Cruise Lines Fill up on Water at Florida Ports

Several environmental groups are promoting the fact that cruise lines fill up on water when they visit South Florida ports, while at the same time, area residents and businesses are subject to water use restrictions.

Local water rules don't restrict cruise lines' water at all, even at times when emergency restrictions are in place. Cruise lines also get preferential rates for the water they buy. The groups say the industry takes enough water from South Florida ports annually to supply a city of 30,000 people.

The issue isn't getting much traction in Florida, however, because residents realize tourism is a major cash generator for the state's economy, and they have to make allowances.

The complete story appeared in the November 30, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.

Ship Blocked by Protesters at Molokai

An anti-cruise group succeeded in blocking - physically - a small ship from American Safari Cruises from docking at Kaunakakai Harbor, Molokai in Hawaii on Saturday morning. The local protesters, who don't like the fact that cruise ships - even though they are small - are coming to Molokai without any community input, blocked the ship's path with surfboards and small boats. The captain continued on to Lanai, the next port of call. The ship did return the next day, without any public announcement, and had docked by the time protesters arrived at the port.

ASC had called at the island twice before in recent weeks and was met by protesters on land, but their demonstrations were ineffective. Two more Molokai calls are scheduled in the next weeks.

Not everyone on Molokai is unhappy about the cruise calls, tour operators and other local businesses were extremely disappointed by Saturday's cancellation.

The incident does have unsettling overtones for the cruise industry in Hawaii, and we looked at the story from several sides - including where the protesters got the idea for blocking the ship's arrival - in the November 29, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.

Video: The Projects Under the Ship during Splendour's Dry Dock

The main reason a ship goes into a dry dock is to do the maintenance below the waterline, under the ship, that can't be done while the ship is in the water. In this video, Royal Caribbean shows some of the projects that were accomplished while Splendour of the Seas was out of the water recently during a 30-day dry dock.

Port Everglades Gets New Ferry Service to the Bahamas

The Bahamas Express will start a round trip ferry operation from Port Everglades (at Ft. Lauderdale) to Freeport, Bahamas on December 9, 2011.

The ship will depart from Cruise Terminal 1 at Port Everglades, near the Convention Center. Parking is available at the Northport Parking Garage. The line will use the fast ferry Pinar del Rio which sails at a speed of 32 knots and has a capacity for 463 people. Amenities aboard include a bar, a duty-free shop, pet cages and a baby changing area.

The service will operate daily except Wednesdays, departing Port Everglades at 10am and returning at 10pm. The trip will take between two and three hours.

The Bahamas Express is operated by the Balearia Group, a Spanish shipping company which has operated for 13 years in the Spanish Mediterranean.

Additional information is available at www.ferryexpress.com

Costa Fascinosa to Be Named in Savona

Costa Cruises said today the 16th ship in their fleet, the 114,500-ton Costa Fascinosa (Italian for "fascinating"), will debut on May 2, 2012 with a cruise from Venice to Savona (near Genoa) where it will be named on May 6.

The 3800-passenger ship is currently in the final construction phase at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard. The ship's official inaugural cruise will be an 11-night voyage from Venice on May 11, 2012.