News

Resue effort under way as Norman Atlantic ferry catches fire in Adriatic

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 28 December 2014 28 December 2014

A rescue effort is on the way after an Italian flag ropax ferry had caught fire in the Adriatic in the night during a voyage from Greece to Italy, media reports say.

“The Norman Atlantic car ferry was just over 40 miles northwest of Corfu when it sent out a distress signal to the Greek coast guard. The fire broke out in the lower deck garage of the vessel, Italian officials have said, at around 4.30am local time (2.30am GMT),” the Independent newspaper in London reported on its website..

“It was unclear whether there had been casualties or if any passengers were in the water, though officials said wintry water temperatures would make survival in the sea difficult unless rescue came quickly,” the report said.

There are almost 500 people on board the ship, according to Reuters.

Norman Atlantic is of 26,904 gross tons and it was built by the Visentini shipyard in Italy in 2009. The ship is a standard design unit of a long series of ropax ferries built by the shipyard. Like many of the units of the series, it flies the Italian flag.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. details impact of Insignia fire

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 25 December 2014 25 December 2014

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. on Tuesday quantified the financial impact of the incident on board Oceania Cruises' Insignia.

On December 11, 2014, Insignia experienced a fire in the engine room while docked in St. Lucia during a ten-day voyage that departed San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 7, resulting in the cancellation of the remainder of the sailing. The vessel has been taken out of service and the Company anticipates repair efforts to take approximately nine weeks. The timing of the repairs results in the cancellation of a 24-day voyage which had been scheduled to depart Miami on December 17, 2014 along with the first three legs of Insignia's Around the World in 180 Days cruise, which was scheduled to depart Miami on January 10, 2015. This modified voyage will now commence on March 22, 2015 and depart from Singapore.

The financial impact on the fourth quarter of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015 is estimated to be a reduction in earnings of approximately $0.05 and $0.05 per share, net of insurance proceeds, respectively. The Company reiterates its prior full year 2014 Adjusted EPS guidance of $2.28 to $2.32. The guidance provided excluded the results of the acquisition of Prestige Cruises International, Inc., parent company of Oceania Cruises, which closed in the fourth quarter of 2014 and also excludes the financial impacts from this incident.

"The timing of repairs has unfortunately required the cancellation of Insignia's holiday voyage along with the modification of the world cruise," said Kevin Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. "We understand how disappointing this news must be to our valued guests and we extend our sincere appreciation for their cooperation and understanding."

RCCL to retrofit AEP scrubbers on 19 ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 22 December 2014 22 December 2014

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), the world's second largest cruise shipping company, said it will retrofit 19 of its 42 ships with advanced emissions purification (AEP) systems, underscoring its commitment to meet or exceed important environmental standards. These systems, also known as scrubbers, will remove more than 97% of the sulfur dioxide emissions generated by the ships' diesel engines.

The move will position RCCL ahead of all forthcoming International Maritime Organization Emission Control Area emissions standards, and will ensure compliance with existing European Union standards. Additionally, the decision to install AEP systems instead of switching to a fuel with a lower sulfur content will ensure that RCCL's ships can be compliant everywhere they sail, as availability of lower-sulfur fuels is limited, the company said in a statement.

Beginning in January 2015, installation will take place on 13 Royal Caribbean International ships and six Celebrity Cruises ships, during scheduled dry-dockings and while ships are in service. While preliminary work has begun on several of the ships receiving AEP systems, most will take place between 2015 and 2017. Each installation will take approximately eight months.

RCCL has been involved in development, testing and planning for the use of AEP technology since 2010. Two newly built RCCL ships that entered into service this year, Royal Caribbean International's Quantum of the Seas and TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 3, were among the first cruise ships to be built with AEP systems installed during initial construction. Royal Caribbean International's Liberty of the Seas has been operating one of its six engines with a retrofitted AEP system for two years. AEP systems "scrub" exhaust gases by injecting high volumes of water spray into the exhaust stream, removing more than 97% of sulfur dioxide emissions.

"AEP technology for maritime vessels is very new, and we expect that by utilizing multiple technological solutions to accommodate the differences among our ships, additional development will ultimately help industrialize AEP technology even more, which will benefit not only RCCL but also the larger maritime industry," said Adam Goldstein, President and COO of RCCL.

The company faced significant challenges in order to accommodate the AEP systems on its existing ships – some pieces of which can be as large as a school bus, an entire system having an operational weight of several hundred tons of equipment and liquids. "A retrofit project of this size and complexity – and the scale and intricacy of the research, planning, and design required – is unprecedented for our company, and has required a very systematic process and involved the world's leading expertise in this field," said Harri Kulovaara, Executive Vice President, Maritime, RCCL.