The number of people going on cruises is increasing dramatically all the time. In 2007 nearly 16 million people took cruises globally but this is expected to exceed 25 million by 2019. By comparison, marine accidents were reported to be responsible for the deaths of just over a thousand people in 2017.
A crew member was reported missing from the cruise ship Norwegian Gateway on Saturday, while the vessel was sailing 28 miles northwest of Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Ships authorities contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard 7th District Command Center at 3:20 p.m.
Cicero De Andrade, a crew member working as a bartender on the cruise ship MS Sovereign operated by Pullmantur Cruises went missing in Italy. The Brazilian national was last seen on June 20, after he disembarked from the cruise ship at the port of Civitavecchia. Cicero De Andrade is a 27-year-old male from Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The leading travel retailer Dufry Ltd, which has a strong presence in the global market including duty-free, duty-paid, brand boutiques, is expanding its presence in cruise ship retail. The Swiss company with headquarters in Basel signed a new contract with Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line to operate onboard shops increasing its presence in the cruise line sector, from 17 to a total of 27 ships.
The Spanish cruise line Pullmantur Cruceros has announced the opening of two exclusive Victoria's Secret stores onboard their ships Sovereign and Monarch. Now guest can find on board some of the most popular products of the sexiest brand in the world.
There was a big drama today in the port of Honningsvag, Norway when the cruise ship “Mein Schiff 3” broke free from its moorings due to strong winds. The incident happen around 8:15 pm when sudden strong winds with speed of 49 knots hit the vessel operated by TUI Cruises. The cruise ship collided with the pier and caused damage both to the docks and the ship itself.
The Swiss engineering group ABB has announced an order to power the new Virgin Voyages fleet. Each of the three 110,000 gross tons cruise ships will be equipped with ABB systems including the ABB propulsion, as well as it's electric generators and remote control systems for maneuvering. Virgin Voyages vessels will be equipped with two Azipod XO units, a combined propulsion power of 32 MW (43,000 HP).
During the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, Princess cruise ship will serve as a floating hotel to ease a shortage of accommodations. The 260 meters long vessel Sun Princess, with a maximum capacity of 2272 guests, plus crew will be docked at Yokohama Port during 2020 Olympic Games. Sun Princess will be chartered by the Japanese Travel conglomerate - JTB during a period of 19 days.
Norwegian Coast Guard started testing drones in order to detect sulfur emission levels from cruise ships arriving in the Norwegian fjords. The new method of monitoring the sulfur level is conducted by state of the art Lockheed Martin Indago drone with a price tag of $123.000.The specially made sensor, developed by the Danish company Explicit, provides detailed measurements of sulfur content in the exhaust. Everything is transferred wirelessly to the controller in real time.
FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 is currently in full swing, and fans from all across the world have come in to support their national teams. Most of them have spent hours on multiple planes just to get to eleven host cities. However, Russia biggest port city Saint Petersburg, is unique, with fans also arriving on cruise ships to see the FIFA World Cup matches at Krestovsky Stadium.
