Captain`s for Hire

A luxury cruise ship has skipped its call to Miami and diverted to the Bahamas after a U.S. judge ordered its seizure as part of a lawsuit over unpaid fuel bills.The Crystal Symphony, operated by Genting Hong Kong's Crystal Cruises, was scheduled to conclude a Caribbean voyage in Miami on Saturday, but the ship sailed to the Bahamian island of Bimini instead after a federal judge in Miami granted an order to arrest the 781-foot, Bahamas-flagged vessel over unpaid fuel bills.Bunker supplier Peninsula Petroleum Far East sued the ship and Crystal Cruises

Swiss-based shipping group MSC and German carrier Lufthansa want to buy the majority of Alitalia successor ITA Airways and have asked for an exclusivity period of 90 days to study the deal, MSC and ITA said on Monday.The state-owned airline, which began flying in October last year, is looking for an equity partner and has started informal talks with some potential suitors, in Europe and overseas, its chairman said this month.MSC said the interest in ITA stemmed from "the possibility of activating positive synergies ... both in the cargo and the passenger sector".

North America's largest seaport said it is bolstering its cybersecurity readiness and enhancing its threat-sharing and recovery capabilities among supply chain stakeholders with the launch of its new state-of-the-art port community cyber defense solution.The Port of Los Angeles' Cyber Resilience Center (CRC) was designed through a collaborative process with participating stakeholders and will be operated by International Business Machines (IBM).“We must take every precaution against potential cyber incidents, particularly those that could threaten or disrupt the flow of cargo,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

Chinese state-owned offshore vessel owner Sinoocean Offshore Assets Management Limited has signed a deal with Ulstein Electrical Technology (UET) for the supply of spare parts and after-market services to Sinoocean’s fleetSinoocean holds a fleet of 58 rigs, 34 platform supply vessels (PSV) and anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTS) as well as 10 other types of offshore units. Four Ulstein designed PSVs of the PX121 design which have been built at SWS and four that have been built at Wuchang shipyard are now under the ownership and management of Sinoocean.

Dutch shipbuilding group Damen has signed its first contact with ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) manufacturer ERMA FIRST. The Greek manufacturer ERMA FIRST will supply its oneTANK, which is the world’s smallest BWTS, using chemical injection methods to clean ships’ ballast water.Damen Green Solutions has a broad selection of BWTS in its range, offering shipowners various capacities and techniques in treating their ballast water. With the addition of the ERMA FIRST oneTANK, Damen can provide clients with a solution that is not only small, but also modular.