LIST OF CRUISES OPERATING

Alaska's Marine Highway System
Alaska Sightseeing/Cruise West
American Cruise Lines (US East Coast Cruises)
American Canadian Caribbean Line, Inc (small ship)
American Hawaii Cruises
Azamara Cruises (High-end subsidiary of Celebrity Cruises)
BC Ferries (British Columbia - Alaska Coastal Ferries)
Bay Ferries and NFL Ferries (Nova Scotia, Maine, Nassau and Freeport)
Bergen Line (Norwegian Coastal Voyages)
Blue Cruise, Southwest Turkey
Carnival Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises UK
Clipper Cruise Line
Costa Cruises
(European River Cruises)
Cruise West (US Pacific NW, S. Pacific, Alaska, Asia)
Crystal Cruises
Cunard (QE II)

D, E, F

Delta Queen
Discovery Cruises (one-day Florida/Bahamas)
Discovery Voyages (Alaska small-boat eco-tours, Prince William Sound)
Disney Cruise Line
Fred.Olsen Cruises

G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N

Great Lakes Cruises (US and Canadian Great Lakes)
Heritage Cruise Lines (Overnight river cruises in the St. Lawrence River, Ontario)
Imperial Majesty Cruise Line (M/V Regal Empress)
Indian Ocean Cruises (M.S. Royal Star)
The Maine Windjammer Association (Maine Sailing Ships)
Norwegian Coastal Voyages (Bergen Line)
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Lines

O, P, Q, R

Oceania Cruises (European, Caribbean, Transatlantic, 3 mid-size ships)
Orient Lines (the Marco Polo)
P&O European Ferries
P&O Cruises
Peter Deilmann - EuropAmerica Cruises (European River Cruises)
Princess Cruises
Seabourn Cruise Line
SilverSea Line
Regency Seven Seas Cruises
RiverBarge Excursions (Central and South-Central US)
Royal Caribbean Cruises
Royal Olympic Cruises

S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

SAGA Holidays Ltd. (UK Over 50s Travel Agency - One Vessel: Saga Rose)
Scotia Prince Cruises (No longer in service, this site tells why)
SeaDream Yacht Club (Small, luxury cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean)
Sea Escape (Florida to Bahamas)
Silja Line (Baltic between Finland and Sweden)
SongLine-SeaTrek Cruises (Indonesia - Traditional Bugis Schooners)
Sven-Olof Lindblad's Special Expeditions (Unique Specialty cruises)
Star Clipplers (Passenger Sailing Ships)
StarCruises (Asian)
Swan Hellenic (Mediterranean & vicinity)
Tall Ship Adventures
Thompson Cruises (UK)
Uniworld cruises (River cruises/cruisetours of Europe, Russia, and China)

Victoria Cruises (Yangtze River Cruises)
Viking River Cruises (European River Cruises)
Wanderbird (Maine and Canadian Maritimes Expedition Cruises - 90' Auxiliary Ketch)
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (Sailing ships)
Windstar Cruises
World Explorer Criuses (Alaska, Latin America)

Worlds Largest Cargo Ship

World's Largest Cargo Ship Get a load of this ship! 15,000 containers and a 207' beam! And look at the crew size (13) for a ship longer than US aircraft carriers, which have complements of 5,000 men and officers. Think it's big enough? Notice that 207' beam means it was NOT designed for the Panama or Suez canal . It is strictly transpacific. Check out the "cruise speed". 31 mph means the goods arrive four days before the typical container ship traveling at 18 to 20 mph on a China-to-California run. So this behemoth is hugely competitive when carrying perishable goods.This ship was built in three, perhaps as many as five sections. The sections floated together and then welded. It is named Emma Maersk. The command bridge is higher than a ten story building and has eleven rigs that can operate simultaneously.

Additional info:
Country of origin - Denmark
Length - 1,302 ft Width - 207 ft Net cargo - 123,200 tons
Engine - 14 in-line cylinders diesel engine (110,000 BHP)Cruise Speed - 31 mi/h
Cargo capacity - 15,000 TEU (1 TEU = 20 ft3 container) Crew - 13 people
First Trip - Sept. 08, 2006
Construction cost - US $145,000,000+
The silicone paint applied to the ship's bottom reduces water resistance and saves 317,000 gallons of diesel per year

MS Adventure of the Seas Cruiseship

MS Adventure of the Seas is the third Voyager-class cruise ship from Royal Caribbean International that cannot transit the Panama Canal. Voyager-class ships are the third largest passenger ships in the world; currently, only Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Royal Caribbean International's Freedom Class ships are larger. She was built in Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland and completed in 2001. Since 2001, she sails in the Southern Caribbean and departs weekly from the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Activities
Ice skating rink (for guest use and ice shows)
Rock climbing wall
Inline skating
3 outdoor pools with several jacuzzis
Nine-hole miniature golf course
Golf simulators
Full-sized basketball court
Adventure Ocean youth facilities
Game room

Other Amenities
Four-story Royal Promenade (see photo)
Casino
Three-story main dining room
Restaurants such as Johnny Rockets (1950s-style) and Portofino (Italian)
Themed bars and lounges
Day spa and Fitness Center
Wedding chapel
Library and Internet café

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_of_the_Seas

SS Black Osprey Cargo Ship

SS Black Osprey was a cargo ship for the American Diamond Lines and the British Cairn Line. She was formerly known as SS West Arrow when she was launched for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) during World War I. The ship was inspected by the United States Navy for possible use as USS West Arrow (ID-2585) but was neither taken into the Navy nor ever commissioned under that name.

West Arrow was built in 1918 for the USSB, as a part of the West boats, a series of steel-hulled cargo ships built on the West Coast of the United States for the World War I war effort. Information about her early career is largely absent, but by the 1920s, news reports revealed that the ship was sailing on the North Atlantic. By the mid 1920s, West Arrow was sailing for American Diamond on their cargo service to Rotterdam and Antwerp. In 1935, American Diamond changed the ship's name to Black Osprey and the ship continued in Rotterdam service.

After the outbreak of World War II, Black Osprey, still under the registry of the still-neutral United States, was detained twice by British authorities, before the U.S.-established "Neutrality Zone" ended Black Osprey's Dutch service in late 1939. Sailing under charter to the Isthmian Line in 1940, Black Osprey called at various ports in the Pacific Ocean. American Diamond sold Black Osprey to the British Ministry of War Transport in late 1940. During the ship's first transatlantic crossing under the British flag, she was sunk by German submarine U-96 on 18 February 1941, with the loss of 25 men. The 11 survivors were picked up by a Norwegian ship and landed in at Barry.

Career
West Arrow was inspected by the 13th Naval District of the United States Navy after completion and was assigned the identification number of 2585. Had she been commissioned, she would have been known as USS West Arrow (ID-2585), but the Navy neither took over the ship nor commissioned her.

Little is known of West Arrow's early career, with almost no information regarding her World War I activities. During that war, many of the West ships carried grain products to the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, but it is not known whether West Arrow did so or not. One early mention of West Arrow in contemporary news accounts is found in The Washington Post, which reported in February 1921 that the cargo ship had delivered 742 "milch cows" to Bremen as a gift from American farmers from Texas and Kansas. The New York Times reported in September 1923 that West Arrow, heading from Liverpool to Boston, had been struck by the White Star Line ocean liner Haverford 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km) west of Queenstown, Ireland. Haverford, headed from Philadelphia to Liverpool with passengers, struck the cargo ship on the port side, 10 feet (3.0 m) from the bow. A radio dispatch from West Arrow reported that she was proceeding under her own power and was not taking on any water. By March 1926, West Arrow was sailing for American Diamond Lines[Note 2] in New York – Rotterdam service on a U.S. government-subsidized mail route. In July 1932, the ship was moved to a new Baltimore – Antwerp route, but by December 1934 was again sailing to Rotterdam.

In 1935, American Diamond changed the name of West Arrow to Black Osprey, which remained on the Rotterdam route into 1936. In March of that year, The Wall Street Journal—reporting on a large gold shipment from the United States to Holland—speculated that Black Osprey was the ship that had been selected to carry $345,000 of gold for export. On 25 March 1938, Black Osprey was sailing in a dense fog off St. Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight when she struck the 311 GRT British cargo ship Chagford, which sank within five minutes. Three of Chagford's six-man crew were picked up by Black Osprey, whose crew searched in vain for three hours for the other three men. After the fog lifted, the Chagford survivors were transferred to a fishing vessel that landed the crewmen, and Black Osprey resumed her Rotterdam – Philadelphia journey.


World War II
After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Black Osprey, still registered in the neutral-United States, was seized by British authorities on 6 September and detained at Weymouth. After carefully inspecting the ship for any contraband, the British released the ship after a week. However, on 31 October, the British again seized Black Osprey, and had not yet released her by 8 November, when the U.S. State Department released a list of 40 American ships that had been detained by belligerents.

The United States established a "Neutrality Zone"—a zone where American-flagged ships could not enter—in late 1939. As a result, American Diamond was unable to continue its Dutch route, and chartered the eight vessels it employed in that service (which included Black Osprey) to other U.S. companies. Black Osprey was one of several chartered to the Isthmian Line, and made voyages in the Pacific, calling at ports such as Singapore and Honolulu in 1940. After a typhoon with winds in excess of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) hit Wake Island in early October, Black Osprey was diverted through heavy seas to check on the welfare of the 35 men on the island, all found to be safe.

In November, American Diamond sought the permission of the United States Maritime Commission (USMC), a successor to the USSB, to sell Black Osprey and seven other ships to the British. The USMC granted the permission, and Black Osprey was sold to the Ministry of War Transport for operation by the Cairn Line of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for about $50 per deadweight ton, or around $440,000.

The deal was completed before Black Osprey's 10 December sailing from Philadelphia to Baltimore under the British flag. Black Osprey then sailed from Baltimore on 25 January 1941 for Halifax, where she arrived on 30 January. Black Osprey, loaded with a cargo of steel, joined convoy HX 107 that sailed from that port for Liverpool on 3 February. After falling behind in the convoy, Black Osprey was torpedoed by U-96 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock at 02:27 on 18 February south of Iceland, near position 61°18′N 18°6′W / 61.3°N 18.1°W / 61.3; -18.1Coordinates: 61°18′N 18°6′W / 61.3°N 18.1°W / 61.3; -18.1. The ship's master and 24 crewmen died in the attack. Black Osprey's 11 survivors were picked up by the Norwegian refrigerated cargo ship Mosdale and landed at Barry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Black_Osprey

SHIPS

Today

In 2007, the world's fleet included 34,882 commercial vessels with gross tonnage of more than 1,000 tons, totaling 1.04 billion tons. These ships carried 7.4 billion tons of cargo in 2006, a sum that grew by 8% over the previous year. In terms of tonnage, 39% of these ships are tankers, 26% are bulk carriers, 17% container ships and 15% were other types.


In 2002, there were 1,240 warships operating in the world, not counting small vessels such as patrol boats. The United States accounted for 3 million tons worth of these vessels, Russia 1.35 million tons, the United Kingdom 504,660 tons and China 402,830 tons. The twentieth century saw many naval engagements during the two world wars, the Cold War, and the rise to power of naval forces of the two blocs. The world's major powers have recently used their naval power in cases such as the United Kingdom in the Falkland Islands and the United States in Iraq. Warships were also key in history's great explorations and scientific and technological development. Navigators such as Zheng He spread such inventions as the compass and gunpowder. On one hand, ships have been used for colonization and the slave trade. On the other, they also have served scientific, cultural, and humanitarian needs.

The harbor at Fuglafjørður, Faroe Islands shows seven typical Faroe boats used for fishing.
The size of the world's fishing fleet is more difficult to estimate. The largest of these are counted as commercial vessels, but the smallest are legion. Fishing vessels can be found in most seaside villages in the world. As of 2004, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated 4 million fishing vessels were operating worldwide. The same study estimated that the world's 29 million fishermen caught 85.8 million metric tons of fish and shellfish that year.

Types of ships
Ships are difficult to classify, mainly because there are so many criteria to base classification on. One classification is based on propulsion; with ships categorised as either a sailing ship or a motorship. Sailing ships are ships which are propelled solely by means of sails. Motorships are ships which are propelled by mechanical means to propel itself. Motorships include ships that propel itself through the use of both sail and mechanical means.

Other classification systems exist that use criteria such as:

The number of hulls, giving categories like monohull, catamaran, trimaran.
The shape and size, giving categories like dinghy, keelboat, and icebreaker.
The building materials used, giving steel, aluminum, wood, fiberglass, and plastic.
The type of propulsion system used, giving human-propelled, mechanical, and sails.
The epoch in which the vessel was used, triremes of Ancient Greece, man' o' wars, eighteenth century.
The geographic origin of the vessel, many vessels are associated with a particular region, such as the pinnace of Northern Europe, the gondolas of Venice, and the junks of China.
The manufacturer, series, or class.
Another way to categorize ships and boats is based on their use, as described by Paulet and Presles. This system includes military ships, commercial vessels, fishing boats, pleasure craft and competitive boats. In this section, ships are classified using the first four of those categories, and adding a section for lake and river boats, and one for vessels which fall outside these categories.

Port of Bellingham

Port of Bellingham -- a diverse countywide port operating transportation terminals, marinas, real estate developments, public parks and trails, environmental stewardship programs and economic development services.

Located between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Bellingham offers excellent access to these growing cities, along with the lifestyle benefits of a smaller community. Bellingham features strong colleges providing a highly trained workforce.

The Port of Bellingham believes in bringing community visions to reality and in creating a sustainable local economy that balances the values of environmental stewardship and of meeting the needs of a growing community.

BEAUFOR PORT

Known as "Fish Town" in the early 1700's when Blackbeard frequented the coast, "Beaufort Town" was established as a seaport with the right to collect customs in 1722. During the American Revolution, it was the third largest port in the state.

As in most of eastern North Carolina, early trade centered around lumber products. These were shipped from the rich Newport River area plantations to the West Indies in exchange for glassware, cloth, furniture, coffee and rum.Historically significant, the "Old Burying Ground" was deeded to the town in 1731. It contains graves of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Captain Otway Burns' grave with the cannon from his privateer, is perhaps one of the best known.

A salt works, which was established by order of the Provincial Congress in 1776 for Revolutionary War use, is located slightly over a mile to the east.A whaling community, Diamond City, was located on Shackleford Banks, six miles to the southeast by boat, during the 18th & 19th centuries. This perhaps explains the "New England feel" which is blended with traditional southern colonial architecture.Beaufort continued to prosper into the nineteenth century as a port and as an agricultural, commercial and governmental center. Nearby Fort Macon, a large brick fortress guarded the eastern end of Carteret County. Beaufort became a favorite summer retreat for the well-to-do.

Beaufort was relatively unscarred by the Civil War, due to an early and prolonged occupation by Union forces. Following the war's conclusion, Beaufort again resumed its importance as a summer retreat. Trade was strong for a time; lumber, barrel staves, rum, and molasses were some of Beaufort's exports. However, the port declined as a trade center and commercial fishing became the primary business in the area. Beaufort served as home port for a large fishing fleet and as the site of the processing plants for the menhaden trade. In the 1970s, Beaufort again became a major summer resort as the town and waterfront were restored. In 1997, Beaufort was highlighted in national and international news as the wreckage of what is presumed to be Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was discovered in 20 feet of water --2 miles from Beaufort Inlet. Artifact recovery operations were immediately able to identify --and in some cases retrieve-- many pieces, including the ship's bronze bell, cannons, and deck guns. Some of these artifacts are already touring the country or are on exhibit in Beaufort. Be sure to stop by the NC Maritime Museum, it's now one of the most popular attractions in the state.

PORT OF GREATER BARTON ROUGE

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is strategically located on the Mississippi River and is an integral part of the Louisiana maritime industry and overall economy. Handling a diverse range of cargo and accommodating special requests is a trademark of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, and we have proof: the Port of Greater Baton Rouge ranks among the top ten ports in total tonnage. Present us with a challenge or a unique situation, and we'll always respond with, "We Can Handle That!"

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge Location Facts:

Located in Port Allen, LA, the Port of Greater Baton Rouge is situated at the convergence of the Mississippi River and the U.S. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and is linked to major Gulf Ports between north Florida and south Texas and through the Mississippi River inland waterway system.

The port provides easy accessibility to world markets.

The port is the head of deep water navigation on the Mississippi River; a 45 foot shipping channel to the mouth of the Mississippi River is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A total of 85 miles, on both the east and west bank of the Mississippi River, the jurisdiction of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge operates within river mile 168 AHP to the south ( Sunshine Bridge) and 253 AHP to the north (Exxon Mobil Refinery).
The ports jurisdiction includes the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville and West Baton Rouge Parishes.

The port is adjacent to the Port Allen Lock. The northern most point on the Mississippi River where barges can access the U.S. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge provides excellent accessibility to all types of intermodal transportation needs. The port is located adjacent to U.S. Interstate 10, and is in close proximity of U.S. Interstate 12, 49, 55, and 59; U.S. Highway 61, 65, and 90 and LA Highway 1.

The Port’s excellent infrastructure and connectivity provides direct access to ship, barge, truck and rail. Our strategic location provides ready access to the nation’s heartland via nearly 15,000 miles of inland water transportation as well as to the Gulf of Mexico and ocean trade lanes to and from Latin America and the rest of the world.

CARGO SHIPS

A CARGO SHIP or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes. Today, they are almost always built of welded steel, and with some exceptions generally have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years before being scrapped

Types
Specialized types of cargo vessels include container ships and bulk carriers (technically tankers of all sizes are cargo ships, although they are routinely thought of as a separate category).

History
The earliest records of waterborne activity mention the carriage of items for trade; the evidence of history and archaeology shows the practice to be widespread by the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. The desire to operate trade routes over longer distances and at more seasons of the year motivated improvements in ship design during the Middle Ages.
Before the middle of the 19th century, the incidence of piracy resulted in most cargo ships being armed, sometimes quite heavily, as in the case of the Manila galleons and East Indiamen.

Piracy
Further information: Piracy
Piracy is still quite common in some waters, particularly around Asia, and cargo ships are still commonly targeted. In 2004, the governments of those three nations agreed to provide better protection for the ships passing through the Straits. Also piracy prone are the waters off Somalia and Nigeria, while smaller vessels are also in danger along parts of the South American, Southeast Asia coasts and near the Caribbean.

Definitions

While the definitions have become "cross-pollinated" over the years, "cargo" technically refers to the goods carried aboard the ship for hire, while "freight" refers to the compensation the ship or charterer receives for carrying the cargo.

Generally, the modern ocean shipping business is divided into two classes:

1. Liner business: typically (but not exclusively) container vessels (wherein "general cargo" is carried in 20 or 40-foot "boxes"), operating as "common carriers", calling a regularly-published schedule of ports. A common carrier refers to a regulated service where any member of the public may book cargo for shipment, according to long-established and internationally agreed rules.
2. Tramp-tanker business: generally this is private business arranged between the shipper and receiver and facilitated by the vessel owners or operators, who offer their vessels for hire to carry bulk (dry or liquid) or break bulk (cargoes with individually handled pieces) to any suitable port(s) in the world, according to a specifically drawn contract, called a charter party.

Larger cargo ships are generally operated by shipping lines: companies that specialize in the handling of cargo in general. Smaller vessels, such as coasters, are often owned by their operators.

Vessel prefixes: Before the vessel's name will be found a category designation. Naval ships, for example, will have "USS" (United States Ship), "HMS" (Her/His Majesty's Ship), "HTMS" (His Thai Majesty's Ship). Merchant ships may have "RMS (Royal Mail Ship, usually a passenger liner), "MV" (Motor Vessel, powered by Diesel). "SS" (Steam Ship, now seldom seen, powered by steam). "TS", sometimes found in first position before a merchant ship's prefix, denotes that it has Twin Screws. (For further discussion, see Ship prefixes.)

Famous cargo ships would include the Liberty ships of World War II, partly based on a British design, the sections for which were prefabricated all over the USA and then assembled by shipbuilders in an average of 6 weeks with the record being just over 4 days. These ships allowed the Allies to replace sunken cargo vessels at a rate greater than the Kriegsmarine's U-boats could sink them, and contributed significantly to the war effort, the delivery of supplies, and eventual victory over the Axis powers.

Lake freighters built for the Great Lakes in North America differ in design from "salties" because of the difference in wave size and frequency in the lakes. A number of these boats are so large that they cannot leave the lakes because they do not fit into the locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

Sizes of cargo ships
Cargo ships are categorized partly by their capacity, partly by their weight, and partly by their dimensions (often with reference to the various canals and canal locks through which they can travel). Some common categories include:

• Small Handy size, carriers of 20,000 long tons deadweight (DWT)-28,000 DWT
• Handy size, carriers of 28,000-40,000 DWT
• Handymax, carriers of 40,000-50,000 DWT
• Seawaymax, the largest size which can traverse the St Lawrence Seaway
• Aframax, oil tankers between 75,000 and 115,000 DWT. This is the largest size defined by the average freight rate assessment (AFRA) scheme.
• Panamax, the largest size which can traverse the Panama Canal (generally: vessels with a width smaller than 32.2 m)
• Suezmax, the largest size which can traverse the Suez Canal
• Malaccamax, the largest size which can traverse the Straits of Malacca
• Capesize, vessels larger than Panamax and Suezmax, which must traverse the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn in order to travel between oceans
• VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier), supertankers between 150,000 and 320,000 DWT.
• ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier), enormous supertankers between 320,000 and 550,000 DWT.