China acts to boost cruise sector

The Chinese government has launched as number of concessionary measures to boost the country’s cruise business. At a summit held recently in Hainan province the Government announced the streamlining of customs procedures for cruise passengers and legitimising local cruises business, in an effort to promote the industry.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications said that the department would strictly control the safety and technical standards of local cruise operators.  It would also open up the local market to foreign cruise lines, as well as regulating their agencies. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security said it would give a customs waiver procedure for foreign cruise passengers, if they did not make a landing. Chinese customs said that arrival and departure procedures would be simplified with the introduction of electronic documents for those passengers who enter the country.

Sphere: Related Content

US $1.2bn port development programme in Los Angeles

The recently announced US $1.2bn rejuvenation of the waterfront of the US port of Los Angeles means that the west coast cruise port will get it long awaited new cruise terminal. An estimated $275m will be spent on a new Outer Harbour development, to accommodate vessels up to RCCL’s Freedom-class ships, and upgrades to the existing Inner Harbour berths, which date from the 1960s.

The Outer Harbour development will take place on the eastern side of Kaiser Point (Berths 49-50) instead of the west side (Berths 45-47), which faces a public beach. The port anticipates being able to handle four cruise ships of ‘significant size’ simultaneously. Sphere: Related Content

Work starts on new Singapore cruise terminal

Work has started at the new International Cruise Terminal (ICT) at Marina South Pier in Singapore. When completed by the end of 2011 the new terminal will double Singapore’s berth capacity and enable more cruise vessels to both homeport and call at the Lion Republic.

Singapore’s first purpose-built cruise terminal is designed to handle the world’s largest cruise ships, including Oasis of the Seas, and expects to achieve a passenger turnaround of just 30 mins from the point of disembarkation to the point of departure from the terminal. Sphere: Related Content

Larnaka cruise hub moves a step further to completion

Last week the Cypriot government started negotiations with the winning consortium for the development of the port of Larnaka into a major cruise hub for the Eastern Mediterranean. The €1bn project ‘should move ahead with delay’, said Communications Minister Nicos Nicolaides.

Talks are taking place with the seven-member Vouros consortium, which was awarded the project after the original result of awarding the contract to the Zenon consortium was overturned by the Cyprus Tenders Review Authority. Adding to mounting delays in realising this major project, Zenon launched an appeal, but has now stepped aside.

Vouros will design, build, finance and operate the new Larnaka cruise port under a 35-year concession before ownership reverts to the public. Over the course of the concession Cyprus will receive seven per cent of revenue, which Mr. Nicolaides said was worth more than €100m. Sphere: Related Content

Hawaii Port Infrastructure Contract Awarded

The Maritime Administration has awarded a contract designed to streamline development efforts that modernize Hawaii’s commercial harbor facilities. A partnership between the Maritime Administration and the State’s Harbors Division was established in 2005 to facilitate the redevelopment and expansion of Hawaii’s port system -- efforts that are critical to the economy of Hawaii.

The seven year “Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity” contract with a maximum value of $400 million was awarded to TEC, Inc., through a competitive procurement process. The company has a major presence in Hawaii and has been active for many years in the fields of engineering, environmental planning, architecture, infrastructure development, and energy management. The Maritime Administration will oversee TEC’s personnel as they manage and complete all phases of the port redevelopment project. 

As the lead federal agency for the Hawaii Port Infrastructure Expansion Program, the Maritime Administration will partner with other federal agencies, the State, and local Hawaiian 
governments to implement time sensitive and cost effective infrastructure improvements that stimulate sustained economic growth. These efforts are expected to be completed within the timeframe of the contract and will ultimately transform Hawaii’s port system to improve transportation efficiency, air quality, and create jobs. 

Note: Harbour Mastery, Inc. (partner of Progress International) is in a teaming agreement with TEC Inc to provide “Intelligent Transportation Systems” including support for IT technologies to be identified and deployed during the term of the contract.  Sphere: Related Content

Cold ironing for Brooklyn

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been awarded US $2.8m to install a shore power system at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal as part of federal stimulus money designated for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). 

The Brooklyn facility will be the first on the US East Coast to provide shore power and is expected to reduce emissions from berthed cruise vessels by 95.3 tons of NOx, 6.5 tons of fine particulate matter and 1,487 tons of greenhouse gases each year.

Meanwhile, Florida’s Port Everglades is also looking at the possibility of providing shore power at its new Cruise Terminal 18. Sphere: Related Content

Falkland Islands cruise boom

The UK’s South Atlantic dependency of the Falkland Islands has set another record for the number of cruise passengers in one season, with 62,600 passengers arriving on 105 ships in the season which ended this April.

In the past 10 years the Falkland’s has seen a 218% growth in cruise passengers! A new ‘day record’ was set this year on 6 February when 4,053 passengers called in Port Stanley on three ships; Celebrity Infinity, Spirit of Adventure and Norwegian Sun. £3m was spent by cruise passengers this season, while a 1% growth is expected for the 2009/2010 season. Sphere: Related Content

Falmouth dropped in inaugural Oasis of the Seas season

Delays in the completion of the new cruise port at Falmouth, Jamaica, mean that in the inaugural season of the world’s largest cruise ship, RCI’s 5,400 passenger capacity Oasis of the Seas, will call at Mexico’s Costa Maya instead, on her 16 Western Caribbean sailings from Port Everglades.  
Oasis of the Seas’ sailings start this December. However, from May through to November 2010 the vessel will call at Costa Maya instead of Falmouth. The itinerary also includes calls at Cozumel, Mexico; and Labadee, RCI’s private beach on the northern coast of Haiti.

On the modified itineraries, Oasis of the Seas will call at Costa Maya’s recently restored pier, providing passengers with easy access to shore without tendering operations. In Costa Maya, shore excursion options include diving in search of undersea life on Catamaran Sail & Snorkel, an all-terrain vehicle adventure before stopping to relax on a secluded beach with the ATV Jungle & Beach Adventure, or exploring the virtually unexcavated Chacchoben Mayan ruins in the jungle near the Belizean border on the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins.

Oasis of the Seas will alternate its Western Caribbean itinerary with an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, which will include calls at St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship is now scheduled to resume her original Western Caribbean itinerary and make her maiden call at the historic port of Falmouth during the ship’s 11 December 2010 sailing.  

The new cruise berth at Falmouth, owned jointly by the Port Authority of Jamaica and RCCL, is located 22 miles east of Montego Bay in what is really a run down port area, but an area which is being rejuvenated to bring out Falmouth’s historic past. The new finger pier will be able to accommodate two RCCL Genesis-class vessels simultaneously.  Sphere: Related Content

Available now - Port Facility Assessment Solution

Asvaco Port Facility Security
The Asvaco Port Facility Security Assessment solution is the most comprehensive available, and is based 100% on 33 CFR 105. Using Asvaco's web-based assessment tool, you can easily maintain and automatically produce the FSA and FSP to meet MTSA, TWIC and ISPS compliance. The Asvaco System will automatically generate the mitigations identified in the facility security assessments (FSA) and security vulnerability assessments (SVA). Additionally, the Asvaco System automatically builds and populates Appendix A to Part 105 -- Facility Vulnerability and Security Measures Summary (Coast Guard Form CG-6025/6025A).

See http://www.asvaco.info for more details.

Asvaco Port Facility Security Advantage

The Asvaco System provides both efficiency and a cost advantage to the Facility or Vessel organization. This ensures that however the assessment is being done, either the ASVACO Team, the Security Officer (FSO) or Vessel Security (VSO), will be able to prepare and revise security plans, develop countermeasures to prevent security events, evaluate TWIC related requirements, improve emergency preparedness, develop security guidance documents, conduct training to strengthen post-event mitigation, and assist clients with selection and implementation of appropriate countermeasures.  
The Asvaco System is also available completely web based and deployed over the internet (secured, encrypted, and PCII compliant). In addition, the Asvaco System gives you the ability to complete the security system over the Internet saving both time and additional cost. 
The Asvaco System enables the user to get the job done efficiently and faster. The ASVACO Team or Security Officer can assign up to ten other team members to help collect data and answer questions. This unique "Force Multiplier" feature allows for instant access by your command center, supervisors, and security personnel to properly deploy human and physical security resources based upon probable threats or breaches. 
Written for consistency with stringent guidelines, the auto-generation of the assessment project report is a tremendous time saver. As a 'living document', assessment reports for the FSA and FSP can be updated any time there are changes to the facility. The report may also be updated, as desired, to augment the content for use by different officials and recipients. 
Asvaco's comprehensive approach provides a powerful and affordable software system that integrates with the Security Officer's mission of providing a holistic security solution to meet both FSA and FSP requirements. 
The Security Officer and other officials can easily determine security gaps that require attention through visual color coding that is aligned with the threat-level system adopted by the Department of Homeland Security or any other regulatory organization. 
The Asvaco System allows the facility or any user the ability to incorporate their mission specific questions along with the regulatory requirements to create an assessment that is tailored to their specific needs. 
Affordable price: If executed online by the user, the annual subscription is $2500 per individual assessment, which includes as-needed assessment updates.  Sphere: Related Content

Sunday Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings for Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas, sistership to RCI’s Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, will undertake 42 sailings to the Eastern and Western Caribbean on seven night cruises from Port Everglades every Sunday, beginning 12 December 2010.

The 5,400 passenger capacity Allure of the Seas will depart from Port Everglades and alternate between a seven night Eastern and Western itinerary. Ports of call on the Eastern Caribbean sailings will include Charlotte Amalie, St.Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship will call at Falmouth, Jamaica; Cozumel, Mexico and Labadee, RCI’s private beach on the northern coast of Haiti, for the Western Caribbean itinerary.  Sphere: Related Content

Sydney needs a large, modern cruise terminal

The problems facing the Australian port of Sydney with regard to handling today’s large, modern cruise ships was demonstrated the other week when four ships were in port at the same day, creating something of a log jam. Sydney is in urgent need of a large, modern cruise terminal.

The four cruise vessels in town the other week were P&O Cruises’ Australia’s 1,590 passenger capacity (696 crew) Pacific Dawn, alongside at Wharf 8 Darling Harbour, Crystal Cruises’ 1,100 passenger capacity (650 crew) Crystal Serenity, alongside at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney Cove, while Celebrity cruises’ 1,950 passenger capacity (999 crew) Celebrity Millennium was anchored in Athol Bay and P&O Cruises’ Aurora, 1,860 passengers (816 crew) was at anchor off Point Piper. Luckily for the two ships at anchor the weather was good for passenger transfer by tenders.

Carnival Australia’s CEO Ann Sherry is leading a campaign to get world-class cruise terminal facilities at Australia’s main cruise turnaround port. The single berth Overseas Passenger Terminal is unable to handle the number of ships too big to pass under the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. She is also leading the fight for a more cruise ship-friendly location of the proposed new terminal at White Bay, which the New South Wales Government has chosen to replace the existing facility at Wharf 8, Darling Harbour.

Meanwhile, Carnival UK’s CEO David Dingle has added his weight to improved cruise ship facilities in Sydney. Dingle, responsible for P&O Cruises Australia, said that the decision to pull down Wharf 8, Darling Harbour, is ‘bizarre’ and that it ‘defies belief.’ Dingle believes that the local Government should include Wharf 8 in the proposed development of the East Darling Harbour precinct that has been named Barangaroo. He said that the proposed controversial plan to build a new cruiser terminal at White Bay is ‘financially irresponsible’ and would be ‘a waste of taxpayers’ money.’

Carnival would like to see a new cruise terminal built at the Royal Australian Navy’s Garden Island base in Sydney to supplement to Overseas Passenger Terminal.  Sphere: Related Content

Spain’s Vision Cruceros calls it a day!

The global credit crunch has claimed another casualty in the cruise industry with Spain’s Vision Cruceros ceasing business. Earlier this year the Spanish operator cancelled its summer cruise season, having chartered Clipper’s 19,100grt Vision Star (ex SuperStar Gemini) for five years in October 2008. Vision Cruceros then sub-chartered the vessel to Greece’s Mediterranean Classic Cruises (formerly Monarch Classic Cruises) until November this year, hoping to restart operations at the end of 2009. However, reports from Spain suggest that the cruise operator has called it a day! Sphere: Related Content

FAA Promotes Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Safety

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is trying to make Helicopter Emergency Medical Service flights safer. Last year saw the number of fatal crashes increase "sharply", according to the FAA. And now while the FAA pursues new rules that support National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations, it is aggressively promoting "significant" short-term safety initiatives that don't require rulemaking, such as: 
• Encourage risk management training to flight crews so that they can make more analytical decisions about whether to launch on a flight. 
• Better training for night operations and responding to inadvertent flight into deteriorating weather conditions. 
• Promote technology such as night vision goggles (NVGs), terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS) and radar altimeters. 
• Provide airline-type FAA oversight for operators. Identify regional FAA HEMS operations and maintenance inspectors to help certificate new operators and review the operations of existing companies.
Read more... Sphere: Related Content

Record cruise umbers for Marseille

The French Mediterranean port of Marseille recorded a record year in 2008 for cruise passengers. Passenger figures for the year, both ferry and cruise, rose to 2.04m, with cruise passenger figures jumping by 25% to a new high of 539,000 to outweigh a seven per cent fall in ferry passengers. 

The increase in cruise passengers was the result of extra calls being made by regular callers at Marseille and new business coming from Germany’s AIDA. The cruise passenger figures included a 29% increase in passengers embarking and a 24% rise in transit throughput. The seven per cent drop in ferry passengers, to 1.5m, reflected stable performances for Corsica (859,000) and Tunisia (255,000), but a 20% decline for Algeria (364,000), mainly due to tightened Customs controls. Sphere: Related Content

Destination South West at risk

The future of the UK’s cruise tourism partnership Destination South West (DSW) is at risk due to additional funding. DSW was established to increase the cruise business for the south west corner of the UK and includes 11 ports and 24 other partners. The ports are Ilfracombe, Isles of Scilly, Mounts Bay (Penzance), Falmouth, Truro, Fowey, Plymouth, Dartmouth, English Riviera (Torquay), Portland and Poole.  Sphere: Related Content

Port Everglades handles 50,000 passengers in just one day!

It seems that the world record for handling the most cruise passengers in a single day has gone to Florida’s Port Everglades, which says that it handled 49,234 passengers on 3 January this year, both in and out.

A total of 11 cruise ships were in port on 3 January, including Carnival Splendor, QM2, Discovery Sun, Eurodam, Noordam, Statendam, MSC Lirica, Ruby Princess, Navigator of the Seas and Seabourn Pride. Sphere: Related Content