Costa Concordia wreck removal plan presented today in Rome
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 18 May 2012 18 May 2012
Following a conference convened by the commissioner May 15, during which the relevant authorities provided the necessary permits, the work will begin in a few days and is expected to last about 12 months.
http://www.titansalvage.com, part of the Crowley Group, is an American-owned specialist marine salvage and wreck removal company and is a world leader in its field. http://www.micoperi.com is a well-known Italian marine contractor with a long history as a specialist in underwater construction and engineering.
The plan to refloat the hull in one piece gives top priority to minimizing environmental impact, protecting Giglio's economy and tourism industry, and maximizing safety.
Environmental protection will have top priority throughout the monumental salvage operation, the likes of which has not been attempted before anywhere in the world. Once removal is complete, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted.
The plan also includes measures to safeguard Isola del Giglio's tourism industry and wider economy. Salvage workers' presence will not have a significant impact on the availability of hotel accommodations for the island's summer season. The operating base will be located on the mainland near Piombino, where equipment and materials will be stored, avoiding impact on the island's port activities.
Operations will be divided into four basic stages:
– After stabilizing the ship, a subsea platform will be built and caissons that can be filled with water will be fixed to the side of the ship that is out of the water
– Two cranes fixed to the platform will pull the ship upright, helped by the caissons, which will be filled with water
– When the ship is upright, caissons will also be fixed to the other side of the hull
– The caissons on both sides will then be emptied, after treating and purifying the water to protect the marine environment, and filled with air.
Once floated, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Italian authorities.
The plan was selected by an evaluation team with specialist representatives from Costa Crociere, Carnival Corporation & plc, London Offshore Consultants and Standard P&I Club, with the collaboration of RINA and Fincantieri, because it best fulfills the main objectives of the operation -- removal of the wreck in one piece, minimal risk, minimal environmental impact, protection of Giglio's economy and tourism industry, and maximum safety.
"From the early stages of the accident, Costa Crociere has fully committed its resources, professional expertise and organization to minimizing the impact of the shipwreck on the environment and on Isola del Giglio in particular," said Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. president. "As was the case with the fuel-removal operation, we have always worked to find the best possible and safest solution to protect the island, its marine environment and its tourism industry. We are now launching a salvage operation with characteristics and technical complexities that have never been faced before. There will inevitably be some unknowns in a project of this scope, but we are sure we have made the right decision and will continue to work to our best ability and on schedule."
"We are very pleased to have been chosen to perform this incredible operation to remove the wreck of Costa Concordia," said Richard Habib, managing director of Titan Salvage. "Our quality engineering and the experience we have gained in this area allowed us to present a project that met expectations. From now on we will work with the aim of preserving the environment and the natural habitat."
"We were confident from the outset that the professionalism of our company and our proven experience in underwater rescue and recovery operations could be of service to this salvage operation," said Silvio Bertolotti, general manager of Micoperi. "Being chosen is also a powerful demonstration of the quality and capability of Italian companies to manage such delicate and unprecedented projects."
Royal Caribbean to have a total of nine ships to ply European waters in 2013
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 17 May 2012 17 May 2012
Royal Caribbean offers families and couples the best cruise ships to create or renew a Europe adventure of a lifetime, said Betsy O'Rourke, senior vice president of Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. Nearly every ship will have undergone revitalizations and enhancements to offer vacationers the most innovative and modern fleet in Europe. Couple that with exciting itineraries to the must-see destinations and our friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service, you have a foolproof formula for an unforgettable Europe vacation.
In May and August, Vision of the Seas will alternate seven-night Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia & Russia itineraries from Copenhagen, Denmark. The ship also will offer seven-night Scandinavia & Russia sailings from Stockholm in July. Two Ultimate Scandinavia & Russia itineraries each feature two overnights in St. Petersburg, one sailing on June 19 from Copenhagen on an 11-night itinerary that concludes with an overnight at Stockholm, and the second on July 28 from Stockholm on a 10-night itinerary that concludes with an overnight at Copenhagen. Additionally from Copenhagen, vacationers can select a 10-night British Isles cruise departing on Aug. 7, or an 11-night sailing on June 8 that ventures up the Norwegian Coast and beyond Latitude 66 North into the Arctic Circle.
Vision of the Seas complements Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas' Europe 2013 sailings in the North Sea. Brilliance of the Seas also will sail the North and Baltic seas, but on longer 10- to 11-night itineraries from Harwich, England. Independence of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas will homeport at Southampton, to offer a wide range of itineraries to the Baltics, British Isles, Mediterranean and Canary Islands.
Legend of the Seas divides its Europe summer between the homeports of Rome (Civitavecchia) and Venice. From May through August, the ship sails a seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary, calling at Genoa, Italy; Provence (Marseilles), France; and Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Valencia, Spain. A nine-night circumnavigation of the Italian peninsula, departing Aug. 31, brings Legend of the Seas to Venice, where the ship will offer vacationers a pair of 10-night Greek Isles and 11-night Greece & Turkey itineraries in Sept. and Oct.
Legend of the Seas bolsters Navigator of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas sailings from Rome (Civitavecchia) and Venice, respectively. Navigator of the Seas offers seven-night Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Isles cruises, while Splendour of the Seas offers seven-night Adriatic and Greek Isles sailings.
And from Barcelona, Liberty of the Seas offers vacationers five- and seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises and Serenade of the Seas offer a selection of 12-night Mediterranean Greek Isles and Mediterranean Venice itineraries. Liberty of the Seas exclusively offers the DreamWorks Experience, featuring lovable characters such as Shrek and Fiona, Kung Fu Panda, and the stars of upcoming Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien XIII, and Pengiuns Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico. Additionally, Liberty of the Seas will be the only cruise ship in the Mediterranean to feature Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 3D in the ship's main theater when the movie opens on June 8, 2012, as well as the only fully-licensed production of West End-hit Saturday Night Fever.
Most every Royal Caribbean ship in Europe will have undergone revitalization and enhancements to offer guests of all ages the elevated standards of the cruise line, such as renewed staterooms with new flat-panel televisions, the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery for the youngest guests age six to 36 months old, bow-to-stern Wi-Fi service, an oversized LCD entertainment screen overlooking the main pool deck, a Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members, and a Concierge Lounge for top-tier Crown & Anchor Society members and suite guests. Dining options also will be expanding and include popular experiences introduced aboard Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, such as Park Café deli, Izumi Asian Cuisine, Giovanni's Table Italian trattoria, Chops Grille steakhouse, and an exclusive Chefs Table dinner and wine pairing.
Vacationers also have greater flexibility as to when they would like their Royal Caribbean Europe vacation to begin. For Liberty of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Legend of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas, vacationers have the opportunity to embark at a subsequent port on the itinerary. Guests enjoy the full itinerary, but in a different order of ports, round-trip from their port of embarkation. Vacationers can choose to embark Liberty of the Seas at Toulon, France, or Naples, Italy; Navigator of the Seas at Messina, Italy; Legend of the Seas at Marseilles, France, or Genoa, Italy; and Splendour of the Seas at Bari, Italy.
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 innovative ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.
Cruise experts confirmed for IHAS
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- Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä
- Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines
- Published: 16 May 2012 16 May 2012
The breakout sessions will provide an in depth look at how emergencies and disasters are handled in the Cruise, Aviation and Manufacturing, Retail & Energy industries. Experts will discuss their experiences and highlight best practice from incidents in which they have been directly involved, before answering delegate questions. Speakers include highly experienced executives from global brands, such as American Airlines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnival UK, Flexjet, Maersk Drilling, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
"We have been involved in Family Assistance for the past five years and in that time have seen as individuals and as an organization the power of being there for people and the immense difference that we can make to people's lives. IHAS is a way of bringing people together, be they individuals, groups, organizations, volunteers and more importantly survivors." Andrew Baldwin, Customer Care & Communications Manager, Carnival UK
"The work of the Family Assistance Foundation has been critical to the evolution of our CARE team program, offering a quantum leap in the level of compassionate and effective psycho-social support to our guests and crew members when faced by a personal crisis." Steve Williams RN, CEN, CFRN - Director, Medical Operations, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Registration is now open for the International Humanitarian Assistance Symposium at www.ihas2012.com
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