Maritime News

December 21 ------ As the cruise industry embraces LNG, the focus has shifted from proving feasibility to tackling methane slip. New engine technology, independent validation, and how the cruise sector is operating high-profile vessels such as MSC’s World Europa, Princess Cruises’ Princess Sun and Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas are showing how LNG is maturing into a credible, scalable fuel solution for passenger shipping. All of these ships use the latest advanced Wärtsil

December 21 ------ If you ever find yourself on Macquarie Island – a narrow, wind-lashed ridge halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica – the first thing you’ll notice is the wildlife. Elephant seals sprawl across dark beaches. King penguins march up mossy slopes. Albatrosses circle over vast, treeless uplands. But look more closely and the island is changing. Slopes are becoming boggier. Iconic megaherbs such as Pleurophyllum and Stilbocarpa are retreating. For years, scienti

December 20 ------ In October, California Assembly Bill 14, “Coastal resources: Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program” (AB-14) was signed into law, making California the first state in the country to strengthen a longstanding voluntary effort to reduce air pollution and risks to endangered whale populations off California’s coast by reducing speeds of large ocean-going vessels. Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, linked both to i

December 20 ------ Hong Kong Customs is highlighting its first use of a new ROV for ship inspections and reports that last month it, for the first time, discovered a large stash of cocaine hidden in the sea chest of a containership. Speaking at a press event on December 16, the officials highlighted that the smugglers are using new techniques in an attempt to avoid detection. The unnamed containership, only described as being 333 meters (1,092 feet) in length, was targeted us

December 19 ------ The Port of Los Angeles notes that despite all the uncertainties of 2025 and the rapid changes in trade policies, that it will still have one of its top three years of all time, making it again the only North American port to exceed 10 million TEU in a year. Port executives, however, point to uncertainties and a lack of settled trade policies contributing to a challenging year in 2026 that should see slowed import levels. “Even with all the trade uncertaint

December 19 ------ The entry into force of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) on 26 June 2025 marks a landmark shift in the governance of global ship recycling. It represents the culmination of a long and politically delicate process, one that required not only multilateral coordination but also precise mathematical thresholds. Yet beneath the celebratory messages lies a less visible truth: without Bangladesh

December 19 ------ Connectivity at sea was a luxury just a decade ago, but as cost has dropped and speed has improved, it has become an essential service in many sectors - particularly in the cruise industry. High speed wifi and digitally-enabled shipboard transactions are critical to cruise ship operations and revenue (and passenger satisfaction). A brief outage aboard Carnival Firenze this week suggests that a connectivity issue is enough reason to delay a departure until t

December 19 ------ Spanish bound4blue has completed the installation of what it says is the largest suction sail ever fitted to a general cargo vessel for Dutch shipping company Amasus. Bound4blue and Amasus Shipping completed the installation of a 22-meter eSAIL on the general cargo vessel Fluvius Tavy at Astander Shipyard in Santander, Spain, marking their second such installation. This follows the previous installation on board Amasus’ Eems Traveller, where two 17-metre eS