We’re receiving reports that two small skiffs pursued Oceania Cruises’ Nautica and one fired eight rifle shots during the vessel’s transit of the Gulf of Aden this morning. The ship took evasive action and no one aboard was harmed, with no damage sustained, according to the company.
Oceania President Bob Binder says that eight shots were fired but none hit the ship. The closest the pirates ever got to the vessel was 300 meters.
At the time of the attack Nautica was sailing within the Maritime Safety Protection Area which is patrolled by international anti-piracy task forces. The Maritime Safety Protection Area is eight miles wide and 550 miles long. As the vessel passed several groups of fishing vessels, two small skiffs were sighted by the officer on duty and deemed potentially hostile.
The skiffs, approached from approximately 1,000 meters and attempted to intercept the vessel. Nautica began evasive maneuvers coming to flank speed and outrunning the skiffs.
According to reports the incident began at 0528 GMT and all written reports to the requisite authorities were filed by 0543 GMT. .
The Yachts of Seabourn has announced its next highly anticipated ultra-luxury yacht will be named Seabourn Sojourn in a glittering ceremony in London in June 2010, before sailing on its 14-day Maiden Voyage. The sleek new vessel is being built in Italy, and will position from Genoa to London before its inauguration.
Sailing from Greenwich, ports of call on its Maiden Voyage include the Faroe Islands, Iceland and the Norwegian Fjords. Sojourn’s Maiden Season in the northern waters offers the most luxurious and spacious cruise experience in the region, although the yacht is still small enough to reach destinations larger vessels simply cannot reach. Fares and detailed itineraries will be announced in February 2009.
Like its sister Seabourn Odyssey, debuting in June 2009, Seabourn Sojourn provides the most exclusive all-suite accommodation available at sea, with 225 suites in total, 90 percent of which have private verandas. Top of the range suites include Wintergarden Suites with private solarium and veranda, and Signature Suites with sweeping verandas and unrivalled views facing forward. All suites feature separate living areas and bedrooms, writing desks with personalized stationery, iPod and MP3 connections and spacious granite bathrooms with separate bath and shower and twin sinks.
The two-deck, state of the art Spa at Seabourn features Spa Villas which can be reserved for hours of pure indulgence and relaxation. The new vessels will offer four dining venues, including a spacious open-seating Restaurant capable of seating all guests. Six bars and lounges will serve a full range of beverages including fine wines and spirits with Seabourn’s compliments.
On April 17, 2010, Celebrity Summit will reposition from San Juan to Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey, to present a series of 7-night roundtrip Bermuda itineraries. The ship will dock at King’s Wharf, also known as the Royal Naval Dockyard.
In July 2010, Celebrity Summit’s new Bermuda sailings will alternate with 7-night Canada/New England cruises. Full deployment details for both destinations will be announced when bookings open in 2009. Celebrity Cruises’ most recent season in Bermuda ended in October 2006, with the line’s former Celebrity Zenith.
Silversea’s latest addition to the fleet, M/v Prince Albert II, which was originally scheduled to reposition from Antarctica to French Polynesia for the 2009 spring and summer seasons, will now sail back to its inaugural destination – the Arctic – on June 1st. Prince Albert II will operate 9 expeditions in the Arctic before heading south. The 2008-09 (and 2009-10) winter voyages will remain unchanged, exploring the Antarctic Peninsula as well as the remote islands of South Georgia and the Falklands.
In just over one year, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas will make her long awaited debut. The ship, under construction at STX Europe in Turku, Finland, reached an important maritime milestone today when she was “floated out” – moved from dry dock to wet dock – to begin the final stages of interior work.
At official ceremonies held at the shipyard, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. executives, Richard Fain, chairman and CEO and Harri Kulovaara, executive vice president, Maritime were joined by Martin Landtman, president, STX Finland Cruise Oy, and Toivo Ilvonen, project director, Oasis-class, to turn the valve releasing 87 million gallons of water into the wet dock area.
“This is a historic day for our company. After more than three years of intense planning and collaboration and with 65 percent of the ship already complete, it’s exciting to see Oasis entering its final stages,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Oasis of the Seas truly represents the innovative spirit that our company is known for and to see that come to fruition is wonderful.”
The line chose this important milestone to announce that Oasis of the Seas will enter service under the command of Captain William S. Wright and Captain Tor Olsen. Wright, a 15-year veteran of Royal Caribbean International, was also the start up Captain for Freedom of the Seas, currently the largest ship in the world with sister-ships Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas, and 40 percent smaller than Oasis of the Seas. Wright also is one of the few American captains in international cruising and currently serves as the senior vice president of Marine Operations for the cruise line.
Born in Norway, Captain Tor Olsen has been on the high seas since the age of 16. He joined Royal Caribbean International in 1987 working on Song of America and has served as Captain on five Royal Caribbean ships from the Voyager-class to the Vision-class.
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