Norwegian Cruise Line vs the state of Florida

May 10, 2021

The latest in Norwegian Cruise Line’s efforts to get cruises going again the US is up against an unlikely foe: the state of Florida. NCL is bound by CDC regulations to screen passengers for COVID vaccinations. Florida has banned any business from such policies. So the story continues…

Norwegian Cruise Line vs the state of Florida

The latest in Norwegian Cruise Line’s efforts to get cruises going again the US is up against an unlikely foe: the state of Florida. NCL is bound by CDC regulations to screen passengers for COVID vaccinations. Florida has banned any business from such policies. So the story continues…

South American drought affects crops and ability to ship them

May 07, 2021

Severe drought in South America is driving up prices on crops like corn and wheat, partly because of the difficulty in growing the crops, but also low water levels in the rivers where these agricultural products need to be shipped by tug and barge.

South American drought affects crops and ability to ship them

South American drought affects crops and ability to ship them

Severe drought in South America is driving up prices on crops like corn and wheat, partly because of the difficulty in growing the crops, but also low water levels in the rivers where these agricultural products need to be shipped by tug and barge.

Salvage crews get adrift ship under tow

Apr 08, 2021

Salvors from Smit Salvage managed to get a drifting, listing heavy lift ship safely under tow in the North Sea, after bad weather caused the ship to lose cargo overboard. The ship was carrying yachts and workboats, and one of them broke loose from its lashings. Salvors have located the missing boat, which will be the subject of another salvage effort.

Salvage crews are the folks who head into danger as others are fleeing it. Their job description says they must be “immune to stress.”

Photo credit: Stormy weather in the North Sea, onboard research vessel Walther Herwig III in August 2019. Wikimedia Commons. Photographer: Randel Kreitsberg. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Salvage crews get adrift ship under tow

Salvage crews get adrift ship under tow

Salvors from Smit Salvage managed to get a drifting, listing heavy lift ship safely under tow in the North Sea, after bad weather caused the ship to lose cargo overboard. The ship was carrying yachts and workboats, and one of them broke loose from its lashings. Salvors have located the missing boat, which will be the subject of another salvage effort.

Salvage crews are the folks who head into danger as others are fleeing it. Their job description says they must be “immune to stress.”

Photo credit: Stormy weather in the North Sea, onboard research vessel Walther Herwig III in August 2019. Wikimedia Commons. Photographer: Randel Kreitsberg. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

North Sea salvage operation seeks to avoid disaster

Apr 07, 2021

Today we take a look at a salvage operation happening in the North Sea off Norway. A cargo ship is drifting toward shore, listing badly and salvors are trying to save it before it runs aground and causes an oil spill. The salvage company working on this incident is the same one that freed the Ever Given in the Suez Canal.

Photo credit: Stormy weather in the North Sea, onboard research vessel Walther Herwig III in August 2019. Wikimedia Commons. Photographer: Randel Kreitsberg. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Salvage crews get adrift ship under tow

North Sea salvage operation seeks to avoid disaster

Today we take a look at a salvage operation happening in the North Sea off Norway. A cargo ship is drifting toward shore, listing badly and salvors are trying to save it before it runs aground and causes an oil spill. The salvage company working on this incident is the same one that freed the Ever Given in the Suez Canal.

Photo credit: Stormy weather in the North Sea, onboard research vessel Walther Herwig III in August 2019. Wikimedia Commons. Photographer: Randel Kreitsberg. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Cruise ship company presses CDC for July 4 restart to cruises

Apr 06, 2021

At least one major cruise line is pressing the CDC to allow cruises to resume in July with mandatory vaccines. While that might seem like a deal-maker, there are still some big uncertainties for reopening a business model that was the original flashpoint for the pandemic in the US: people crowded together on cruise ships.

Cruise ship company presses CDC for July 4 restart to cruises

Cruise ship company presses CDC for July 4 restart to cruises

At least one major cruise line is pressing the CDC to allow cruises to resume in July with mandatory vaccines. While that might seem like a deal-maker, there are still some big uncertainties for reopening a business model that was the original flashpoint for the pandemic in the US: people crowded together on cruise ships.

New CDC cruise ship orders in the pandemic

Apr 05, 2021

The CDC has issued new orders to cruise operators regarding how they can prepare to resume sailing out of U.S. ports as the pandemic eases. The CDC oversees U.S. ports, and the industry must abide by their rules if they want to resume cruises here. COVID-19 vaccinations will be critical in the effort to restart the cruise industry.

Photo: The cruise ship Regatta spent the winter in storage at the Port of Astoria. She maintained a skeleton crew on board to keep the ship in operating order. The Regatta left Astoria at the end of March, headed south to be prepped for what cruise operators hope will be a season of reopening for the industry.

Cruise ship company presses CDC for July 4 restart to cruises

New CDC cruise ship orders in the pandemic

The CDC has issued new orders to cruise operators regarding how they can prepare to resume sailing out of U.S. ports as the pandemic eases. The CDC oversees U.S. ports, and the industry must abide by their rules if they want to resume cruises here. COVID-19 vaccinations will be critical in the effort to restart the cruise industry.

Photo: The cruise ship Regatta spent the winter in storage at the Port of Astoria. She maintained a skeleton crew on board to keep the ship in operating order. The Regatta left Astoria at the end of March, headed south to be prepped for what cruise operators hope will be a season of reopening for the industry.