…MSC to Fully Pay for North Sea Cleanup***

…As Carnival to Launch Four New Ships in 2019***

Massive oil spill from container ship MAERSK GATESHEAD occurred early in the morning Jan 6 in Hong Kong, at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal, where the ship docked in the afternoon Jan 5.

Shortly after, bunker tanker CARLUNG moored alongside container ship, obviously for bunkering.

Spill was reported to authorities at 0530 HK time Jan 6, anti pollution operation was launched, and as of evening, was still under way.

No doubt spill occurred during bunkering operation, though it is not known yet, who’s to blame and what went wrong. Judging from photo, oil leaked overboard from starboard cargo deck, during night time, probably that’s why it was spotted too late to stop fuel transfer and avoid overboard leak. 

In the meantime, Swiss shipowner Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has pledged to pay the full costs of the cleanup of the MSC Zoe container spill in the North Sea.

“MSC is committed to continue searching the sea for the containers which fell overboard, until the last one is found,” the company said on Saturday.

The shipowner added it would “ensure that the beaches of the Dutch and German coastlines are surveyed until all debris related to this incident has been cleared.” 

To remind, more than 200 containers are estimated to have fallen overboard from the Panama-flagged MSC Zoe while the vessel was battling rough weather on its journey toward Bremerhaven, Germany, on January 2.

Following the incident, MSC has been working with a number of salvage companies to clean up German and Dutch waters and beaches.

The company has now confirmed the appointment of Ardent Global to coordinate the search at sea in both countries, in full collaboration with relevant authorities.

Through joint collaboration, MSC and Ardent intend “to minimize the impact on the environment and safety of navigation from this accident.”

Meanwhile, Carnival Corporation will launch four new cruise ships in 2019 across three of its leading global brands – Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises.  

Carnival Cruise Line will debut Carnival Panorama, scheduled to begin sailing from her homeport of Long Beach in December 2019. Also launched will be Sky Princess, Princess Cruises’ fourth Royal-class ship; Costa Smeralda, the second of Carnival Corporation’s 11 new LNG-powered ships joining the fleet by 2025; and Costa Venezia, Costa Cruises’ first ship designed and built specifically for the China market.

The four ships are part of Carnival Corporation’s ongoing fleet enhancement strategy with 20 new ships scheduled for delivery between 2019 and 2025.

Carnival Corporation launched four ships in 2018, Carnival Horizon from Carnival Cruise Line, Seabourn Ovation from Seabourn, ms Nieuw Statendam from Holland America Line and most recently, AIDAnova – the world’s first cruise ship that can be powered by LNG both in port and at sea – from AIDA Cruises.

Carnival Panorama 

When Carnival Panorama arrives in Long Beach next December, she will become the brand’s first new ship to homeport in California in 20 years, sailing year-round voyages from the newly renovated Long Beach Cruise Terminal to the Mexican Riviera.

The 4,008-passenger, 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama is the third in the line’s Vista-class series, the largest ever constructed for Carnival Cruise Line, which includes Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon. The three ships are all named to reflect the connection between the vessels and the sea.

Carnival Panorama is scheduled to debut on December 11, 2019, with a special three-day inaugural cruise from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, which is housed in a 146,000-square-foot geodesic dome that once contained Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose airplane. Most California residents and the surrounding area live within a day’s drive of the port. Year-round, seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises begin December 14, departing Long Beach every Saturday to destinations along the Mexican Riviera, including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

Sky Princess 

The 143,700-ton Sky Princess can accommodate 3,660 passengers, and she joins three Royal-class sister ships – Royal Princess, Regal Princess and Majestic Princess – in October 2019. 

New to Sky Princess are Sky Suites, centrally located on the top deck. Measuring 700 square feet and with a 270-degree panorama, the suites feature the largest private balconies at sea with a prime view of the ship’s Movie Under the Stars screen. Sky Suites have sleeping capacity for five guests. Also new for Sky Princess will be the addition of a Wakeview pool on her aft decks, plus two new deep-tank top deck pools, a restorative Retreat Pool and more Jacuzzis than previous Royal-Class ships, including two cantilevered over the deep-tank pools. 

The inaugural Mediterranean deployment of Sky Princess is set to feature 10 cruise departures on eight unique itineraries, beginning October 20, 2019, with a seven-day Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise from Athens (Piraeus) to Barcelona. On November 17, the ship is scheduled to set sail from Barcelona for Fort Lauderdale to sail the Caribbean before she returns to tour Europe beginning in April 2020. 

Costa Venezia 

Costa Cruises claims to be the first international cruise brand to serve the China market, with a homeported ship in 2006, and Costa Venezia is the brand’s first ship built specifically for China. The 135,500-ton, 5,260-passenger Costa Venezia will be Costa Cruises’ largest ship operating homeport cruises from China and is expected to commence operation in May 2019. Passengers will be able to enjoy Italian dining, luxury Italian shopping and world-class Italian entertainment, while enjoying familiar comforts such as a range of Chinese cuisines and Chinese-style karaoke bars.
 
Costa Smeralda 

At 182,700 tons, and with over 2,600 guest rooms, Costa Smeralda will be the largest ship in Costa Cruises’ fleet. She is named after the Emerald Coast of Sardinia and will also be Costa Cruises’ first vessel powered by LNG in port and at sea.

She will host a unique onboard museum, the Costa Design Museum, which will be dedicated to the excellence of Italian design, showcasing many of the Italian designers that contributed to the ship’s construction.

The ship is scheduled to make her maiden voyage on October 20, 2019, with a 15-day cruise from Hamburg, with stops in Rotterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona and Marseille before arriving for a naming celebration at Savona, in northwest Italy, on November 3. On November 4, the six-day inaugural cruise is expected to depart from Savona, calling on Barcelona, Marseille and Rome (Civitavecchia). Costa Smeralda will continue to sail in the Western Mediterranean until April 2020, with seven-day cruises calling on Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia.

Fleetmon with additional report from World Maritime News and Maritime Executive