Caribbean News

After Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico with devastating force on September 20, 2017, a number of news reports claimed that the Jones Act had severely damaged the Puerto Rican economy, both over time and in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Now a new report examining the role of the Jones Act shipping industry before, in the immediate aftermath of and in the months that followed the hurricane asserts that the Jones Act fleet delivers a dedicated and reliable flow of goods…

Wärtsilä marks another milestone for its Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engine.The 34DF engine has been awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tier III certification for diesel mode operation when installed together with the Wärtsilä NOx Reducer (NOR) system, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that converts nitrogen oxides (NOx) with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic nitrogen (N2) and water.Wärtsilä said it is the first engine manufacturer to be awarded…

Mexican operator Ultramar has taken delivery of Ultramar II, the second in a series of new high capacity 48m catamaran passenger ferries.Ultramar II was built by Midship Marine in Harvey, La. and is specifically designed for the operator’s busy Playa de Carmen – Cozumel run, offering high capacity, high durability and a world-class passenger experience.According to designer Incat Crowther, the vessel’s fitout is yacht-like in keeping with Ultramar’s ‘Experience Innovation’ motto and includes aquarium-themed feature walls and glass pieces…

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has limited the damage from an unprecedented slump in crude exports by transferring oil between tankers at sea and loading vessels in neighboring Cuba to avoid asset seizures.But the OPEC member nation is still fulfilling less than 60 percent of its obligations under supply deals with customers.Venezuela has been pumping oil this year at the lowest rate in three decades after years of underinvestment and a mass exodus of workers. The state…

The $120 million upgrade that Royal Caribbean cruise ship Mariner of the Seas received at the Cadiz Navatia shipyard this past June is reportedly the largest ship modernization ever performed and the biggest construction project carried out in Spain At the time of the dry dock, the ship was the largest “hotel” in the country at the time.ALMACO’s contribution to this major revamp included building 38 new panoramic staterooms inside the new aluminum structure on deck 12 forward.

American shipping company, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, has returned very positive reports on its LNG-powered containerships, ‘Isla Bella’ and ‘Perla del Caribe’ as they approach the third anniversary of commencing operations, said a press release.It said that the 3,100-teu sister ships serve the route between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico and are notable for being propelled by the first ME-GI dual-fuel engines produced by MAN Energy Solutions.Tim Nolan, President…

A cruise ship came to the aid of a small fishing vessel that was adrift after running out of fuel about 25 nautical miles from Barbados.At approximately 10 p.m. on August 29, Carnival Fascination responded to a distress signal from two fishermen while on a seven-day Caribbean cruise that departed San Juan on August 26.The two Barbadian men, ages 43 and 51, were rescued by the cruise ship and taken on board where they received medical assistance, a hot meal and accommodations.

Hapag-Lloyd's 15,000 TEU ship "Al Jmeliyah" was officially christened in Rotterdam. Naming patron is Inge Sijbesma, the wife of Feike Sijbesma, CEO of the corporation DSM – one of Hapag-Lloyd’s biggest customers in the Netherlands.The name “Al Jmeliyah” is Arabic for “the beautiful one.” With its ten sister vessels, the “Al Jmeliyah” numbers among the so-called “Ultra Large Container Vessels” in Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet.However, this was not the first time that Hapag-Lloyd has christened a ship in Rotterdam. The most recent one was the christening of the “Rotterdam Express” in 2000.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting regional cooperation on oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) spills in the Northwest Pacific region.IMO’s Roel Hoenders is taking part in meetings of the Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) taking place in Incheon, Republic of Korea (17-20 July).The Centre was originally established by IMO and UNEP to create effective cooperative measures to spill response under…

Zim Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) has announced the new Strategic Partnership Agreement with the 2M alliance, details of the new improved Asia - U.S. East Coast – Asia network that are now available.Nissim Yochai, ZIM EVP Trans Pacific Trade, said: "The new alignment will enable ZIM customers to enjoy the best of both worlds: ZIM’s highly reputed personalized service, along with the best-in-market infrastructure and product.”The new upgraded network includes 5 services under the ZIM+2M cooperation…

MSC Cruises is eyeing further growth in the North American with a new expansion project in Miami, the cruise line’s exclusive homeport in the U.S. The company announced it has signed an agreement for extended preferential berthing rights as well as of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new Cruise Terminal AAA at PortMiami.“The new agreement and expanded partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County is another key step forward in the business growth of MSC Cruises…

Venezuela's crude exports to the United States declined to 494,400 barrels per day (bpd) in July after rising the prior three months, showing the impact of asset seizures against state-run oil firm PDVSA, according to Thomson Reuters data.July was the first month crude exports fell below 500,000 bpd since the months of January through March.U.S. oil producer ConocoPhillips in May began seizing PDVSA's overseas assets in an attempt to collect on a $2 billion arbitration award.

TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises has placed an order with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to build a pair of new-generation cruise ships to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).The new 161,000 gross ton vessels will be built at the Monfalcone shipyard and delivered in 2024 and in 2026. Including the new pair, the cruise line’s Mein Schiff fleet will grow to nine ships by 2026.“These will be the largest ships ever built in Italy,” said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri.

Quality Liquefied Natural Gas Transport, LLC (“Q-LNG”) announced its further commitment to support the cruise line industry and its liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) marine fueling needs by executing a letter of intent (“LOI”) with VT Halter Marine, Inc. (“VT Halter”) to construct an 8,000m3 LNG Bunkering Vessel on speculation.CEO, Shane Guidry, commented, “With the past and recent announcements by major cruise lines to build and deliver LNG powered cruise ships to the U.S. market…

On July 20, 2018, The American Salvage Association (ASA) welcomed Dr. Richard J. Burke, of SUNY Maritime College as the Association’s very first honorary maritime academy faculty member representative. This initiative is designed to broaden the knowledge about the marine salvage and emergency response industry, and the academic community’s access to it.The ASA’s Education Committee was established in March 2011 to further promote general maritime industry interest with a focus on marine salvage and emergency response…

The U.S. Coast Guard has cleared the Carnival Horizon to sail after the 133,500 GT cruise ship struck a pier at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal earlier this week.The Coast Guard conducted an extensive investigation and examinations on the ship and required multiple technical surveys, including an underwater hull survey and operations testing of essential equipment, before it ultimately determined that the ship was safe depart the Port of New York and New Jersey on its scheduled eight-night Caribbean cruise.Minor structural damage to the ship’s bow was discovered…

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) announced that in partnership with its subsidiary, ITC Global, it has been awarded a four-year contract by TUI Cruises for connectivity services to two new-build cruise ships, Mein Schiff 1 and new Mein Schiff 2.The agreement establishes communication capabilities onboard the vessels serving guests and crew, enhancing the user experience during the cruise line's travels across international waters. Germany-based TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

Thirty-six hours after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the port of San Juan was back up and running, scanning the incoming relief cargo as it arrived. Now, nearly a year after the historic storm, San Juan remains one of the most secure and efficient ports in the world, scanning and adjudicating cargo shipments at an unprecedented speed, with wait times similar to pausing at a stop light. It was the first and only port in the Western Hemisphere to scan near-100 percent of incoming containerized cargo (bulk, un-containerized cargo is not scanned).

Wison Offshore & Marine announced it has been awarded a contract to carry out front-end engineering design (FEED) for a proposed floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project sited in British Columbia, Canada.Wison said it has entered into a Technical Service Agreement (TSA) with the project’s developer Western LNG LLC, pursuant to which Wison will develop the basis of design (BOD) and carry out FEED wordk. Western also appointed Wison as the EPC service provider for the floating liquefaction plant upon project FID.Under the terms of the TSA…

Wison Offshore & Marine and Western LNG signed a technical service agreement (TSA) for the new floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that Western is developing in British Columbia, Canada.Pursuant to the TSA, Wison will develop the basis of design (BOD) and carry out front-end engineering design (FEED) for the proposed FLNG to be sited at the proposed facility.Western has also agreed to the appointment of Wison as the EPC service provider for the floating liquefaction plant upon project FID.Under the terms of the TSA…

Venezuela's PDVSA and NuStar Energy LP have reached an agreement over outstanding storage fees, allowing the state-run company to resume use of a key storage terminal in the Caribbean, the U.S. energy firm said on Monday.NuStar had suspended PDVSA several times since 2017 from using its St. Eustatius facility over millions of dollars in missed payments.The terminal played a role in a legal dispute between PDVSA and ConocoPhillips, which earlier this year tried to enforce a $2…

Kalmar, part of Cargotec has signed a contract for supplying two Kalmar Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, including related spare parts, to Curaçao Port Services, said a press release.The Panamax size cranes will be used for modernising the customer's container handling operations at the Willemstad Container Terminal in Curaçao. The order was booked into Cargotec's 2018 third quarter order intake, and the delivery is planned to be completed by the end of 2019. The island of Curaçao is located strategically in the Southern Caribbean approximately 35 miles off the northwestern coast of Venezuela.

In many cities where industrial activity is pushed to the fringe, Blohm + Voss on the Elbe is an iconic sybmol in the port city of Hamburg, a shipyard steeped in tradition but fully modernized to handle some of the most complex and high-value ship repair jobs in the world: a developed, ultramodern infrastructure and 421,000 sq. m. of yard.Blohm & Voss has seen it share of market cycles, and following the current long shipping crisis due to low charter rates, the repair backlog…