Miami Herald News

Florida’s seaports are one of the state’s greatest economic assets, positively affecting every region and every resident. Our seaports have a $117.6 billion economic impact across Florida and account for more than 900,000 direct and indirect jobs, while linking our communities to vital national and international markets.During the COVID-19 crisis, ports across the country have sustained mounting losses. Ports that specialize in moving hard-hit cargoes like steel and automobiles, or depend on tourism and cruise ships are also particularly vulnerable.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday was searching for a British crew member who went overboard from a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.Arron Hough, 20, went overboard 267 miles (430 km) off the northwest of Puerto Rico on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Coast Guard 7th District told Reuters in a telephone interview.At the time the Coast Guard became aware of the incident, the Harmony of the Seas ship was traveling from its home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to its first stop of St. Maarten island on its seven-day Caribbean itinerary, the Miami Herald newspaper had reported earlier.The Coast Guard said it continued…

The Trump administration is considering sanctioning a Venezuelan military-run oil services company and restricting insurance coverage for Venezuelan oil shipments to ratchet up pressure on socialist President Nicolas Maduro, a U.S. official said. With Maduro running for another term in an April election that Washington and its allies oppose as a sham, the United States is weighing sanctions that would target Venezuela’s vital oil sector beyond what has been done before, the official told Reuters on Wednesday. Some measures could come before the vote and others could be imposed afterwards.

An alliance of shipping interests and a billionaire car dealer launched a newspaper ad on Monday protesting retired English soccer star David Beckham's plans for a soccer arena at the port of Miami, saying it threatens the city's plans to capitalize on the expansion of the Panama Canal. "We cannot jeopardize well-paying jobs, like crane operators, longshore workers, and mechanics, for low-paying stadium jobs, such as concession sales," the Miami Seaport Alliance said in a full-page ad that ran in the Miami Herald and its sister Spanish-language paper, El Nuevo Herald. The group, led by John Fox, who has retired as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's head of governmental affairs…

According to a report from the Miami Herald, soaring fuel costs, deployment changes and steep discounting took a chunk out of Carnival Corp.’s second-quarter profits, despite higher revenues year over year. The company earned $206m for the period that ended May 31, an 18% drop from $252m during the same time in 2010, but Carnival’s stock still gained $1.51, or 4.23%, to end trading at $37.24.   Source: Miami Herald

According to a Miami Herals Wire report, Carnival Corp. is seeking compensation for damages and losses it incurred as a result of last April's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Carnival Corp. filed suit last week on the anniversary of the oil spill against BP PLC and several other companies related to the oil rig's operations.   (Source: Miami Herald Wire Report)

According to a report from The Miami Herald, some large cruise ships may be banned from sailing in Antarctic waters starting next year. The IMO has adopted a ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in those waters, starting Aug. 1, 2011. Princess Cruises, Oceania and Regent said that 2010 will be the last season they visit the frozen continent. Holland America, plans to continue its cruises there, switching to lighter marine fuel. Many smaller ships will still operate Antarctic cruises. These ships can land passengers on the continent itself, 100 maximum at a time; larger ships are not permitted to offload any passengers. (Source: The Miami Herald)

The following Miami Herald Notice was sent out by Seafarershouse.org: Dear friends, We note with sorrow the passing of a friend to seafarers, former President and CEO of Seaboard Marine, Mr. John Lynch.    John was our 2006 International Golden Compass Award recipient and a long-term supporter of the work of Seafarers' House at Port Everglades.  His own years at sea left him with a special appreciation for the safe haven of centers like ours and we are grateful for his years of commitment to our mission.   Our prayers and sympathy extend to his family and circle of loved ones.   A memorial Mass will be held on October 7 at 3:00 pm at St. Raymond's Catholic Church, 3475 SW 17th Street, Coral Gables. (Source: The Miami Herald)

Five Miami-based cruise ships have changed their itineraries to avoid Tropical Storm Chris. Forecasters have issued a hurricane watch for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands as Tropical Storm Chris threatens to intensify. Royal Caribbean's 3,114-passenger Navigator of the Seas, which plans to return to Miami by August 5, skipped a visit to St. Maarten and will arrive in Nassau on August 4, a day earlier than planned. Royal Caribbean's 3,634-passenger Freedom of the Seas, which also plans a return to Miami on August 5, will be at sea on August 4 rather than call at Labadee, Haiti. Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,974-passenger Valor, returning to Miami on August 6, swapped stops in St. Thomas and St. Maarten for calls at Grand Turk and Freeport.

According to the Miami Herald, Coast Guard investigators were looking into what caused a 222-ft. boat to hit the seawall on the south side of the Port of Miami on Tuesday. The boat named Hybur Star headed out of the Miami River. It struck a seawall as it approached Watson Island. The ship was registered in Panama. It was unclear where it was headed. Coast Guard officials conducted drug and alcohol tests on crew members. Source: Miami Herald

The Queen Mary 2 was headed out to sea on Tuesday when the ship returned to Port Everglades after a problem was discovered with a motor. According to the Miami Herald, the cruise ship hit a sea wall, damaging part of its propulsion system. Shortly after the ship's 1 p.m. departure from Port Everglades, a bridge instrument indicated there was a problem with one of four propulsion motors. The captain called the U.S. Coast Guard more than three hours later and said there was reason to believe the ship hit a submerged object when it was about five miles out. About 10 p.m., tugboats pulled the ship back to the port, where the vessel remained for two days.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has hired a former top FBI official. Gary M. Bald, who last week stepped down as executive assistant director of the FBI's National Security Branch, will carry the title of vice president for global security at Royal Caribbean, a new position. Bald will report to Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain. Bald spent nearly 29 years at the FBI, most recently as chief of its worldwide counterterrorism, counterintelligence and intelligence programs, supervising 19,000 employees. He held the FBI's No. 3 post as a leader of the National Security Branch. Source: Miami Herald

According to a report in the Miami Herald: “The gaming ship once operated by St. Tropez Casino Cruises was sold in a courthouse auction Tuesday to a giant ship-management company for $3.8 million. Monaco-based V. Ships topped 11 other bidders to acquire the 30-year-old vessel, which has been anchored off Fort Lauderdale's shores since May when gaming operations were suspended for lack of money.”