Mediterranea News

Seventeen migrants rescued after the latest deadly shipwreck in the Mediterranean were brought ashore by the Italian authorities on Monday as Italy faced criticism for its response to the crisis.Those rescued were taken to the Sicilian town of Pozzallo, Italian newswire ANSA reported, and said they were all originally from Bangladesh.Thirty people were feared drowned after the boat they were traveling in from Libya capsized in bad weather on Sunday, Italy's coastguard said.The tragedy follows a Feb. 26 shipwreck near the southern region of Calabria, in which at least 79 people died.

Thirty people are missing and 17 were rescued in the central Mediterranean on Sunday after the boat in which they were travelling from Libya capsized in bad weather, Italy's coastguard said.The tragedy comes just weeks after a Feb. 26 shipwreck near the southern region of Calabria, in which at least 79 died. Alarm Phone, a charity that picks up calls from migrant vessels in distress, assumed the 30 people were dead and blamed Italy for not sending its coastguard despite being repeatedly alerted on Saturday that the boat was in trouble."Clearly…

A German aid group that operated a migrant rescue boat in the Mediterranean said on Wednesday Italian magistrates were set to charge 21 individuals and three human rights groups with aiding illegal immigration from Libya.The announcement came after magistrates in the Sicilian city of Trapani said they had concluded a three-year investigation centered on the Iuventa boat, which was run by the Jugend Rettet non-governmental group.The magistrates did not make their findings public, but the Iuventa crew, which is kept abreast of legal developments, said they had been charged and faced up to 20 years in jail."Saving lives is never a crime.

A group of migrants who had been blocked aboard a tanker in the Mediterranean for more than a month were allowed to land in Sicily on Saturday after Italy agreed to take them in, NGO Mediterranea said.The 25 people still at sea disembarked late on Saturday in the port town of Pozzallo, in Sicily, in southern Italy, due to health reasons, ending a “nightmare”, the statement said.“The longest and most shameful stand-off of European maritime history ends,” Mediterranea tweeted after the landing.The migrants had been transferred on Friday to the Italian charity ship Mare Jonio…

A group of 27 migrants who had been stuck onboard the Maersk Etienne tanker for more than a month have been transferred safely to a ship operated by the NGO Mediterranea, Maersk Tankers said on Friday.The tanker’s crew rescued the migrants, including a pregnant woman, on August 4 near Malta from a wooden dinghy that had been at sea for days and sank immediately after the rescue operation.Neither the Maltese, Italian nor Libyan authorities had let them come ashore, according to Maersk Tankers…

Malta said on Friday it would take in 54 migrants rescued by an Italian charity boat off Libya this week, after Italy refused to let the vessel dock at one of its ports as it labours to shut down sea migration routes.However, in a convoluted game of cat-and-mouse that is pitting EU governments against each other and against the non-governmental rescue boats, Malta said it would dispatch to Italy a similar number of migrants already on its territory.Malta and Italy have frequently been at loggerheads over who should receive migrants rescued in the Mediterranean and both have closed their ports to NGO rescue ship unless agreement is reached for those on board to be transferred to other countries.A German charity ship…

An Italian charity ship was escorted into the port of Lampedusa by police on Tuesday after rescuing 49 Africans in the Mediterranean, with Interior Minister Matteo Salvini calling for the crew to be arrested.A judicial source said a magistrate had ordered that the boat, the Mare Jonio, be seized as an investigation is launched into allegations of aiding and abetting human trafficking.The vessel picked up the migrants, including 12 minors, on Monday after their rubber boat started to sink in the central Mediterranean…

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Tuesday he would not let an Italian-flagged charity ship disembark 49 Africans rescued in the Mediterranean, setting up a fresh confrontation with humanitarian groups over migration.The Mare Jonio picked up the migrants, including 12 minors, on Monday after their rubber boat started to sink in the central Mediterranean, some 42 miles (68 km) off the coast of Libya.The vessel headed straight for the nearby Italian island of Lampedusa but was not granted permission to dock and is currently sailing close to land, awaiting further instructions.Salvini, who heads the anti-immigrant League party, has told non-governmental organisations that Italy's ports are closed to them…

AIDA Cara opened the Cruiseport Rotterdam cruise season yesterday (March 07) as the vessel arrived at 07.30 hours at the Holland Amerikakade, right next to the AIDA Mar in the heart of Rotterdam."This year, for the first time, over 100 cruise ships will call in at Rotterdam. Around 80 cruise ships per year arrived over the past two seasons," said Port of Rotterdam Authority."For twelve cruise ships, this will be their first visit to Rotterdam. High points will include the arrival of MS Costa Mediterranea on 6 May, MS Costa Smeralda on 22 October (the second cruise ship ever to sail on LNG) and MS MSC Grandiosa on 4 November. And not to forget the regular visitors with various vessels from AIDA…

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), has announced that its cruise joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) will launch this week under the name CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited. The new China-based cruise company plans to operate its own fleet to serve Chinese cruise guests by the end of 2019.CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited announced an agreement to purchase two existing ships from Carnival Corporation’s Costa Group, the leading cruise operator in Europe and Asia.

The first tourist submarine in Turkey is waiting to be sent on a voyage that will reveal the wonders of the undersea world of the Mediterranea. The first submarine tours are planned in April and no doubt they will be interesting and unforgettable for tourists and locals. The submarine called Nemo (weighing 106 tons) which has capacity to carry 48 people with 20 meters length and 6,5 meters height, will be hosting visitors for a touristic trip in the southern province of Antalya as of April. It was imported by IHS Travel and Tourisfly and will meet with visitors after a remarkable opening ceremony in April. The submarine is the result of a project by the Bodrum-based Underwater Technologies Research Institute (SUTA).

The Costa Atlantica, a member of the Costa Cruises fleet, the largest Italian travel company and Europe’s n.1 cruise line, scored full marks (100) in a recent inspection conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. The inspection was held on September 26 during a stopover in New York, one of the port calls of the Costa Atlantica during the latter part of her transatlantic cruise, which departed on September 16 from Savona and ended on October 3 in Quebec City (Canada). The CDC inspections are part of the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which was introduced in the early 1970s and involves all ships that stop in a US port. They are unannounced events and are carried out by officials from the USPHS (United States Public Health Service) twice a year.

Following Advanced Polymer Coatings’ announcement earlier in the year of its first two chemical tanker coatings contracts won in Turkey, the anticorrosion specialist has just announced a number of further new business gains and opportunities in this developing shipbuilding country. It has also reported gains in other markets. APC’s unique polymer-based tank protection system MarineLine has now been specified for the cargo tanks of 10 more ships to be constructed or converted in Turkey. These range in size from two 1,450 dwt chemical tankers for Holland’s Unifleet NV, to be constructed by the RMK Marine shipyard, to two 29,990 dwt chemical tankers from UM Shipyard for Fairfield Chemical Tankers of the USA.

Carnival Cruise Lines has taken delivery of its 20th Fun Ship, the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle. The delivery took place during traditional handover ceremonies in Helsinki at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, the Finnish shipyard that constructed the massive $375 million SuperLiner. Costa Crociere (two ships). Atlantica, was delivered in year 2000. Following a 14-day transatlantic crossing from Helsinki to Jacksonville, Fla., Carnival Miracle will be officially named February 27, 2004…

Costa Victoria, renovated thanks to the installation of panorama verandas in 242 cabins and 4 minisuites, will be premiered in front of 400 travel agents coming from the North West of Italy on February 13. Costa Victoria, one of the 10 ships in the Costa Crociere fleet after a facelift involving the addition of panorama verandas with private views to 242 cabins. The balconies were installed during a one-month stop when Costa Victoria was dry-docked at the German Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, where she was built.

Costa Victoria, renovated thanks to the installation of panorama verandas in 242 cabins and 4 minisuites, will be premiered in front of 400 travel agents coming from the North West of Italy on February 13. Costa Victoria, one of the 10 ships in the Costa Crociere fleet after a facelift involving the addition of panorama verandas with private views to 242 cabins. The balconies were installed during a one-month stop when Costa Victoria was dry-docked at the German Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, where she was built.

Kvaerner Masa-Yards has delivered the $375 million, 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, to Carnival Cruise Lines - its 20th Fun Ship - in the traditional handover ceremonies in Helsinki. For anyone who has ever had the privilege to attend such a delivery, seeing a new cruise ship rolled out in the middle of the Finnish winter is truly an awe-inspiring, if not one of the most ironic, sights. However, it is a testament to accrued cruise industry expertise and a stable infrastructure of equipment and system suppliers that keeps the shipyard at the forefront. Carnival Miracle is the sixth cruise ship in the Spirit class series of new Panamax-size cruise ships for Carnival Cruise Lines (four ships) and Costa Crociere (two ships).

Manuel Grimaldi confided to some close friends last December that not only had he decided to set up a new line from Italy to Spain but also to purchase Superfast 1 now called Eurostar Roma for about $49.3 million. The specification of the vessel will mean a greater presence in Mediterranean RoRo and in fact there are now three of this type of vessel under the name of Grimaldi Ferry Prestige. The new purchase Eurostar Roma (pictured opposite page) was presented by the Naples shipping group in Rome on January 23, 2004. The vessel is 24,000 tons, 570.8 ft. (174 m) long, with a beam of 78.7 ft. (24 m) and a cruising speed of 27 knots. Eurostar Rome can carry 1,400 passengers with 100 cars as well as 110 trailers.

The ordinary general meeting of shareholders of Costa Crociere S.p.A, held March 31, 2004, adopted the financial statement for the period December 1, 2002/November 30, 2003. 2003 was a record year for Costa Crociere: the company topped the half-million mark for the number of passengers carried in a 12-month period (a historic achievement and a first for a European cruise operator) with 557,300 guests, compared to 462,036 the year before (+21%), amounting to 4,300,000 passenger days (up 19% on 2002). Sales rose by 7.2%, at euro 785.6 million. Operating income was also substantial, at euro 105 million, although down on the figure recorded in 2002 on account of the strong pressure on prices that occurred throughout the year.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a long decision regarding a lengthy and complicated litigation involving personal jurisdiction, venue, cargo insurance, co-insurance, salvage, and subrogation. Adams v. Unione Mediterranea di Sicurta, No. 03-30026 (5th Cir., April 14, 2004.) (HK Law) http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/03/03-30026-CV0.wpd.pdf

Manises Propulsion and Energy, IZAR’s two stroke diesel engines factory has tested and delivered a Mitsubishi engine of 8,670 kW at 127 rpm, that will be assembled in the 25,000 tons chemical ship, that is being built in the Turkish shipyard Celik Tekne for the Italian shipowner Mediterranea di Navigazione. This comissioning is an important milestone for Izar-Manises Propusion and Energy, because it is the only licensee of Mitsubishi in Europe and because this engine is the first Mitsubishi engine delivered in Europe.

Broward County’s Port Everglades is experiencing record cruise passenger growth in 2004 and just nine months into the current fiscal year already surpassed 2003’s total number of passengers. Just one month later, the South Florida cruise port powered past its all-time annual high mark, which was set in 2002. By the end of this year, Port Everglades expects to top the four million annual passenger milestone for the first time. “Broward County has become the hub of the cruise industry and this year’s phenomenal passenger growth demonstrates that Port Everglades’ appeal continues to grow,” said Ken Krauter, Port Director. In June, just nine months into the current fiscal year, Port Everglades hosted 3,409,116 cruise passengers, surpassing last year’s 12-month total of 3,375,671 passengers.

Sixty-Nine prominent shipping industry executives have been elected as new members of ABS. In addition, Rear Admiral David L. Brewer III, Commander, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Navy, was appointed as a member. This brings the ABS worldwide membership to 803. The members, each eminent in their maritime field of endeavor, provide broad governance and oversight of ABS. Members are drawn from various sectors of the marine, offshore and related industries worldwide. M.A. Marcelo P. S.A. Ghazi A. Al-Ibrahim, President, Mideast Shipmanagement Ltd. Giovanni Barbaro, Owner, Pietro Barbaro S.p.A. S.p.A. Giuseppe Bottiglieri, Managing Director, Bottiglieri Di Navigazione, S.p.A. Jae Cheol Byun, President, JSM International Ltd. Dr. Mauro Fernando Orofino Campos, President, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.