Carnival Corporation launches website featuring Advanced Air Quality Systems

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 18 July 2019 18 July 2019

Carnival Corporation & plc has announced the launch of a new dedicated Advanced Air Quality Systems website that features relevant background information, videos, animations, photos and graphics to highlight the environmental benefits of using the innovative technology commonly referred to as exhaust gas cleaning systems or “scrubbers.”

As a key element of Carnival Corporation’s commitment to sustainable operations, Advanced Air Quality Systems enable overall cleaner air emissions from ships both at port and at sea. These systems are proven to be a safe and effective solution for compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 regulations for sulfur, while also meeting international air and water quality standards.

The new website features key facts, figures and performance results that detail how Advanced Air Quality Systems work in the small confines of a cruise ship, using sea water to remove virtually all the sulfur from engine exhaust, preventing it from entering the atmosphere, improving air emissions and supporting sustainable operations in the global shipping industry.

Advanced Air Quality Systems have been used for decades on land as a proven and effective way to significantly reduce sulfur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter produced by an engine’s operation. As part of its commitment to developing innovative solutions that support sustainable operations, Carnival Corporation began pioneering this technology breakthrough in 2006, enabling Advanced Air Quality Systems to operate efficiently and effectively in the small confines of a cruise ship.

"Our Advanced Air Quality Systems are an important part of our strategy to improve air quality in port and at sea, a strategy that also includes the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), shore power and marine gasoil (MGO)," said Mike Kaczmarek, senior vice president for marine technology for Carnival Corporation. "Due to the success we have had improving air quality with these systems, we decided to launch a dedicated website to help educate the public on the environmental benefits of Advanced Air Quality Systems and their effectiveness as a solution for meeting and exceeding the upcoming IMO regulations, while we continue to expand the technology throughout our fleet.”

As of July 2019, the company has installed over 220 Advanced Air Quality Systems on 77 of the more than 100 ships in its fleet, with a goal of installing nearly 400 scrubber systems over time in its multi-engine ships. By 2020, the company expects 85 percent of its global fleet to be fitted with Advanced Air Quality Systems at an investment of over $500 million.

The website features a number of third-party scientific studies that further validate that Advanced Air Quality Systems improve air quality and exceed major air and water quality standards with no adverse impact on the environment. A new study that includes third-party analysis by DNV GL, a leading classification society and recognized advisor for the maritime industry, shows that Advanced Air Quality Systems are a safe and effective means for compliance with the IMO’s 2020 requirements on the global shipping fleet, which include regulations for cleaner air emissions and strict wash-water quality standards.

The study concluded that the wash-water samples from the Advanced Air Quality Systems were below the limits set by several major national and international water quality and land-based water discharge standards, which provides further proof of the quality and safety of the wash water, even when compared to criteria like the World Health Organization’s (WHO) drinking water guidelines. In fact, when measured against IMO standards, the average wash-water test results in this study were over 90% lower than IMO limits. In the majority of samples, the materials were completely undetectable in the laboratory testing process.

Other benefits of the technology are highlighted on the new site, including that extensive testing has confirmed that Advanced Air Quality Systems in many ways outperform low-sulfur MGO in providing cleaner overall air emissions from ships. The systems remove almost all of the sulfur from engine exhaust and about 75% of all particulate matter (PM), and they are especially effective in removing small particulates. Additionally, studies show that exhaust from these systems has proportionally less PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and lower nitrous oxide (NOx) when compared to MGO emissions.

Coupled with other complementary technologies that also have ecological advantages, including launching the world’s first-ever cruise ships powered in port or at sea by LNG, and promoting the use of shore power, Advanced Air Quality Systems will help Carnival Corporation meet its own aggressive 2020 sustainability goals and international, national and local regulations for the over 700 ports the corporation’s ships visit each year.

Ponant and INTERPOL partner to enhance maritime security

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 18 July 2019 18 July 2019

INTERPOL is expanding its I-Checkit program in partnership with Ponant cruise line as part of efforts to further strengthen security for the global cruise industry.

The phased roll-out of the I-Checkit passenger screening system across Ponant’s cruise operations began July 1, 2019, following the successful completion of a three-month pilot phase that concluded in March.

The integration of I-Checkit into Ponants global passenger check-in process will enable INTERPOL to undertake the secure screening of travel documents against its databases, including the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database which contains more than 87.5 million records from 177 countries.

Ponant President Jean Emmanuel Sauvée underlined the role of corporate social responsibility behind the cruise line’s collaboration with INTERPOL to help enhance global security. “The safety and security of our guests, crews and ships has always been a priority for Ponant, the only cruise company flying the French flag, the safest in the world,” said Sauvée. “As a cruise company carrying thousands of passengers annually, having a highly effective and efficient security screening process is a crucial part of our corporate social responsibility in terms of how we serve our guests every day, worldwide”.

“This partnership with INTERPOL reflects our strong intention to set the security standards across our fleet as high as our service standards and our commitment to protecting the environment. This represents another important step for our industry as we continue to enhance our efforts on the safety and security of our passengers and crew members,” added Sauvée.

Harald Arm, Director of INTERPOL’s Operational Support and Analysis Directorate and Head of the I-Checkit programme said, “I-Checkit’s initiative with Ponant offers an additional layer of safety in the travel sector by establishing an international standard for security screening. It provides an invaluable preventative and investigative capability for global policing.”

“It is also important in raising awareness with travelers on the need to only travel with valid identity documents,” added Arm.

The I-Checkit screening solution was introduced in 2014 to bridge a gap in safety and security in the transportation industry. Following successful pilot phases which demonstrated the benefits of I-Checkit to law enforcement as well as trusted partners, the solution was endorsed by INTERPOL’s member countries as part of its global border management strategy for both the maritime and aviation sectors.

Royal Caribbean to invest $165 million for Allure of the Seas transformation

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 15 July 2019 15 July 2019

Travelers can soon take in Europe’s historic destinations from a bold, new perspective on board the amplified Allure of the Seas. Royal Caribbean International has revealed the signature feats and innovative experiences coming to the renowned Oasis-class ship as part of a 58-day, $165 million transformation. Guests will be able to conquer a continent’s worth of adventures and come back for more with Allure’s upcoming lineup of new features, including the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, completely redesigned Adventure Ocean kids and teens spaces, the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Quantum-class original Music Hall.

Reimagined as the ultimate summer vacation in Europe, Allure will open its season of 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from homeport Barcelona, Spain on May 10, 2020. Sailing roundtrip from Barcelona will visit must-see cities such as Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence (Marseille), France; Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Rome (Civitavecchia) and Naples/Capri, Italy.

Allure joins the original gamechanger, Oasis of the Seas, as the second Oasis Class ship to be reimagined in the $1 billion Royal Amplified fleet modernization program. These two revolutionary ships will steal the spotlight next year in Europe and the New York area, respectively, as the boldest summer vacations on both sides of the Atlantic.

In November 2020, Allure will make its way coast to coast to Miami for the winter season. Sailing from Royal Caribbean’s state-of-the-art Terminal A, the reimagined ship will offer 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. Many of the ship’s Caribbean itineraries will include visits to the cruise line’s new private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Hybrid powered Roald Amundsen to be named in Antarctica

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 12 July 2019 12 July 2019

Hybrid powered expedition cruise ship Roald Amundsen continues to make history – as Hurtigruten announces the first ever ship naming ceremony in Antarctica. Instead of the traditional bottle of champagne, Roald Amundsen’s explorer heritage will be honored by naming the vessel with a chunk of ice.

The naming ceremony will take place this fall, as the first world’s first hybrid powered cruise ship makes her way to the white continent on her maiden Antarctica voyage.

"We can think of no better place to name the truly unique MS Roald Amundsen than the waters of Antarctica – where no ship has ever been christened before," Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam says.

Named after polar hero Roald Amundsen, who led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage, the first expedition to the south pole and the first expedition proven to have reached the North Pole – the Roald Amundsen naming ceremony is set to honor his legacy with a ritual invented by Amundsen himself.

When christening his famed expedition ship “Maud” in 1917, Roald Amundsen switched the traditional bottle of champagne for a chunk of ice. Before crushing the ice against her bow, he stated: “It is not my intention to dishonor the glorious grape, but already now you shall get the taste of your real environment. For the ice you have been built, and in the ice, you shall stay most of your life, and in the ice, you shall solve your tasks."

Hurtigruten – and the yet to be disclosed godmother – will use the same ritual when naming Roald Amundsen.

"To honor Roald Amundsen and his explorer heritage, we will revive his ritual. With over 125 year of Polar experience, Hurtigruten will use the first ever ship naming ceremony in Antarctica to pay our respects to our oceans, the environment and past and present explorers," Skjeldam says.
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Hurtigruten’s hybrid powered Roald Amundsen made maritime history by being first cruise ship in the world to sail purely on battery power – as she left Kleven yard for her maiden voyage off the coast of Norway in late June.

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