An elegant, detailed and accurate news site for those interested in the maritime business in the Southeastern United States, Caribbean and Central America
A statement from CMA CGM said: “Reflecting on new possibilities, maritime companies can rethink their routes, including that from Asia to the US east coast. For example, on the journey between New York and Hong Kong, the choice to sail by Panama or Suez canal is subtle: there is just one day difference. “Until now, the canal dimensions limited the size of ships and impacted the region’s technological and commercial strategies. With the lifting of such constraints the evolution of vessels is probable, initially from 5,000 to 9,000 or to 10,000 teu or even larger. The traffic is not likely to rise, but volumes in transit will probably increase.” The line added it would now look to develop the Jamaican port of Kingston as its central hub in the region. Last year it signed a $509m deal worth with Port Authority of Jamaica that transferred ownership of its container terminals to CMA CGM on a 30-year build-operate-transfer model. This will see the terminal expanded in two phases, with capacity taken successively up to 3.2m teu and 3.6m teu, and the port’s draught deepened to 14.2 metres by the end of 2016, and then to 15.5 metres. CMA CGM has formed a special purpose vehicle to bid for the project – Kingston Freeport Terminal – comprising its remaining port business, CMA Terminals, and Terminal Link, its container terminal operating company in which China Merchants has a 49% stake. Luc Portier, CMA CGM’s director of studies, projects and development, said: “A widened canal will bring new opportunities for world trade. CMA CGM has foreseen these changes and made Kingston a strategic base: modernisation works will allow the group to operate all larger vessels sailing in the area, and make Jamaica a transhipment hub for the whole sub region.”
The US Federal Emergency Protection Agency (FEMA) has announced the FY 2015 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) awards.
The PSGP provides $100,000,000 for transportation infrastructure security activities to implement Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans (AMSPs) and facility security plans among port authorities, facility operators, and state and local government agencies required to provide port security services.
The purpose of the FY 2015 PSGP is to competitively award grant funding to support increased port-wide risk management; enhance domain awareness; conduct training and exercises; expand port recovery and resiliency capabilities; further capabilities to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other non-conventional weapons.
These activities will assist ports in the implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the Goal of a secure and resilient Nation.
Out of the total of $100,000 available nation-wide, Florida’s Port Security Grant programs secured about $5 million. The grantees are:
JULY 21, 2015 — Spain's Baleària Group has obtained a U.S. Treasury Department license to operate a ferry service between the U.S. and Cuba, following its application to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) back in March (see earlier story).
Although Baleària has all the needed U.S. approvals it still has to get the nod from Cuban authorities before initiating service.
The company has operated in the Caribbean region since late 2011 under the brand Bahamas Express, connecting Fort Lauderdale and Freeport (Grand Bahama Island), using the ferry Bahama Mama. Previously, the fast ferry, Pinar del Rio, which still remains in the area operated, on the route.
Baleària plans to operate two routes between Havana and Florida: a high-speed vessel service from Key West with a crossing time of three hours and a conventional ferry from Port Everglades (North Miami) with a travel time of about 10 hours.
JULY 23, 2015 — The Justice Department and Carnival Corp. today announced a comprehensive, landmark settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to advance equal access for individuals with disabilities who travel on cruise ships.
According to the Department of Justice, today's settlement agreement addresses accessibility on 62 ships among the Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises brands and implements accessibility standards and policies to provide greater access on cruises that embark and disembark from U.S. waters or those of its territories.
The settlement agreement is the result of an investigation of complaints by the Justice Department. Carnival officials cooperated with the department throughout the process. Among the complaints were allegations that the company failed to: properly provide and reserve accessible cabins for individuals with mobility disabilities; reasonably modify policies, practices and procedures to accommodate individuals with disabilities; afford individuals with disabilities the same opportunities to participate in programs and services, including embarkation and disembarkation; and provide effective communication during muster and emergency drills.
Under the agreement:
42 existing ships, and 7 ships in various stages of design and construction, will be surveyed and remediated to comply with the ADA regulations.
Accessible cabins will be dispersed among the various classes of accommodations and will provide a range of accessible features, including features for guests with hearing impairments;
Three percent of the cabins on 49 ships will be accessible according to three levels of accessibility: fully accessible cabins, fully accessible cabins with a single side approach to the bed, and ambulatory accessible cabins. The remaining 13 ships will be subject to possible remediation if they continue to be in service in U.S. ports four years after the agreement is entered.
Carnival Corp. has created brand standards that address an array of accessibility issues and policies to implement them;
Carnival Corp. will provide specific ADA training to employees and managers;
Reservations systems will allow individuals with disabilities to reserve accessible cabins and suites with specific available options and amenities, and to guarantee reservations for accessible cabins;
The accessibility of Carnival Corp. websites and mobile applications will comply with WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA;
Carnival Corp. will appoint an ADA compliance officer at the executive level, two ADA responsibility officers – one for Carnival Cruises and one for Holland America Group, which includes Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, and ADA shipboard officers for each ship who are responsible for resolving ADA-related issues that arise at sea; and
Carnival Corp. will pay a civil penalty of $55,000 to the United States and $350,000 in damages to individuals harmed by past discrimination.
Today's settlement is the first time the Department of Justice has required a cruise company to provide a minimum number of accessible cabins, to conduct a survey of its ships and to develop a remediation plan to comply with the ADA. It is also the first time that an agreement under the ADA has specifically identified three types of accessible cabins on cruise ships – fully accessible cabins, fully accessible cabins-single side approach and ambulatory accessible cabins – that will be available to individuals with disabilities.
"The ADA guarantees people with disabilities equal access to public accommodations," said head of the Civil Rights Division, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta. "Cruise ships are 'floating cities' and provide a wide range of facilities and activities subject to the requirements of the ADA, such as lodging, dining, entertainment, recreation, and medical facilities. People with disabilities who travel must be able to count on getting the accessible cabin they reserve, and the cruise lines must provide equal access to the choice of amenities and attractions that passengers expect from a major cruise company like Carnival Corporation."
"This landmark ADA agreement will enable individuals with disabilities the opportunity to equally enjoy a full range of cabins and services that previously were unavailable while vacationing on cruise ships," said U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida.
July 14, 2015
Cruise industry appoints its first American female captain
JULY 13, 2015 — San Francisco native Kate McCue is to be the cruise industry's first ever American female captain. The 37 year old California Maritime Academy graduate and San Francisco native Kate McCue will next month take command of the 2,158 guest, 965 ft cruise ship Celebrity Summit, sailing between the eastern United States and Bermuda.
Royal Caribbean Cruises' Celebrity Cruises brand, which operates a fleet of 10 ships, says it has elevated McCue to the position of captain based on her 15 years of successful experience and leadership in the maritime industry.
"From the first time I met Kate, I looked forward to this moment, when I could extend my congratulations to her for being such a dynamic and highly respected leader who will continue to pave the way for women in the maritime industry," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who was named President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises in December 2014. "Of all the great moments throughout my career, this is at the top of my list. I am both honored that Kate accepted this position, and proud of the way our team continues to transform the way people think about Celebrity, and about cruising in general."
Captain McCue has held a variety of roles in the maritime industry, beginning as a cadet and deck officer, then working through a series of successively more responsible positions to her most recent role as a staff captain with Royal Caribbean International. During her career, she has managed ship logistics and has sailed worldwide itineraries, including Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and along the Panama Canal. Captain McCue has also served as a maritime leader while sailing several transatlantic and repositioning cruises, and played a notable role in the revitalization of ships inSingapore.
"Becoming the first female American captain of a cruise ship has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember," says McCue. "The honor is amplified by being the first at a company like Celebrity Cruises. The cruise industry is ever-evolving, from the ships and the itineraries, to our guests' expectations for vacation experiences. Celebrity has a history of delivering on each of these and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I look forward to working with an amazing team and the exceptional leadership who bring the Celebrity Cruises vision to life every day."
Attica Holdings S.A., a member of Marfin Investment Group (MIG), announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), granted Attica approval to operate through its wholly owned US subsidiary, Superfast Ferries(USA) LLC, a marine route between US and Cuba, in connection with travel or transportation of persons, baggage or cargo between the United States and Cuba. Attica is in the process of applying for appropriate regulatory and other approvals from the Cuban government. Attica Group’s financial and operational success in Greece and the broader South European region has provided the platform for this expansion initiative.
The US-Cuba route enables Attica Group to leverage its long industry experience operating in developed and competitive markets and unique know-how in maritime transport, in the fast growing US-Cuban market.Attica’s fleet of 13 modern and technologically advanced vessels include a number of vessels ideally fit for the US-Cuba route. Two of these vessels have initially been identified for this service, each with carrying capacities of about 1,700 passengers, 700 berths and 2,000 lane meters garage, capable of carrying about 570 cars.
All ferries are fully equipped with restaurants, duty free shops, swimming pool, bars, playroom and other family oriented activities. Spiros Paschalis, CEO of Attica Group, stated, “We are pleased to receive the US government approval and are excited to be able to offer service on the historically important US-Cuba marine route. The US license confirms the reliability, trust and superior quality for which Attica Group’s fleet has been internationally renowned for. Our proposed ferry service would provide daily non-stop transportation between the Port of Miami in Florida and the Port of Havana in Cuba, a distance of 230 miles, in less than 10 hours, in a relaxed and casual atmosphere with our usual superior service standards.”
Spiros Paschalis continued, “Opening up the U.S.-Cuba route is an important step in rebuilding relations between the two countries. We hope to be able to provide travelers an opportunity to experience the immense beauty and rich cultural heritage of Cuba. We are proud to be chosen as trusted operators to carry passengers and cargo back and forth to an exciting new destination.”
Brian Hall has a Cuba Dream. He’s named it “CubaKat,” all part of his business plan to revive the once popular ferry service from Florida to Cuba.
Back in the 50s, before Fidel Castro’s revolution and the resulting U.S. embargo on the communist island, taking ferries from Key West to Havana was a daily option for American tourists.
Hall has already purchased one catamaran in the Bahamas, planning to ferry Americans from a marina in Marathon, in the Florida Keys, to Cuba. The trip would take less than 4 hours.
"The Cuban side — they have done nothing but open their arms,” he said. "They want us to come so bad. It's like the Berlin Wall has fallen and they're begging for us to come."
Hall and half a dozen other American entrepreneurs have begun applying with the U.S. Treasury Department for future licenses to put American tourists willing to pay upwards of $300 onto catamarans and ships for the 90 mile journey through the Florida Straits.
So far, the Treasury Department is making no public comment about a timeline — when or even if ferry service will resume, but these would-be ferry operators want to be the first in line.
United America’s Joe Hinson, who is based in Miami, wants to bring his big, Baja Ferry over from Mexico to do the same from Florida to Cuba. Those ships are larger, feature cabins and a casino and would be a more relaxed, overnight, 10-hour cruise.
“We’re quite comfortable that it’s one of those situations where [it’s just] ‘build it and they will come’,” Hinson said.
The U.S. and Cuba’s efforts at normalizing diplomatic relations are ongoing, as both work to reopen their respective embassies. The changing relationship also reveals the market is there for Cuba-curious Americans eager for an open-water trip to the past.
Onboard the Key West Express, which offers daily ferry service between Ft. Myers and Key West, Mike Hazelhoff of Minnesota said “I would definitely go. I’ll take the first ferry.” His wife Sally added, “I would like to go, mainly to experience something new. It would be on my bucket list!”
Christopher Smith of San Francisco said, “I’d love to go to Cuba. It’s been closed to U.S. citizens for so long, it seems like it would be a wonderful experience to socialize with the people and the culture and kinda get a feel for Cuba."
Cuba and the U.S. State Department hope to reopen their respective embassies in mid-April. Meanwhile, these ferry boat buying entrepreneurs believe the sky’s the limit for profits, if the government’s wave of normalization begins to allow it.
An industry leader, mentor and treasure has left us. George Lyle “Skip” Allen passed away March 23, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 84 years of age.
Skip was born October 24, 1929, to George and Charlotte Allen in New York City and attended schools in the Northeast. Skip was raised in Larchmont, New York, and found his love of the water and all things boating when as a child he first saw a tugboat on the Hudson River. During his years in New York, Skip was a Larchmont volunteer fireman, joined the Merchant Marines during WWII, and was involved in promoting the America’s Cup campaigns and participated by driving photography and committee boats.
Working for such legends as Charles Chapman at Motorboating and Sailing launched Skip’s lifelong career in the marine industry. Skip was also a founder of Popular Boating magazine, later known as Boating magazine. Skip relocated the family to Miami Beach, Florida, in 1967, where he worked for Bertram Yachts.
In 1972, Skip founded Southern Boating magazine and in 1980, the first U.S. Spanish-language recreational boating magazine, Mar Abierto, also widely distributed in Latin and South America. In 1986, he launched the Marine Business Journal, a trade publication. During those boom years Skip hosted numerous celebrations that many in the industry still remember. He also led flotillas of recreational boat owners to the Bahamas.
Skip was considered an icon in the marine industry and recognized with many awards including the first Monk Farnham Award, the 1987 NMMA Directors Award, the 2001 Marine Industries of South Florida Golden Anchor Award, the 2004 Charles F. Chapman Memorial Award, and the 2013 Cacique Award for International Writer of the Year presented by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. Skip was a member of the Larchmont (New York) Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, Royal Nassau (Bahamas) Sailing Club, Cruising Club of America, Ocean Reef Club, SORC, and the Lauderdale (Florida) Yacht Club, including the Restless Weasels.
Skip’s greatest love was his family, and from an early age they were instilled with a love for boating. Skip’s boat “Press On Regardless” is well known throughout the Bahamas, where he spent significant time cruising. Through his example, his family all share his passion, which gave him enormous satisfaction and pride.
He is survived by Helen, wife of 14 years, son Richard John “Skip” (Michele), daughter Cathryn Allen-Zubizarreta, daughter Jody Lewis (Steve), daughter Paige Conlan (Tom), son George, and seven grandchildren: Charlotte, Alexandra, Corey, Michael, Ashley, Christina, and Calli. His wife Joanne and son Frederick George Allen predeceased him.
A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 401 SE 15 Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301, on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association (BASRA), which Skip helped form to assist yachts in emergency situations. www.basra.org
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Grant Programs Directorate
Announces $1.6 Billion in FEMA grants for 2014
Grant deadline May 23, 2014
Special Unit of Dade County officers protect PortaMiami's Gantry Cranes
The Grant Programs Directorate (GPD), a component of the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is announcing the availability of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Program Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA). This bulletin provides details on the six FY 2014 preparedness grant programs being made available. The FOAs being released today represent $1,616,346,000 in FY 2014 federal assistance. These FOAs are available online at http://www.fema.gov/grants and at http://www.grants.gov.
FOAs are available for the following programs:
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)
Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
Intercity Passenger Rail – Amtrak (IPR) Program
Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)
Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)
The total amount available under the Port Security Grant Program for FY 2014 Port is $100,000,000 to directly support maritime transportation infrastructure security activities. PSGP is one tool in the comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by the Administration to strengthen the Nation’s critical infrastructure against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks. FY 2014 PSGP funds are intended to improve port-wide maritime security risk management; enhance maritime domain awareness; support maritime security training and exercises; and to maintain or reestablish 4
In the 2013 PSG Program the Port of Miami did not qualify for any assistance for port security and each terminal and potential receipient was compelled to complete all qualification and application processes with the benefit of an area-wide fiduciary agent.
Until last year the grant funding had traditionally been sought by the area fiduciary agent which has been the Miami River Marine Group. This year with the Treasurer of the Miami River Marine Group serving house arrest and fines for federal criminal charges of building illegal docks, the port tenants of the Miami River and the Port of Miami along with other beneficiaries including Marine Patrol and Police security agencies, questions have arising about who can now legally manage Port Security grants from previous grant years.
The 2014 grants are to accomplish or continue the National Preparedness Goal (the Goal): Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery.
Detailed guidance and application instructions for all grant programs are provided at http://www.fema.gov/grants.
Eligible applicants must apply for funding through the Grants.gov portal, accessible on the Internet at http://www.grants.gov. When applicants apply through http://www.grants.gov, applicants must submit the Standard Form 424 in the initial Grants.gov application. The FEMA Non-Disaster (ND) Grants system will retrieve the Standard Form 424 directly from the Grants.gov system and will automatically populate the relevant data fields in the ND Grants application.
To allow sufficient time for FEMA to conduct an initial eligibility review of the application prior to the final submission deadline, grantees are encouraged to initiate and complete the Standard Form 424 submission within Grants.gov by no later than ten days prior to the end of the application period for all programs.
Upon the completion of the initial review, FEMA will determine whether an application is eligible to proceed further and will notify the applicant to complete their submission by fulfilling additional application requirements (e.g., Budget, Investment Justification, Work Plan, etc.) by no later than May 23, 2014 for all programs. Completed final applications for all grant programs must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM EDT, May 23, 2014.
The application must be complete and only final submissions made through the ND Grants system located at https://portal.fema.gov will be accepted. If you need assistance registering for the ND Grants system, please contact FEMA’s Enterprise Service Desk at (888) 457- 3362. Applicants are encouraged to begin their ND Grants registration at the time of solicitation to ensure they have adequate time to start and complete their application submission.
Additional questions may be directed to the FEMA Headquarters Program Analyst (PA) or the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) at [email protected] or (800) 368-6498.
A summary of eligible applicants and deadlines is included in Appendix A. Specific allocations for programs marked with an asterisk (*) are included in Appendix B.
FY 2014 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
The HSGP is one tool among a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by the Administration to help strengthen the Nation against risks associated with acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events. The HSGP is comprised of three related grant programs:
State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)*. In FY 2014, the SHSP provides $401,346,000 to support building and sustaining core capabilities. Capability targets are established during the State, Urban Area, and regional Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) process, and assessed in the State Preparedness Report (SPR) to inform planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events.
Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)*. In FY 2014, the UASI program provides $587,000,000 to address the unique risk-driven and capabilities-based needs of high-threat, high-density Urban Areas. Based on the capability targets identified during the THIRA process and associated assessment efforts, UASI program funds assist grantees in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.
State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Only: Per Section 2006 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–296), as amended ( 6 U.S.C. § 607), FEMA requires that states dedicate at least 25 percent (25%) of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI toward law enforcement terrorism prevention activities (LETPA) linked to one or more core capabilities within the Goal. The LETPA allocation can be from SHSP, UASI, or both.
Operation Stonegarden (OPSG). In FY 2014, OPSG provides $55,000,000 to support enhanced cooperation and coordination among local, tribal, territorial, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies in a joint mission to secure the United States’ borders along routes of ingress from international borders to include travel corridors in States bordering Mexico and Canada, as well as States and territories with international water borders.
FY 2014 Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)
In FY 2014, the THSGP provides up to $10,000,000 to directly eligible tribes to support the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities to enable Tribes to strengthen their capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
FY 2014 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
In FY 2014, the NSGP provides $13,000,000 in funding support for hardening and other physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack and located within one of the specific UASI-eligible Urban Areas. The program seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack with broader state and local preparedness efforts. The NSGP also serves to promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives as well as state and local government agencies.
FY 2014 Intercity Passenger Rail – Amtrak (IPR) Program
In FY 2014, the IPR Program provides $10,000,000 to the National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak) to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
FY 2014 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)*
In FY 2014, the PSGP provides $100,000,000 to directly support maritime transportation infrastructure security activities. PSGP is one tool in the comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by the Administration to strengthen the Nation’s critical infrastructure against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks. FY 2014 PSGP funds are intended to improve port-wide maritime security risk management; enhance maritime domain awareness; support maritime security training and exercises; and to maintain or reestablish 4
maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities. PSGP investments must address U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) identified vulnerabilities in port security and support the prevention, protection, response, and recovery from attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IED) and other non-conventional weapons.
FY 2014 Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)
In FY 2014, the TSGP provides $90,000,000 to directly support transportation infrastructure security activities. TSGP is one tool in the comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by the Administration to strengthen the Nation’s critical infrastructure against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks. TSGP provides funds to eligible publicly owned operators of public transportation (which include intra-city bus, commuter bus, ferries, and all forms of passenger rail) to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure. A-1
Appendix A
Table 1. Eligible Applicants and Deadlines Program Eligible Applicants Application Deadline Action on Applications
HSGP SHSP SAA No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, May 23, 2014 FEMA will evaluate, act on applications, and make awards on or before September 30, 2014
UASI
OPSG
THSGP Directly eligible tribes No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, May 23, 2014 FEMA will evaluate, act on applications, and make awards on or before September 30, 2014
NSGP SAA on behalf of nonprofit organizations within eligible Urban Areas No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, May 23, 2014 FEMA will evaluate, act on applications, and make awards on or before September 30, 2014
IPR National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak) No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, May 23, 2014 FEMA will evaluate, act on applications, and make awards on or before September 30, 2014
PSGP All entities covered by an Area Maritime Security Plan (AMSP), including 145 specifically identified critical ports No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, May 23, 2014 FEMA will evaluate, act on applications, and make awards on or before September 30, 2014
TSGP Eligible transit agencies are determined based on daily unlinked passenger trips (ridership) and transit systems that serve historically eligible UASI jurisdictions. Certain ferry systems are eligible to participate in the FY 2014 TSGP and receive funds No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, May 23, 2014 FEMA will evaluate, act on applications, and make awards on or before September 30, 2014
Richard Branson, one of the world’s leading businessmen and investors, is reportedly in talks with Abu Dhabi entities to raise $1.7 billon to start a cruise line. The Virgin cruise ships would be aimed at younger people who do not cruise.
Branson told The National, “We are looking at a very different kind of cruise company. We’re trying to create the kind of cruise ship that would be attractive to the kind of people who would never consider a cruise at the moment.”
Branson is best known for starting Virgin Records in 1972, Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1994, Virgin Mobile in 1999, and the first of its kind in space tourism Virgin Galactic in 2004.
The $1.7 billion would be used to create a new cruise line starting with 2 cruise ships, one that will serve the popular Caribbean market and the other the Mediterranean. The cruise ships would be new vessels, not refurbished ones purchased from a current cruise line. Eventually, Brandon would like to expand into the Gulf market.
- See more at: http://cruisefever.net/0303-richard-branson-looking-into-starting-a-cruise-line/#sthash.Eqa57VLQ.dpuf
