Fincantieri: Steel Cutting of Crystal Grace
Fincantieri held the first steel‑cutting ceremony for Crystal Grace, the luxury cruise ship destined for Crystal’s fleet, at its Marghera yard. The 62,000‑ton vessel, designed for 650 guests with a high crew‑to‑passenger ratio, is slated for delivery in spring 2028 followed by two sister ships. The project builds on a 2023 partnership that saw extensive refits of Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, showcasing advanced sustainability upgrades. The ceremony underscores Fincantieri’s continued leadership in high‑end cruise construction.
New Zealand Funds Upgrades for Aging Navy Ships Ahead of Fleet Renewal
New Zealand is committing a substantial portion of its NZ$1.5 billion (US$925 million) 2026 defence budget to extend the service life of three key navy vessels – the Anzac‑class frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana and the multi‑role ship HMNZS Canterbury. Critical maintenance work will push...
Trump Says U.S. Will End Naval Blockade of Iran
Donald Trump announced on social media that the United States will lift its naval blockade of Iran’s Strait of Hormuz, though no timeline was given. Bloomberg data shows only 29 of the 109 supertankers trapped in the Persian Gulf have...
Two Crew Injured as Russia Continues Attacks on Merchant Ships Near Odesa
A Turkish‑owned general cargo vessel, the Ant (5,095 dwt), was set ablaze by a Russian attack off Odesa on May 28, injuring two crew members. The Ukrainian navy intervened, extinguishing the fire and evacuating the injured crew, while Turkey’s foreign ministry warned...
Product Tanker Catches Fire Anchored Off Bangladesh
Bangladesh Coast Guard battled a fire on the 13,000‑dwt product tanker Meghna Trader anchored off Chittagong. The blaze broke out at 0725 on Eid al‑Adha after the vessel had been at anchor for ten days following a voyage from Indonesia....
Cobham Satcom Expands GMDSS Choice with New SAILOR 7200 Terminal
Cobham Satcom unveiled the SAILOR 7200 terminal, its first Iridium‑based GMDSS solution, at Posidonia 2026. The new unit joins the existing SAILOR mini‑C for Inmarsat, giving shipowners the ability to select between two satellite safety ecosystems without network lock‑in. Featuring an omni‑directional...
U.S. Strikes Iranian Drone Launcher After Attack on Merchant Shipping
U.S. forces carried out a limited strike on an Iranian ground‑control site near Bandar Abbas after Iran launched four one‑way drones at merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. All drones were intercepted by U.S. Air Force and Navy fighters, and...
Study: Greek Islands Could Benefit From Floating Nuclear Power by 2035
A new study by Deon Policy Institute and partners suggests that floating nuclear power plants could be deployed to Greece’s isolated islands by 2035‑40, offering a low‑carbon alternative to diesel generators. Greece’s mainland grid now exports surplus solar electricity, but...
UK Permits Liabilities Limitation in Solong-Stena Immaculate 2025 Allision
The UK Admiralty Court ruled that owners of the containership Solong can limit their liability for the March 2025 collision with the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate to about $20 million. The court rejected Stena Bulk’s and charterer Crowley’s attempt to pierce the...
Chinese Refiners Are Absorbing Much of the Hit From Hormuz Shutdown
The Hormuz crisis knocked out 12‑15 million barrels per day of Middle Eastern crude, yet Brent prices have lingered between $95‑110 per barrel. China slashed seaborne crude imports to 6.6 million barrels per day in May—about a third of its normal volume—absorbing...
Strait of Hormuz Delays Are Translating Into Downstream Production Losses
The Strait of Hormuz is no longer a closed waterway but a timing bottleneck, with vessels facing detention and extended transits. These delays ripple through global supply chains, forcing chemicals, fertilizer, aluminum and industrial‑gas plants to halt or run below...
Op-Ed: NZF Is the Only Option for Delivering on IMO's Climate Commitments
The International Maritime Organization’s Net‑Zero Framework (NZF) is back on track, with most member states backing the plan despite pressure from the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Panama and Liberia. The NZF introduces a global fuel standard and a carbon‑pricing mechanism...
Study: North American Ports Are Getting Fewer Direct Connections
A Bank of Canada analysis shows Canada’s five largest ports lost most of their direct shipping links between 2016 and 2023, with Vancouver’s degree‑centrality dropping from 0.75% to 0.16%. Total deadweight tonnage handled by Canadian ports fell 28%, from 167 million...
Kenya Acquires New Ferry for a Crossing Plagued by Safety Concerns
Kenya announced a $23 million purchase of a high‑capacity ferry to replace the aging vessels that serve the Likoni channel, the sole maritime link between Mombasa Island’s south shore and the mainland. The existing fleet, some dating back to the 1960s,...
The Aramid Shield: Snare Drones for Active Subsea Defense
Recent Chinese maritime militia actions, including anchor‑dragging attacks on Taiwan’s undersea cables, highlight a growing gray‑zone threat to global data infrastructure. Traditional naval vessels and coast‑guard fleets lack the scalability and cost‑effectiveness to protect thousands of kilometres of seabed cables....