liner named by Queen Elizabeth, is among the more than 85 vessels the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating…

31 Dec 2021

Royal Caribbean Bookings Take a Hit as Omicron Fears Worsen

© Joni / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Group said on Thursday it was grappling with a drop in bookings and a rise in cancellations as COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.U.S. cruise ships have been gradually returning to the seas since late June, but an increase in Omicron cases has sparked calls for a temporary ban on cruising, including from Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.Since the Celebrity Cruises parent resumed operations from U.S.

19 May 2020

Interview: John Waterhouse, EBDG - “Be Bold in Thinking but Cautious in Application”

“I think we need to be bold in our thinking, but cautious in our applications. It doesn’t cost that much money to play around with ideas; and that small investment could turn up some great benefits. But if you’re afraid to make that initial investigation, things will pass you by.”
John Waterhouse, Elliott Bay Design Group

John Waterhouse is a ubiquitous character in the U.S. maritime industry, a deep-thinker, a signature bow tie and more than three decades of naval architecture and marine engineering experience and success as co-owner of the Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).While growing up, John Waterhouse spent some time in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and it was as a young boy standing on the shores of English Bay, watching ships come in from around the world to load and unload their cargos, when he realized that a maritime career could be his future.

17 Mar 2020

South Africa Quarantines Two Ships

South Africa is holding the cruise liner MV AIDAmira and a cargo vessel off Cape Town after a crew member on board one of the ships showed signs of the coronavirus, national ports operator Transnet said on Tuesday.On Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster and implemented urgent measures including travel bans to fight the pandemic.As of Tuesday, 85 people in South Africa have tested positive for the coronavirus, up 23 from the previous day and including eight local transmissions, the health ministry said. The local transmissions include a 2-year-old boy.Countries around the world have barred cruise liners from entering their ports…

10 Mar 2020

Chantiers de l’Atlantique Orders 'Goliath' Shipyard Crane

(Image: Konecranes)

Konecranes and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, have signed a contract for the delivery of a Konecranes Goliath gantry crane. It will handle large ship blocks and panels over the dry dock, playing a leading role in ship assembly at the shipyard. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2019.The Konecranes Goliath crane will be delivered with the cooperation of both parties. It will be manufactured in Europe by Konecranes in its entirety. The crane assembly on-site and the erection work will be done in cooperation between the shipyard and Konecranes.

14 Feb 2020

Cruise Industry Seeks to Limit Coronavirus Risks

Norwegian Spirit (Photo: Norwegian Cruise Lines)

The plight of the cruise ship off Japan with more than 200 coronavirus infections and the shunning of another by five ports despite no known cases has led to a sharp change in tack for an industry in shock: avoid Asia.To that end, many cruises in the region are being cancelled while others currently sailing are being re-routed, skipping originally scheduled stops in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd on Thursday canceled 18 cruises in Southeast Asia after calling off eight trips to China last week.

15 Jan 2020

A New Plan for Queen Mary

Queen Mary docked in Long Beach, Calif. (Photo: Urban Commons)

A new plan is being formulated to preserve and improve one of the world's most historic and well-known vessels.The record-setting superliner Queen Mary has been sitting permanently moored in Long beach, Calif. since its removal from transatlantic service in 1967. A 2015 survey revealed the once glorified liner has been in an escalating state of disrepair, but estimates detailing the extent of work needed have varied.Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in his State of the City…

19 Jul 2019

Interview: Fredrik Johansson, Tillberg Design of Sweden

Fredrik Johansson, MA, Partner, Executive Project Director, Tillberg Design of Sweden

Tillberg Design of Sweden has been a central player in the six-year quest to envision, design, build and launch The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brand. It has had a hand in all design aspects, from vessel exterior and interior, down to the service organization and the crew uniforms, as Fredrik Johansson, MA, Partner, Executive Project Director, explains.“Everything was designed from scratch with one thing in mind: the guest experience,” is how Fredrik Johansson neatly summarizes the quest to deliver the Ritz-Carleton brand to the water. The ship, when delivered from Hijos de J.

26 Jun 2019

IMLI Celebrates 30 Years of Legal Training

Malta-based IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) informed that 2019 academic year marks its 30th anniversary.According to International Maritime Organization (IMO), a special to celebrate the occasion was held at IMO Headquarters (25 June).Malta's Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, spoke of his country's continuing commitment to hosting such an important global institution, while IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim highlighted IMLI's firm commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.IMLI's overall mission is to help build the legal capacity among IMO member states, particularly developing states, to fulfill their obligations under IMO treaties.

05 Feb 2019

Llebroc Honored with Award

Llebroc Industries was recognized with the 2019 Fabrication Excellence Awards for design excellence in marine fabric applications, that took place in January at the 2019 Marine Fabricators Conference, at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.Llebroc Industries received an Award of Excellence and an Award of Distinction Interior for it’s project titled Llebroc Industries – SX Helm Chair with Tidal Wave Technology. The project was recognized in the competition’s Marine Exterior Upholstery category.MFA received a total of 90 entries submitted in 9 categories in this year’s competition. Winners were selected based on complexity, design, workmanship, uniqueness and function.

03 Aug 2018

Hospital Ship Sinking Remembered 100 Years On

(Photo: public domain)

A Southampton-based maritime charity lowered its flag to half-mast today to commemorate the sinking of a hospital ship 100 years ago, which caused outrage across the nation when it was torpedoed in the English Channel, killing 123 people.His Majesty's Australian Transport (HMAT) Warilda was transporting hundreds of wounded soldiers from the French port of Le Havre to Southampton when, despite being clearly marked with the Red Cross, it was struck by a single torpedo from a German U-boat.Upon impact the ship’s starboard propeller was disabled…

20 Jun 2018

South Africa Cruise Ports Nominated for World Travel Awards

Port Elizabeth (Photo: TNPA)

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) operated Ports of Durban, Cape Town, and Elizabeth have been nominated for the Africa & Indian Ocean segment of the 25th annual World Travel Awards in the category of “Africa’s Leading Cruise Port 2018”.Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards seek to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Global travel and tourism industry leaders will be recognized at the various World Travel Awards gala ceremonies, with Durban hosting the Africa and Indian Ocean segment for the third time.

18 Apr 2018

Queen Elizabeth 2 Reopens as Floating Hotel in Dubai

Photo: QE2.com

The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) ocean liner has been given a new lease of life as a floating hotel in Dubai, 10 years after the Gulf Arab emirate bought it for $100 million.State-owned Dubai World bought the QE2 from Cunard Line in 2007, but the 2008 financial crisis delayed any plans for the 40-year-old vessel, one of the world's most famous ships.Now the QE2, permanently moored at Mina Rashid port, has been refurbished based on the original design, from its carpets to the theatre…

24 Aug 2017

GE to Upgrade P&O Cruises' Oceana

Oceana (Photo: GE)

P&O Cruises, part of Carnival Corporation & PLC, has chosen GE’s Marine Solutions once again to provide upgrades on board its 77,499-ton cruise vessel Oceana. Formerly known as Ocean Princess, the cruise ship was built in 1998 and had GE’s Syconum 2 electronic controller on board. GE will now be responsible for replacing existing controllers with the new generation of power electronics controllers on the four propulsion drives. Enabled by a decentralized architecture, the new digital propulsion controller benefits from a compact design…

26 Jun 2017

Interior Refit for Cunard's Queen Victoria

Queen Vic Exterior (Photo: Cunard)

McCue Crafted Fit secured a repeat order from Cunard to refit the shops and art gallery on board its luxury liner, Queen Victoria. This follows the remastering of aspects of the Queen Mary 2 (QM2) in Hamburg, Germany in 2016. The £34 million ($43 million) refit comprises of an upgraded and increased choice of staterooms, new Britannia Club dining, a broader and more distinct bar offering, a transformed sun deck, enhanced retail areas and relocated new larger art gallery. On the May 5…

30 Jan 2017

Halifax Port Gears for Busiest Cruise Season

The 2017 cruise season in Halifax will be the busiest to date. A record number of passenger visits and vessel calls will get underway on April 24, 2017 with the arrival of the Amadea, a Phoenix Reisen vessel. “We are very excited about the year ahead,” said Cathy McGrail, Interim Vice President, Operations, Halifax Port Authority. From April 24 to October 31, the Port of Halifax is expecting 179 vessel calls carrying approximately 275,000 cruise guests. For local tourism providers, planning for the upcoming season is well underway. “Those of us fortunate enough to live here know how special our region is,” said Dennis Campbell, CEO, Ambassatours Gray Line. “What drives us is the opportunity to share our attractions, our history and our culture with people from around the world.

28 Dec 2016

Search Called off for Cruise Passenger off New Jersey

Queen Mary 2 (File photo: Cunard)

The U.S. Coast Guard has called off a search for a woman who went missing from the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship off the coast of New Jersey over the Christmas holiday weekend, a spokesman said on Wednesday. The 74-year-old passenger was reported missing in the early hours of Friday about 100 nautical miles (185 km) southeast of Atlantic City, said Petty Officer David Micallef. It was not immediately clear how the woman disappeared from the Caribbean-bound ship, which is operated by Cunard Cruise Line, a unit of Carnival Corp.

27 Oct 2016

GE Completes Queen Mary 2 Upgrade

Queen Mary 2  (Photo: GE)

GE’s Marine Solutions recently provided an extensive upgrade service to one of the world’s most famous ocean liners, the Queen Mary 2 (QM2). The upgrade service with new technology supplied by GE was completed in just 18 days. Twelve years after equipping the QM2 with original propulsion motors, GE was chosen to carry out multiple crucial upgrade activities on Carnival’s flagship liner, for example: a controls upgrade, the replacement of oil distribution boxes on steerable pods, modification of harmonic filters and general maintenance on the propulsion plant.

27 Oct 2016

SA Ports Gears for Cruise Season

South Africa’s ports are ramping up for another busy cruise season with at least14 luxury cruise lines and 20 vessels of varying sizesset to ferry international and domestic tourists across the country’s port cities. The 2016/17 South African cruise season kicks off on 1 November.MSC SINFONIA – the largest and most popular cruise ship in the local cruise calendar –will be a highlight when she arrives in her homeport of Durban in the early hours of Tuesday, 1 November on a journey from Venice, Italy, carrying 2600 European and South African passengers. The ship has been accommodated at the Port of Durban’s longer M berth since last year after being lengthened by 24 metres and undergoing a multi-million Euro revamp.

13 Sep 2016

Fresh Paint Job for the Queen Mary

The iconic steamship Queen Mary is being restored to its former glory with help from a fresh coating (Photo: AkzoNobel)

Restoration work has started on iconic steamship TS Queen Mary, which is in the process of being transformed into one of the U.K.’s largest interactive maritime exhibits. Regarded as the vanguard of 1930s Scottish engineering, Queen Mary was built in 1933 and is the last of its class in the world. Now the 252-foot vessel is set to become a visitor attraction which will make a major social contribution to the City of Glasgow. As part of the vessel’s transformation, specialist coatings supplied by AkzoNobel’s International brand are being applied to the ship at dry dock in Greenock.

02 Sep 2016

New Commercial Shipping Radar from Kelvin Hughes

Photo courtesy of Kelvin Hughes

Kelvin Hughes has announced the launch of a new range of radar systems for commercial shipping based on its innovative, solid-state SharpEye technology. Kelvin Hughes has been supplying IMO type-approved radar to merchant ships, fishing boats and workboats since the 1940s, delivering reliability and low cost of ownership together with highly superior detection capability. SharpEye, with its Doppler processing of the radar returns, has taken situational awareness to a new level with its ability to detect more targets, at longer ranges, than conventional, magnetron-based radar systems.

31 May 2016

Queen Mary 2 set for Extensive Blohm + Voss Refit

On May 27, at 8:00 PM, the Queen Mary 2 docked at Blohm+Voss at dry dock ELBE 17, well-known to the ocean liner. There, the flagship of the long-established British shipping company Cunard Line will undergo the largest refit program since being brought into service. It is the sixth time that the Queen Mary 2 docks at Blohm+Voss. A total of 50 new cabins are fitted or remodeled in line with this year’s master refit, 35 of them in the front section of deck 13. In addition, Blohm+Voss has prefabricated several steel deck sections with a total weight of approx. 200 tons that will also be installed on deck 13 by the shipyard’s specialists; furthermore, comprehensive modernizations in the hotel, entertainment and gastronomy areas of the ocean liner are part of the current construction schedule.

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