Caribbean News

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to Portsmouth Monday following a successful 85-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.During their patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, Tampa’s crew successfully interdicted approximately 18,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value of $240 million.The Coast Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy.

Netherlands-based maritime service company EMAR Offshore Services welcomed a new vessel to its fleet. The Damen ASD Tug 2811, named E-TWO, was ordered in November 2018 with a special request for the installation of an additional FiFi1 system, aft winch and hydraulic crane.This ASD Tug 2811, one of Damen Shipyards Group’s ‘next-generation’ harbor tugs, will be deployed for assisting in the berthing and unberthing of industrial vessels in major ports.Johan van Beek, Managing Director of EMAR Offshore Services…

Guyana is the latest country to benefit from International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s continuing work to strengthen oil spill response capacity in the Wider Caribbean Region.According to the UN body, Guyanese officials from 28 different government agencies, environmental stakeholders, and local industry representatives took part in the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency, Information and Training Centre for the Caribbean (REMPEITC)-Caribe training workshop (18-20 March) funded…

The biennial Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum will be held from May 28-29, 2019, at the Domotel Kastri Conference Center, in Athens’ northern suburbs. Here there will be more than 30 senior cruise executives responsible for ports and destinations from the world’s biggest cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Holland America Group, Disney Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Celestyal Cruises among others.Elisabetta De Nardo, VP Port Development…

A cruise industry veteran of more than 25 years, Nikolaos Doulis, Lindblad Expeditions’ SVP, New Buildings, discusses with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News the build plan for “the best expedition cruise ship ever built.”Born in Greece to a seafaring family, Nikolaos Doulis was destined for a maritime career. His father was a ship captain and eventually a ship owner, and to support the family business he wanted his son to have an engineering education. So at the age of 14, Doulis started spending more time in and around ships…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has conducted a Level 2 Training Course on OPRC (Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation) in St Kitts and Nevis  for oil spill response managers in the wider Caribbean region.Participants from 15 countries attended the IMO-funded event, which is focused on tactical aspects of spill preparedness and response, and applying incident management systems to assist effective coordination of spill response.The countries were Anguilla…

Nigel Smith, inaugural International Registrar of the London-headquartered St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry (SKANReg), is retiring in May after 47 years in the shipping industry. Smith, 62, is a former seagoing engineer officer, technical superintendent, shipyard agent and marine consultant. He has also served on various bodies of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology, which includes being a member of the ruling Council since 2005. In the late 1990’s…

Shipping services provider Boluda Corporación Marítima has signed a letter of intent to acquire all the shares, worth 300 million euros, of Kotug Smit Towage.The Netherlands-based towage services provider Kotug Smit Towage is operating in North Sea countries (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany).Boluda Corporación Marítima is now in talks to acquire 100% of the towage company Kotug Smit Towage created in 2016. The shares are owned equally by the two companies Kotug International BV and Royal Boskalis Westminster NV…

As part of its gender inclusion initiatives in the nautical industry, towage operator, Svitzer hired the first 100% female crew for the Dominican Republic.Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Over the waters of Rio Haina and Caucedo, in the Dominican Republic, operates a very special vessel; it is the Svitzer Monte Cristi, a 70-ton tugboat that helps maneuver larger vessels so they can dock, undo or be driven through the channels.The boat is special not only because of the expertise…

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA said on Thursday it has not halted business with maritime firm Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), even after the German firm said it would remove the crews that have been operating 10 of 15 PDVSA vessels over unpaid fees and return the tankers.On Tuesday, PDVSA's maritime arm PDV Marina declared an emergency due to lack of staff to immediately receive the 10 vessels BSM proposed to return to Venezuelan ports due to unpaid bills of at…

Caribbean States and Territories have re-affirmed their commitment to implementing International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards for safe, secure and sustainable shipping.According to the UN body, this is part of wider efforts to intensify investments and harness the full potential of the oceans, rivers and lakes to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and fight poverty.Ministers responsible for maritime transport and other participants representing the Governments in the region met at a High Level Symposium (27 February) in Montego Bay…

Spectrum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship designed specifically for the Chinese market, has left Meyer Werft’s covered building dock II.The ship has a rating of 169,300 GT and measures 347.75 m in length and 41.4 m in width, with ca-pacity for 4,188 passengers.Spectrum of the Seas will berth at the shipyard's out-fitting pier to be fitted with its funnel cladding. Weather permitting, the North Star (glazed viewing capsule) will also be installed on the ship.The ship…

Singapore-based Sembcorp Marine (Sembmarine) secured new contracts worth $175m, for projects comprising the design and construction of a 12,000-cubic-metre (cbm) LNG bunker vessel as well as repair and modernisation works on 13 cruise ships.The LNG bunker vessel which is for delivery to Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) in 2021 will be constructed at Sembcorp Marine Tuas Boulevard Yard, said the company specialising in a full spectrum of integrated solutions in ship repair, shipbuilding…

APM Terminals Inland Services in Costa Rica has worked closely with one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of tropical fruit.The Hague-based international container terminal operating company  said in a press release that among other things, the solution has helped optimize the flow of containers to fruit plantations on the Caribbean coast, increase efficiency and lower reefer inventory.With a large number of refrigerated containers (reefers) being shipped to global markets by Costa Rican tropical fruit exporters…

Effective January 1, 2019, Trace Laborde was named Marine Manager of Laborde Products, Inc.Trace previously held the role of Branch Manager of Laborde Products Houston Operations, with responsibility of the Marine business in the Texas Market. Going forward Trace will be responsible for continuing the growth of Laborde Products’ marine business. Laborde Products is a distributor of marine engines for Mitsubishi, Yanmar, OXE Diesel Outboards, BUKH and Steyr Motors in the Gulf Coast, Inland River Valley and Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) just gave confirmation of an order for Chantiers de l’Atlantique, according to a previous option agreement, to build a new Oasis-class cruise ship, due for delivery in the fall of 2023.“At her delivery, she will be the twenty third cruise ship built by our yard for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and we are especially proud of it”, said Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique."With her outstanding dimensions, the new 2857-cabin ship (hull A35) will belong…

A month after a Hydrex diver/technicians removed the bow thruster of a 300-meter container vessel a team once again mobilized to Italy. They reinstalled the overhauled unit underwater with the use of the company’s flexible mobdock technique.The available time window for the removal of the bow thruster in October was very short because of the tight schedule of the vessel’s charterer. The time required to perform the operation therefore needed to be brought back to the absolute minimum. For this reason the job was split in parts, performed in different ports.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  entered into an agreement with French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique to order a sixth Oasis-class ship for delivery in the fall of 2023."This is the twenty-third cruise ship that RCL will be building at our shipyard, and we are especially proud of it," said Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l'Atlantique.This order is contingent upon financing, which is expected to be completed in the second or third quarter of this year.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has extended discounts concerning dry bulk vessels operating between American and Asian ports after considering “new changes in the global shipping market and the world economy”."SCA pays more attention to its users best interest, and has recently taken steps towards being the safest, most secure, most reliable and most competitive compared to other routes," said a press release.It said that the rebate granted to (Laden/Ballast) Dry Bulk Vessels operating between Americas' ports and Asian ports…

The Panama Canal Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ricaurte Vasquez as the next Panama Canal Administrator.According to a press note from the artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, Vasquez will take office on September 4, 2019, succeeding current Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who concludes his seven-year term at the helm of the waterway.The decision was made by the Board of Directors in accordance to an independent…

Designer Tomas Tillberg’s quest for freedom breaks down barriers and expands to China, where his team builds China’s first expedition cruise ships putting Antarctica - and the most remote, mysterious parts of the world - within reach.All for freedom. Freedom for all. Tomas Tillberg could be Harley Davidson’s new poster boy. As he views the open road from behind his handle bars, he’s filled with an amazing feeling of personal freedom.With formal training from Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm, Tillberg’s artistry expresses his aspiration for independence.

DNV GL was selected to class the passenger sailing ship Sea Cloud Spirit, to be built by Metalships & Docks in Vigo, Spain, scheduled to set sail in the summer of 2020.Ordered by the Hamburg-based operator Sea Cloud Cruises, the vessel is designed to meet the demand from both independent travelers and the charter market, mainly in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. “Sea Cloud Spirit will become the third addition to our fleet of luxury sailing vessels. She will offer a unique combination of luxury accommodation…

Kalmar, the provider of eco-efficient cargo handling equipment and automated terminal solutions, , has signed a deal to supply six Kalmar Zero Emission Rubber-tired Gantry cranes (RTGs) to South Florida Container Terminal, LLC.The cranes will be equipped with a busbar energy system and operator assist features like auto steering and container stack profiling, said a press statement from Kalmar, part of Cargotec.The order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q1 order intake with delivery scheduled to be completed in early 2020.