Santiago De Cuba News

The U.S. Navy will commission its newest fast attack submarine, the future USS Indiana (SSN 789), during a 10 a.m. (EDT) ceremony today (Saturday, Sept. 29), at the Navy Port at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Port Canaveral, Florida.The principal speaker will be U.S. Representative Jim Banks from Indiana. Diane Donald, wife of retired Adm. Kirkland H. Donald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion from 2004 to 2012, is serving as the ship’s sponsor. She will give the order to “man our ship and bring her to life!” in a time-honored Navy tradition.“The future USS Indiana shows the increased capabilities that our industrial partners bring to the fleet as we deliver the Navy the nation needs,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer.

The US Navy accepted delivery of future attack submarine USS Indiana (SSN 789), the 16th submarine of the Virginia class, June 25. The ship began construction in 2012 and is scheduled to commission in September. This next-generation attack submarine provides the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea superiority. "Indiana's delivery marks the culmination of millions of man-hours of work by thousands of people across this country to bring the world's foremost undersea asset to the fleet," said Capt. Christopher Hanson, Virginia class program manager. Indiana is the sixth Virginia-class Block III submarine.

The U.S. Navy christened its newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine, the future USS Indiana (SSN 789), during a ceremony Saturday, April 29, at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Newport News, Va. Vice President Mike Pence, who previously served as the 50th governor of Indiana, delivered the ceremony's principal address. “[President Trump]sent me here today on this historic occasion as a sign of his deep commitment to the Armed Forces of the United States of America, and to his commitment to make the strongest fighting force in the world even stronger still,” Pence said.

The Navy will christen its newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine, the future USS Indiana (SSN 789), during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, April 29, at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Newport News, Virginia. Vice President Mike Pence, who previously served as the 50th governor of Indiana, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Diane Donald, wife of retired Adm. Kirkland H. Donald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion from 2004 to 2012, is serving as the ship's sponsor. "The christening of the future USS Indiana brings this technological marvel one step closer to joining the world's preeminent submarine force," said the Honorable Sean Stackley, acting secretary of the Navy.

Tauck announced a four-year plan for doubling its small ship cruising capacity through strategic fleet expansion, deepened partnership programs and new itineraries. “We’re destination explorers at Tauck and some destinations are best explored by both land and sea,” said Jennifer Tombaugh, president of Tauck. “Tauck Small Ship Cruising is our first product line to sell out each year. Ponant, the French-owned cruise line, will debut four new luxury expedition yachts in 2018 and 2019. As part of an expanded partnership, Tauck will leverage all four Ponant new builds starting with Le Lapérouse in summer 2018. The first Tauck sailing on Le Lapérouse departs on July 3, 2018 with the “Iceland: Land of Fire & Ice” itinerary.

The United States prepared to airlift hundreds of people from its Guantanamo Bay naval base as the most powerful cyclone to form over the Atlantic since Hurricane Felix in 2007 ground slowly towards Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba. Haiti also began evacuating residents by boat from outlying islands in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, which threatens to wreak widespread damage in the region with flash floods and winds at about 150 miles per hour (240 kph). Matthew is expected to make landfall as a major storm on Jamaica's southern coast, home to the capital, Kingston, and its only oil refinery. Stormy weather could begin on Sunday. Simultaneously…

A cruise ship is sailing to Cuba from the U.S. for the first time in more than 50 years. The Bermuda-flagged Adonia sailed from the port of Miami carrying some 700 passengers on Sunday. Cruise firm Carnival's  Adonia left Miami bound for Havana and will also visit the ports of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba on the seven-day trip. “To be a part of truly making history and preparing for an even more positive future for everyone is one of the greatest honors any company can have,” Carnival Corporation chief executive Arnold Donald said. The cruise, which sails for Carnival's Fathom "impact travel" brand, comes after Cuba loosened its policy banning Cuban-born people from arriving to the country by sea, a rule that threatened to stop the cruises from happening.

Sun, sand and Caribbean ‘joi de vivre’ – Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2 will visit the island of Cuba in the Greater Antilles for the first time on two cruises in October and November 2016. Maiden ports of call are special moments on cruises with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ ships and never fail to be a highlight for both the passengers and crew. For the first time, several visits to Cuba, the largest of the Antilles, are featured on Europa 2  itineraries in autumn 2016. The island, known as a nation for its Caribbean way of life and white sandy beaches…

Danish shipping giant Maersk — the world’s largest container carrier — began its first ever connection between northern European ports and Cuba last Friday, promising the fastest freight transit times between Europe and the Cuban port of Mariel. Port of Cork has scored a major coup in landing a potentially lucrative spot on the first direct freight shipping service from northern Europe to Cuba since economic sanctions were removed on the Caribbean country, reports Irish Examiner. The move will enable Irish companies to capitalise on an expected boom resulting from the normalisation of relationships between the United States and Havana. The service is an expansion of the shipping company’s existing CRX Latin American route, which connects Mexico and Costa Rica directly with Europe.

Carnival Corporation announced it will sail as planned from the U.S. to Cuba with all travelers, including Cuba-born passengers, for the company’s week-long voyages to Cuba. Carnival worked with Cuba to allow its cruise ships to operate in a similar manner as current air charter operations to Cuba, starting with its historic inaugural voyage on May 1, 2016. Last week, in anticipation of this positive outcome, Carnival Corporation announced its new Fathom brand was accepting bookings to Cuba from all travelers, including individuals born in Cuba.

Carnival Corporation & plc said it is continuing discussions with Cuba to allow cruise ships to operate in the same manner as current air charter operations, which transport Cuba-born individuals to and from Cuba. Fathom will begin sailing its 704-passenger Adonia luxury cruise ship to Cuba every other week starting on May 1, marking the first time in over 50 years that a cruise ship has sailed from the U.S. to Cuba. Carnival Corporation also announced that it is accepting bookings on its 10th and newest brand…

Carnival Corporation & plc has received Cuban approval to begin travel to Cuba starting on May 1, 2016. This, following U.S. authorization granted in July 2015, clears Carnival Corporation to operate the 704-passenger MV Adonia to Cuba through its newest brand Fathom, marking the first time in over 50 years a cruise ship is approved to sail from the United States to Cuba. Cuban authorities from Havanatur Celimar, various other agencies and Carnival Corporation today signed agreements enabling cruising by Carnival Corporation to Cuba.

Shipping company SC Line has started up service between Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades and Cuba, reports Sun Sentinel. The cargo and cruise vessels no longer require a special license to ply between US and Cuba. SC Line can serve the Cuban seaports of Mariel and Santiago every two weeks on a route that circles between Florida, Cuba, Panama and Colombia. On 20 September the SC Line vessel Caroline Russ berthed at Mariel in Cuba. It can carry shipping containers. It was the first call on a new service every 14 days linking Port Everglades, Florida with Mariel and Santiago de Cuba. “This new service offered by SC Line is the evident proof of the successful efforts that both Governments have been doing for the last months,” SC Line said.

Pearl Seas Cruises plans to launch a series of “cultural voyages” from the United States to Cuba beginning in the spring of 2016, the cruise line announced today. Offering 7- to 10-night voyages aboard the line’s newest vessel, the 210-passenger luxury ship Pearl Mist, the round trip voyage from South Florida will visit several Cuban ports including Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. Pearl Seas Cruises plans itineraries on both the Southern and Northern coasts of Cuba, featuring people-to-people cultural exchanges authorized under U.S. law to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

With Chinese and Cuban construction specialists survey, the work on a new multipurpose terminal at the Guillermón Moncada Port in Santiago de Cuba has officially began. This large multipurpose maritime terminal for Santiago de Cuba will convert the present harbour into an efficient installation for industry and trade. A231-meter long dock will become a multipurpose maritime terminal capable of handling modern ships and equipped with large dockside cranes, rail and road connections and ample storage facilities. The terminal is  part of an industrial development zone financed by the Chinese government and built with Chinese guidance. The work is funded with a $120-million loan from Beijing and will be performed by the China Communications Construction Company.

The first of four Crowley Maritime Corporation ocean class tugboats, Ocean Wave, completed its inaugural project earlier this month by removing a grounded containership from the northern coast of Cuba. The job is additionally significant because it utilized many of Crowley’s unique capabilities, equipment and established relationships with Cuban entities and government to complete the job quickly despite many challenges. The project’s success hinged on a coordinated and timely response from Antilliana De Salvemento, the Cuban salvage company which subcontracted Titan Salvage, Crowley’s Pompano, Fla.-based emergency response, marine salvage and wreck removal company, and Houston-based T&T Marine Salvage, to assist with the removal of the stricken containership.

Damen Shipyards will soon deliver three tugboats to INEA (Instituto Nacional de los Espacios Acuaticos, the Venezuelan Aquatic Authority). This repeat-order follows a previous order for two Damen Stan Tugs purchased by INEA in 2009. The tugs will be used in the Venezuelan ports of Puerto Cabello and La Guaira, and are meant to give assistance to the ships entering and leaving the harbor. The vessels, respectively a Stan Tug 2208 and a 2608 as well as an ASD Tug 2810, represent a  varying range of bollard pull and speed…