The UK’s new polar research ship is being formally named the RRS Sir David Attenborough today (Thursday, September 26) by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and special guest Sir David Attenborough will be in attendance. A three-day public celebration, hosted at the shipyard by British Antarctic Survey and Cammell Laird
China Merchants Heavy Industry has delivered an expedition cruise vessel to SunStone Ships, the first of its next-genn INFINITY-class vessel and perhaps more significantly China's firm entrance into the cruise ship building sector.The arrangement to bring this ship from drawing board to delivery slip is the culmination of marrying European cruise design and quality with Chinese ship-building
While nothing lasts forever, the cruise industry – and particularly the ‘expedition’ cruise sector – remain on a historic run with no indication of a near-term slowdown.The leisure travel sector, of which expedition cruising is a part, offers numerous possibilities for delivering new “experiences” unlike industrial shipping businesses (or even conventional ferry and passenger transport)
Newbuild MarketUnsurprisingly, across the offshore sectors, newbuild orders have been scarce to none. Oversupply is still a major problem for the industry and due to slippage, ordering vessels now would be counterproductive. Why order brand new vessels from a yard and wait several years for these to be delivered
John Fredriksen's offshore drilling firm Northern Drilling has ordered another newbuild rig having exercised a previously held option for the Cobalt Explorer drillship to be delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) by the first quarter of 2021.The drilling contractor said in a press release it has exercised the option for the 7th generation DP3 and ultra-deepwater drillship
Profiled in the March 2019 "cruise" edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News is Sven Lindblad, intrepid explorer and wildlife photographer Sven Lindblad blazed the trail for environmentally sensitive travelers to Antarctica on Lindblad Expedition’s fleet of cruise ships with National Geographic.
Norwegian ship designer Ulstein has received a contract to design the fourth expedition cruise vessel for Miami-based SunStone Ships, in their Infinity series.The vessel, which will be constructed at the China Merchants Heavy Industries (CMHI) yard in China, is a CX103 design featuring the X-BOW and designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions.
Hurtigruten orders third hybrid-powered expedition cruise shipGrowth in the global cruise sector continues, as Hurtigruten, the world’s largest expedition cruise operator, signed an MOU with shipbuilder Kleven Verft AS for the construction of a third hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship. Tom Mulligan, Maritime Reporter’s Science & Technology writer, reports from Norway.
Divers are one step closer to being able to camp underwater. A pair of innovators have developed an underwater habitat – a subsea ‘basecamp’ if you will – that provides a portable deep-sea space for divers, a habitat and dedicated life support system that provides creates a breathable environment.
In the 1870 Jules Verne classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", underwater explorer Captain Nemo predicted the mining of the ocean floor's mineral bounty - zinc, iron, silver and gold.India is catching up with that only now, as it prepares to unearth treasures down below, aiming to boost its economy.
Britain's richest man Jim Ratcliffe's oil and gas company Ineos Group Holdings is in exclusive talks with ConocoPhillips to buy North Sea oil and gas fields worth $3 billion from the U.S. energy company.Various news paper reports say that British petrochemicals company has confirmed it is negotiating to buy several North Sea oil fields from U.S. energy giant.
SunStone Ships continues to break new ground in the specialty/expedtion cruise sector with the announcement of the signing of an agreement to build another two Infiity class vessels in China. According to SunStone President and CEO, Niels-Erik Lund, “Our charterers are anxious to enjoy the advantages of our cutting-edge technology, like the Xbow design