From the Delta Queen department:

It seems to be a trend when plans are announced to retire a classic ship that there's an instant reaction with an outcry to save the ship. There's an excellent editorial in Cincinnati's Enquirer that has a balanced look at several of the issues. Open your mind and then click the link to examine some of the arguments.

Note: Link is valid at time of publication.

From the billion dollar deal department

Update, August 17, 130pm
NCL announced at their press conference that Apollo will become Star's partner in owning NCL. It will be a 50-50 partnership. No management changes are planned, and the cruise line will continue business at they have. Details will be in Cruise News Daily later today.

Update, August 17, 530pm
Star Says that the trade of Star shares will resume in Hong Kong on Monday, August 20.

Update August 17, 1130am
In preparation for the press conference, NCL issued a press release announcing that Apollo Management is taking a $1 billion stake in NCL Corp in partnership with Star.

Update August 17, 11am
NCL Corp has scheduled a news conference for 12:30pm to announce a new stockholder. Details to follow this afternoon.

Update August 16, 9am
At the close of business Thursday, trading remains suspended pending an upcoming announcement.

August 14 Update 4:36am
Reuters reports from Hong Kong say that trading of Star Cruises' shares was suspended yesterday pending an announcement. Further details are not available at this time.

There has been quite a bit of activity recently in Star's casino activity and top ownership. There have also been persistent rumors that their NCL brand is for sale.

More information as it becomes available.

(For US readers, Hong Kong is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time.)

From the no involvement department:

When someone goes overboard from a cruise ship, alcohol is often suspected to be involved, and the cruise line gets criticized for allowing the person to become intoxicated or for somehow serving an underage person.

The medical examiner's report was released on the body of the 18-year-old man who committed suicide by jumping from Carnival Ecstasy last month. According to the AP, the ME found that the man had cocaine and marijuana in his system, but it tested negative for alcohol.

Unless Carnival has greatly expanded its bar menu, they can't be criticized here.

From the belated greetings department:

Did you remember to send a card yesterday? The Panama Canal turned 93. Many of the commemorative events, however, were focused on the future which is symbolized by the start of construction on a new set of locks which will increase capacity and the size of vessels which can transit the waterway. Since it opened on August 15, 1914, more than 922,000 vessels have transited the canal.

From the government is watching department:

Updated August 16, 930am - updates details and news link
We still don't understand why people don't realize that the government is taking note of who enters and leaves the country on cruise ships. This seems like a no-brainer.

In an earlier posting we wrote about one passenger who was completely surprised when she was arrested on an outstanding warrant as she disembarked from her ship in New Jersey at end of a Caribbean cruise.

Today, there's a news story about an American sex offender, skipping out on his probation in Texas, and he was arrested by Canadian authorities in Toronto. They were tipped off to the fact that he was in Canada when he failed to return to his cruise ship, Carnival Victory, in Halifax on August 9.

He apparently didn't think anyone would notice that he didn't get back on the ship. Sheesh!

Note: Links are valid at the time of posting.