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Cruise Ship Report News

19 Jul 2016

40% Cruise Ships Use Outdated Sewage Treatment Plants

ACO Marine has welcomed the findings reported in the Friends of the Earth 2016 Cruise Ship Report Card, the annual survey of cruise shipping’s impact on the environment, which highlights a growing need for the sector to update its sewage treatment technology. The annual FOE survey, published in June, documented the environmental footprint of 17 cruise lines and 171 cruise ships, finding that a significant proportion of vessels continue to operate out-dated sewage treatment plant. The FOE found that 40% of cruiseships continue to use 35-year-old technology, calling for an urgent upgrade to systems capable of preventing environmental damage from the discharge of poorly treated black, grey and galley waste water streams.

09 Feb 2007

Majesty of the Seas Returns From Renovation

Less than a month after aging cruise ship Majesty of the Seas went off to drydock in the Bahamas to be refurbished, the new, improved Majesty sailed back to Miami on Feb. 8th to resume its schedule of three and four night cruises. When the 74,000 ton Majesty was put into service in 1992, the ship -- with its seven-story atrium -- was one of the largest, most modern cruise ships afloat. There are 68 cruise ships in service larger than Majesty, with Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas boasting more than twice the gross tonnage. And beyond the size, the newer ships -- with their specialty restaurants, rock-climbing walls, surfing pools, bowling alleys and boxing rings -- have made cruise ships like Majesty appear to belong to a generation past.

08 Aug 2006

Grand Cayman to Build Cruise Ship Dock

The island of Grand Cayman, which has long resisted building a cruise ship dock out of concern about environmental damage that would result from dredging a channel into George Town Harbor, has now decided to start development of a dock for four ships, according to Cruise Ship Report. The initial phase, an environmental impact assessment, has just started. Currently, cruise ships anchor off George Town, and tenders ferry their thousands of passengers back and forth to town. At some times of year, cruise ships are forced to skip scheduled visits to the island because the shallow waters off Grand Cayman are too rough for tendering. This is seen as inconvenient by major cruise lines whose ships visit Grand Cayman and prefer to be able to tie up at a dock…

28 Jul 2006

Cruise Ship Readiness Tested in San Diego

An exercise testing how security agencies would respond to a terrorist attack on a cruise ship was conducted in San Diego, Calif. on July 26. The San Diego exercise, dubbed Bay Shield, simulated an attack on a cruise ship in San Diego bay by terrorists aboard a bomb-laden suicide boat. More than 30 local, regional and federal agencies participated in the day-long drill to test how they would respond to an actual terrorist attack. In the exercise, participants sat for eight hours around rows of tables inside a hangar at the Coast Guard station, playing out their respective roles in coping with the aftermath of the “attack.” The drill was covered by local media outlets. (Source: Cruise Ship Report)

27 Apr 2006

Agency Urges Action to Prevent Cruise Ship Balcony Fires

According to Cruise Ship Report, lead British agency investigating the March 2006 Star Princess blaze has urged cruise lines to take action to prevent fires from starting on balconies of cruse ships. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) on April 26 said the fire erupted on the balcony of a cabin on deck 10 of the Star Princess and spread within 10 minutes to three decks, ultimately damaging more than 280 cabins. The agency said current safety regulations do not take into account the enormous increase in balconies on cruise ships built over the past decade. The agency recommended that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) extend fire-prevention regulations covering the interior of cruise ships to balconies and other exterior areas.

08 Jun 2006

Cruise Ship Freed From Sandbar

According to reports, the cruise ship Norwegian Crown, with 1,104 passengers aboard, ran aground just off Bermuda on June 7, and after remaining stuck on a sandbar through the day, was pulled off by tugs during the evening high tide. The cruise ship's passengers and crew were at no time in any danger, according to Norwegian Cruise Lines, which said the ship tendered passengers ashore to Hamilton for local excursions. The 34,000-ton ship ran aground at about at the top of Dundonald Channel as it sailed from St. George's, Bermuda, to Hamilton in heavy rain. Three tugboats tried to set the Norwegian Crown free, and eventually postponed efforts due to high tide. After it was pulled free, the ship headed for Dockyard, skipping Hamilton as a port of call. Source: Cruise Ship Report