The Red Sea is not a major draw for cruise vacations, and although the Suez Canal is a convenient shortcut, most major brands do not have ships scheduled to transit the canal until spring. Shorter sailings also transit the region. The ongoing conflict in Yemen has forced cruise ships to divert away from the Red Sea, with Carnival Corporation rerouting 12 of its ships away from the region. Cruise lines regularly use the Red Sea to redeploy ships from Europe to Asia at the end of the Mediterranean cruise season in October or November, and the reverse in March or April.
Cruise passengers face possible changes to their holiday itineraries due to the ongoing conflict with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Red Sea. Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corporation, and MSC Cruises are among those who have made the decision to adjust their itineraries or pull voyages completely to avoid the Red Sea and Yemen area. Cruise ships traverse the Red Sea to visit ports of call in the Middle East, including Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
The cruise industry is starting to rethink its plans into 2025 as increasingly they believe the problems in the Red Sea will persist. Cruise lines are scrambling to reroute around the Red Sea due to ongoing attacks on commercial ships, costing them a bundle and leaving them actively avoiding the Red Sea area. As cruise ships are being repositioned to the northern hemisphere, they are actively avoiding the Red Sea area.
📹 Somali Pirates ATTACK Cruise Ship -Then This Happens!
The Crazy Techniques Cruise Ships Use to Fight Pirates in Middle of the Ocean. In this captivating video, we delve into theĀ …
Is it OK to swim in the Red Sea?
Waves and currents. People often do not realize that there can be currents in the sea or that being on the surface can be made uncomfortable by waves. It is best to check the conditions in advance at the location, for example at the local diving center. If you swim out into the open sea from the sheltered bay, you have no chance of going ashore over the coral reef at any time. You need to figure out where to return and how far you can afford to swim.
Treat the Red Sea coral reefs and their inhabitants with respect. There is a greater chance that a person will harm the reef than the other way around. Get informed and follow the rules. And then “those who are afraid are not allowed in the forest” ;-).
Are cruise ships being diverted from the Red Sea?
Cruise ships have been forced to divert away from the Red Sea due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
Carnival Corporation has rerouted 12 of its ships away from the region.
The ships include Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and P&O Cruises’ Arcadia, which were both due to head home to Southampton via the Suez Canal and Mediterranean.
Both ships will now spend an extra seven to 10 days travelling around the southern tip of Africa and home through the Atlantic.
Is MSC cruises cancelled in 2024?
Geneva, Switzerland, 17 January 2024- MSC Cruises has cancelled three repositioning ‘Grand Voyage’ sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe because of the risk to shipping in the Red Sea.
Ongoing attacks on merchant vessels in the region has obliged the company to cancel a 24-night cruise ofMSC Splendidafrom Durban, South Africa to Genoa, Italy, a 21-night sailing ofMSC Operafrom Dubai, UAE to Genoa and a 23-night voyage ofMSC Virtuosafrom Dubai to Southampton, UK.
The safety of passengers and crew is the number one priority and as there was no viable alternative itinerary, the Company has regrettably had to cancel the voyages. The three ships will transfer directly to Europe without any passengers on board and avoid transiting through the Red Sea. Instead, they will sail around the west coast of Africa with no ports of call on their journeys to their respective European homeports for the summer 2024 season.None of the company’s other ships in its fleet are affected.
Is it safe to sail through the Red Sea?
At first, it was reported that ships bound for Israeli ports, regardless of nationality, were being targeted by the Houthi movement. But since then, commercial vessels with no immediate ties or routes to Israel have also found that they are not safe when sailing through the Red Sea.
Unfortunately, no ships can feel completely safe in Yemeni waters, says an insurance company. There is also a risk of random attacks.
At first, it was reported that ships bound for Israeli ports, regardless of nationality, were being targeted by the Houthi movement.
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How many ships are avoiding the Red Sea?
299 Containerships Reroute to Avoid the Red Sea, Doubling in Number from Last Week.
ByBrendan Murray and Alex Longley (Bloomberg) Half of the containership fleet that regularly transits the Red Sea and Suez Canal is avoiding the route now because of the threat of attacks, according to new industry data.
The tally compiled by Flexport Inc. shows 299 vessels with a combined capacity to carry 4.3 million containers have either changed course or plan to. That’s about double the number from a week ago and equates to about 18% of global capacity.
Thediverted journeysaround Africa can take as much as 25% longer than using the Suez Canal shortcut between Asia and Europe, according to Flexport. Those trips aremore costlyand may lead tohigher pricesfor consumers on everything from sneakers to food to oil if the longer journeys persist.
Is it safe to sail in the Red Sea?
The Voyage in Between. The Red Sea presents a challenging platform, with threats of piracy, headwinds from the Med, sandstorms, and corrupt Suez Canal officials.
Like most sailors, I’m apolitical. I prefer to avoid the squabbles of dirt dwellers. Plus, as a long-term world cruiser, I’m usually a guest in a foreign country. I don’t believe a guest should criticize his or her hosts. If I don’t like a destination, I show it my transom. I leave. I vote with my keel.
One of the places that my wife, Carolyn, and I love dearly and keep coming back to is Southeast Asia. It’s a very exciting, very stimulating cruising destination. There are thousands of safe harbors, with the vast majority completely devoid of yachts. Most Asians are friendly, honest, hardworking, and nonviolent. The area is rich in diversity: the Buddhists of Thailand, the Muslims of Malaysia, the capitalists of Singapore, the Hindus of India, and the Chinese of Hong Kong are all vastly different people. Yet they manage toāmostlyāget along just fine.
Another popular cruising area we love is Europe. It also teems with life, with passion, with history. Carolyn was deeply interested in anthropology when I snatched her away from academia. She’s still fascinated by Greek, Roman, and Turkish culture. Ruins continue to enthrall her. She’s mesmerized by ancient tombs and dusty works of art. Eastern Europe is history heaven for Carolyn.
Why don t ships sail through the Red Sea?
As attacks on merchant ships by the Iran-backed Houthis persist, traumatised seafarers are refusing to sail through the Red Sea, according to interviews with more than 15 crew members and shipping industry officials.
Which cruise lines are avoiding the Red Sea?
Princess Cruises and Seabourn have become the latest cruise lines to announces changes to their sailings due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Princess has confirmed that its World Cruises onIsland PrincessandCrown Princessin 2025 will no longer travel to Asia or the Middle East to avoid crossing the Red Sea.
Instead, additional ports have been added in Africa and Europe.
Are Red Sea Cruises being cancelled?
A Marella Cruises spokesperson said: “We can confirm that due to the on-going conflict in the Red Sea area we have made the difficult decision to cancel ‘Eastern Flavours 1 and 2’, ‘Arabian Sunrise 1 and 2’, ‘Red Sea Sights 1 and 2’, ‘Ancient Discovery 1 and 2’ and ‘Ancient Escape’ on Marella Discovery 2 between 4 …
Marella Cruises has cancelled a series of repositioning sailings on its ship Discovery 2 to avoid the Red Sea area.
Passengers booked on cruises next month have been notified their cruise has been cancelled and have been offered the option to rebook at a 10% discount or get a refund.
Discovery 2 is currently operating a series of Far East cruises, from Singapore.
What to avoid in the Red Sea?
Observing precautionary measures is essential, ensuring every dive in the heart of the Red Sea becomes an unforgettable, safe adventure.The Lionfish: A Majestic Yet Perilous Beauty. … The Stonefish: Master of Camouflage. … Moray Eels: The Lurking Menace. … Scorpionfish: Masters of Disguise with a Venomous Touch.
The Red Sea, a sparkling jewel renowned for its stunning corals and rich biodiversity, captivates divers worldwide with its mesmerizing array of creatures. While many of these Red Sea creatures are harmless, a handful presents a potent blend of beauty and danger. This blend is what makes Red Sea scuba diving a thrilling experienceāwhere the enchanting underwater life can be marveled at, all while respecting the potential hazards it holds.
In this blog, we’ll delve deeper into the captivating but hazardous marine animals found in this region and the importance of understanding these creatures. Observing precautionary measures is essential, ensuring every dive in the heart of the Red Sea becomes an unforgettable, safe adventure.
The Lionfish: A Majestic Yet Perilous Beauty. The lionfish, one of the Red Sea’s most captivating yet venomous residents, poses a striking paradox with its beauty and danger combined. Its vibrant stripes and fanned pectoral fins, reminiscent of a majestic mane, add to its intriguing persona. However, the same spectacular spines that contribute to its allure carry a potent sting capable of causing extreme pain and even paralysis in severe cases. As an indigenous species in the Red Sea, the lionfish’s presence is normal. Their numbers are well controlled by natural predators, unlike waters in the Caribbean, where they are invasive. Hence, while their sight is indeed a spectacle to behold, it’s crucial for divers to maintain a safe distance, steering clear of its venomous reach.
Are cruise ships going through the Red Sea?
MSC Cruises announced on October 23, 2023 that it had canceled the entire 2023-2024 winter season of Red Sea cruises aboard MSC Orchestra and fleetmate MSC Sinfonia. The impacted voyages were scheduled to run from November through April 2024.
MSC says the changes were made due to the ongoing situation in Israel and uncertainty with countries in the surrounding area, as countries impose entry restrictions and governments issue travel warnings and advisories to various parts of the region.
MSC is offering passengers the option to move to a new sailing or cancel for a full refund. The line becomes the third cruise operator to fully pull its ships out of the region due to the ongoing conflict.
Is the Red Sea a safe holiday destination?
Sexual assaults and harassment. There are a number of sexual assaults reported to the British Embassy, including cases involving minors.
The majority of cases that have been reported took place in tourist resorts in the Red Sea region, oftencommitted by someone the victim had already met, including hotel workers and excursion staff.There have also been reports of hotel staff discouraging incidents being reported to local police.
Female travellers should exercise caution when travelling alone, particularly at night, in buses, taxis and microbuses. If you are travelling on public transport including microbuses, avoid being the last passenger left on board.
Make sure children and young people are always accompanied by known and trusted people and not left alone with hotel or excursion staff.
📹 What the Ship? (Ep105) | Red Sea & Houthi | Containerships | Cruise Ships | Shipbuilding | Big U
What The Ship? (Ep 105)| Recap of Past Stories | Red Sea and Houthi Attacks | Containership Sector Update | Cruise Ship IssuesĀ …
Sal, I have been following you closely in the past year. I am a retired Navy Commander, from 1972 to 2000, including three years with the Coast Guard. I was deployed to the Red Sea onboard the USS Tarawa in 1996 and can relate to the current events in that region. In addition, I have worked as a contracted trucker with American President Lines, APL in Port Newark/Elizabeth. I like to keep up with current news, and information, and you are the best at providing that what’s more, you provide valuable insight and speak directly to my heart as a seafaring man. Keep up the great work!
Sal- I’m a former US Navy Hospital Corpsman and medically retired Paramedic due to responding to the Pentagon on 9/11; working with the Marines during my Navy time, I never had the opportunity to serve on a ship. I’ve learned so much from you about shipping since perusal your show that I wish I would have had that opportunity I mentioned above. 😄 Thank you and please keep up the great work! Doc Lykins, VA
My uncle was a merchant seaman during WWII. After the war, he got his papers (Kings Point, I think) and shipped as a 3rd mate until his retirement. In those days, you had to put your card at the port office for the ship you wanted. So, if the ship docked on the east coast, he would drive to the west coast for his next ship. We lived in the Midwest, so he would stop every couple of years to see us kids and my dad. The stories he would tell us about the places he had visited kept us up past bedtime many times. Great memories.
Picking up on your comments about life rafts and boats, I was horrified to discover that many of the lifeboats on the huge cruise ships are double deckers with capacities of over 200 people. Could you do an episode/segment on life boats/rafts on modern cruise ships. With Pax/Crew capacities three times that of Titanic the loss of a mega cruise ship doesn’t bare thinking about.
Learned this key fact listening to Sal, that 95% of all commercial ships built worldwide are built by 3 Asian nations, China, South Korea and Japan. America builds only 0.05% of the world’s ships and a good portion are ferries for the Puget Sound near Seattle. South Korea didn’t even have a significant steel industry until the 1980’s but today they produce 25 to 30% of all commercial ships worldwide. Sal is a great communicator for all things commerce concerning maritime matters, he has a real gift for making “What’s Going on with Shipping”, a must watch even for this landlubber. All the best to you Sal and congratulations on topping 300,000 subscribers.
SS United States was a sad,neglected, corroding hulk when I spent 6 weeks on a small containership laid up on the Intercontinental Grain Terminal in Norfolk Va opposite her in the 1980’s. She had lumps of structure falling off her then so I dread to think what sort of state she is in now 40 years later – almost dangerous to go aboard I would imagine.
Man never learns, two things will happen in the next 20 years that will have everyone shocked, both predictable as you touch upon one of them Sal. There is no way these large Cruise ships can be evacuated quickly in an emergency, and we all know it, be prepared for Titanic 2 at some point. We have had an exemplary safety record from gas and chemical tankers, however with the obscure flags they are going under and their age, accompanied by possible poor crew training, we are now overdue a major catastrophe, this will occur at some point, that is a certainty. Sorry to be gloomy but accidents happen, even with the strictest safety regimes.
Howdy Sal. Regarding the SS United States, I am concerned about hull corrosion even though she is sitting in “fresh” water, she hasn’t been docked for hull inspection and preservation in something like 5 decades. A refit sufficient to make her habitable for paying customers, either passengers or “hotel guests” would cost hundreds of millions of dollars that very few have any more who would be willing to risk. Your idea of the “Viking Funeral” is probably the best of two probable ends for her, the other being a final voyage to Brownsville Texas where ships go to die … something that I would hate to see.
About Utopia of the Seas…. As far as I know she is a fairly conventional Oasis-class design, with no modifications to her food and beverage storage capacity. Converting that space into passenger cabins would likely be impossible since the storage rooms are on the deck below the lowest passenger deck, in a crew-only area, and along “I-95” (the nickname for the busy stem-to-stern corridor that also includes the supply and baggage loading gangways). The passenger capacity for Utopia isn’t wildly higher than other ships of her class. Also, cruise ships routinely carry food stocks for one week beyond the current sailing, in case of emergency. While they’ll have more frequent “turnover days” at its homeport, the amount of supply storage won’t really decrease. Royal’s decision to employ Utopia in the short, “booze-cruise” market IS unusual, though, since cruise lines normally assign their newest hardware to longer routes, instead of the “entry level” cruises that are handled by older, smaller vessels.
On shipbuilding: a potentially interesting topic would be the financial trouble of Meyer Werft at Papenburg, Germany (main location). Meyer specializes in cruise ships, the big ones. As I understand it, their order book is full, at essentially good prices, but the problem is bridging the period from receiving 20% of the price as a down payment till receiving the remaining 80% at hand-over (or a similar moment). Financing 80% of the amount involved seems to have become the problem. Taking your word, Sal, that US shipyards should resume building certain high-end types of ship, I could imagine them running into the same problem. Me, I don’t have “the” solution. However, this problem essentially matches that of building skyscrapers or purchasing (many) seeds before you can harvest (big) crops. Here in Europe, farmers founded their own banks that were tailored to those cycles. I bet that American farmers have found a similar solution.
Good Episode, Sal! Congrats on passing the 300k mark! It’s a shame the Pentagon didn’t have the foresight to pick up the SS United States, remove the asbestos, install bunk tiers, and put it in the ready reserve. Fire up the powerplant monthly, use it as a training vessel and maintain it. The cost would probably have been about what they spend on paperclips, copy paper and toner yearly.
The US is following the UK when it comes to the Merchant Marine. People have quickly forgotten just how essential they are. During WW2 they kept the UK fed and the US forces, fed and fighting. Though my father and one of his brothers were in the army, seven of my uncles were Merchant Marine. They mostly operated convoys across the Atlantic and Artic Oceans to the USA and USSR but occasionally went east, far east. They all came home safely and would be deeply upset by the state of merchant shipping for western mariners and ship builders. My brother is a time served Pipe Marine, trained at Camel Laird Ship yard. They tried to get him to return when they re-opened the shipyard a few years. Considering that he was in the last cohort that spent seven years training and one of five who qualified, he said that his current job was more secure. He drives a bus for minimum wage. He told me that he prefers his warm bus to a freezing cold wet yard.
I agree on the raft comment. No thanks on being in an enclosed space with a couple hundred of my closest friends. Can you imagine the restocking of that new monster for three and four day cruises with 5,600+ passengers? Wow. 2,500 is wild enough. the Big U needs to be a reef with funnels and plaques removed and taken where you mentioned. It’s sad to keep her around just decaying.
I loved the section on the SS United States. Her story shows how rapidly the 20th century past itself. What a great liner. She should have been in service 35 years prior. Gibbs story is one that should be known by anyone who loves transportation. I too would hate to see the ship scrapped. Please scuttle her in an appropriate place so people will remember that one time she lived. Thanks for a great article. Regards, RF
Safe travels! I see the SS United States every time I cross the bridge (a lot) or shop in the area where it is docked. Makes me sad and a little angry and I always hope it is not a metaphor for the country. They never should have let it get to this point. The govt should have acquired it or some wealthy patriot.
Lots of content in todays episode. A whole lot. The event that sticks with me is the pending eviction of the SS United States from its berth. I suspect we are witnessing the approaching final disposition of the ship. Will it be towed of to South Asia or will it head to Texas. I don’t think it will be used for a target or reef ship simply because of what she represents and her size. She is a big ship. A really big ship. If she is dismantled, I would like to see her front section along with her funnels saved and incorporated in some architectural structure. The long sweeping bow of the ship is the signature feature of the ship along with her funnels.
Not trying to be critical here, the ore boats name is generally pronounced in the Great Lakes Region as the Michey-pee-cotton. Not that anyone could tell by the way its spelled. We have an island out in Lake Superior off the Canadian shore with the same name, Michipicoten Island. Thanks for all your informative information, you have a fantastic website.
Hey SAL,GREAT episode as always. I really felt your passion of significance towards the SS UNITED STATES! Curiosity was piqued about the demand to move her from. PHILLY. What’s your professional thoughts on something going to happen at the yards at PHILLY, i.e. expansion or maybe a ‘secret’ project in rhe works they need the room! Just thoughts; to me your insights ALWAYS get this old brain ramped up: your a very stimulating in all your presentations. Thanks again for GREAT work in articles! Mike from Delaware
After seeing the articles on the SS United States by the curator of BB-62 New Jersey, I don’t think that the ship is that far beyond saving. Considering the amount of technology shared between the SS United States and the Iowa-class (especially the powerplant), I think that it’d be a very important macro-artefact to preserve. We’d just need to get it into drydock, stat. Currently I’m working on an article about the SS United States for Hackaday. I’d love to see a serious attempt to save her being undertaken, because it’s a piece of US marine history that’ll be lost forever otherwise.
Mega Cruise ships are ridiculous. The standard cruise ships offer and affordable means for travelers to see the world. What they are building today are absurdities with olympic swimming pools, surf pools, amusement parks etc. Essentially 10 lbs of crap in a 5 lb bag, not to mention the petri dishes for disease they normally are. It’s a gigantic waste of fuel and great damage to infrastructure and sea life. Imagine such money and efforts being put into land-based low-income housing. Ah…the world of excess.
We’ll be on Utopia in October. I never thought about the amount of storage space they can swap out for passenger use by specifically designing for short duration trips. Utopia is the second RC ship, after Icon, to run on liquefied natural gas. I’d love to get your take on cruise ship safety. We go twice a year. In February we do Start Trek: The Cruise. That’s a 7 night charter. The three I’ve been on were Voyager-class ships. Then we do another after summer. Last year we were on Radiance for Thanksgiving. Wasn’t happy about the small cabin. Even though it was the same class as on Mariner and Navigator it was much smaller.
I don’t see a Jones Act exemption for LNG carriers built in Korea. Here locally(Anacortes, WA) the F/V America’s Finest was denied an exemption for using steel rolled in the Netherlands that ended up constituting 10% of it’s weight. It was the act of rolling the steel that caused the issue. Can’t see how you sneak an entire foreign built ship in.
Even if the cruise ship isn’t in danger of sinking, these higher capacity, lower provisioned ships will be pretty uncomfortable without HVAC. They won’t be making many ice cubes without power and those in the coolers will melt. Maybe they should be required to build salvage tugs for these weekends on the water cruises.
Respecting your article on the 17 June and the Cdn vessel Michipicoten and cabotage laws in Canada, they are not repealed and still in effect. If a shipping company requires a vessel that is not Cdn flag for a certain purpose then they apply to the Canadian Transport Agency for a coasting license for that vessel. The agency will review the application to ensure no Cdn vessels meet those requirements and will (upon payment) grant the license for a specific period and limit the vessel to use only certain Cdn ports as required by the shipper. Many Cdn shipowners change flags when operating in Cdn waters and change to an FOC when operating for a period in foreign operations. This is done regularly and the Quebec company Desgagnes is a regular customer. Thanks, Tony, retired Master Mariner in Nova Scotia.
Oh. And by the way, thank you for slowing your speech a bit in the more routine parts. I first found you through someone who mentioned your website, not you. You spoke your name so quickly I thought it was “”Mercliano” and I had to finagle Dr. GĆ¼gle to correctly identify you so I could figure out who this rando on YouTube was. Love your work, Sal. I’m a dedicated fan now. 👍💯🏆
Interesting you’d pick a liferaft – any reason why? Thinking about it one issue I see with a liferaft off a cruise ship – it’s a long way down to the water, plus once you’re in it likely people jumping onto you. Next one is a liferaft can deflate or sink. That said I know with only a little heel you can’t launch lifeboats.
The “whothese” have “pirates rights” (that’s a new one) to attack anyone and everyone ‘whothey” “think” need attacking.. It’s all part of their “infinite wisdom” and “perfect judgement” in the absence of anything else which comes from “those guys” in flying saucers.. In the total absence on anything else resembling a thought process, this is the best explanation..
Hey Sal, I remembered you asking why the USN wasn’t doing more and why the US as a whole was allowing this. I’ve been pondering it and I think it has to do with how funding has been misallocated in the USN, how the USN has focused more on carrier groups than on smaller surface combatants, and how the US as a whole is leery of getting involved in another Middle Eastern conflict. Going in reverse order, I think that even in a perfect scenario where the USN has the surface combatants to defend convoys and can 100% get any merchantman through the gauntlet unscathed, you will still need boots on the ground. Over the decades since the end of the Cold War, the US has grown increasingly insular. We tend to focus more on internal issues than external ones, at least until they bite us in the butt, and that’s only grown more pronounced in the past ten years. We don’t want to put boots on the ground, and that means that our only option is to try attriting the Houthis ability to launch these strikes with air strikes and interceptions. That is expensive, and the more we do it, the more likely it is that we’re going to have a situation where something happens to cause it to blow up in our faces. But the only other alternative is to go in and have troops physically clear the areas and make sure the Houthis aren’t in a position to attack shipping through the Red Sea, which will almost certainly result in a long occupation and trying to build up a functional government while at the same time conducting operations against Houthi militants.
How long is it going to take to embark and disembark that many passengers on a Utopia class ship? What ports can handle that volume? Just completed a 7 day Alaska cruise out of Vancouver with half the number that Utopia is rated for, cruising is becoming the new airline hassle experience. Combine the two?? I think ill be driving to my next vacation. Who wants the stress of flying combined with the overloaded port experience? For 3 or 4 days???
There are two sides to every conflict. Indeed there are. But we have two groups of people who have spent at least the last 100 years being given an exceptionally hard time while precisely no one comes to their aid – the Kurds and the Palestinians. If our values mean anything we should be defending these people no matter what the accusations against them are because the force deployed against them is SO disproportionate to their size and so intent on their complete destruction.
I don’t think I need to tell you this Sal since this is your wheelhouse. But I feel as a fellow tar heel just up the Road from me I would do you a solid and let you know the proper term in a situation like this with the Shipping companies making the call to go all the way around, the proper term for this situation is they go “ROUNDTHEOUTSIDE” just like the two trailer park girls goā¦ā¦..ROUNDTHEOUTSIDE. 😂 let’s see if you kno this reference
Fascinating thread about the USS United States – During her speed trials, she sliced through the waves at an astonishing 38.32 knots ā 44 miles per hour! Wow! Four U.S. presidents have sailed aboard the SS United States: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and a pre- presidential Bill Clinton
I guess the difference in draught between an outrigger canoe and the Patrol boat was the issue with the Fijian capt’n, damn charts didn’t account for a deeper draught 😂😂😂😂 Can see another keel snapping with the Tutor, at the very least she’ll being going down like the Rubymar, Red Sea will be a shipping hazard in itself in the near future if the Houthi keep up their terrorist acts against shipping….further and more serious action is required against these pirates, and punish them into submission….amazing that the world community allow these characters to act as they do…shame world…shame. Cheers from Sydney Aus….and cheers for the 300k subs 🍻🍻🍻🍻
The SS United States is the last true holder of the Blue Riband (a refuelled motorboat does not count) She was a magnificent ship built with military machinery arrangements and compartmentation. /sinking as a reef is a good way to go. There are many calls to preserve ships, but it is so expensive. Queen Mary will be broken up sooner or later. God knows how long QE2 will last. I do remember about United States being able to reverse quickly. I thought it was 21 knots not 20. Hell of achievement when you consider that turbines cannot be reversed. If you are going to Keil, if you get time, go to Laboe and visit the Naval Memorial and the type VIII U boat. I will now stop prattling…
Here’s a response to the points raised in the article regarding the targeting of ships by the Houthis: “Firstly, the Ansar Allah Houthis issued a statement over two months ago, contacting all global shipping companies to halt shipments to Israel, even from the Mediterranean Sea, as a response to Israel’s economic blockade of Gaza, which prevents the entry of food and medicine. The Houthis declared a similar blockade on Israel to pressure it into stopping its aggression and the killing and blockade of civilians in Gaza. They announced that any shipping company sending its vessels to Israel would have all its ships targeted in their military operational theater, which includes the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean. What the Ansar Allah Houthis are doing is considered a humanitarian and ethical act to prevent the crimes of killing and blockade in Gaza and Palestine. Economic blockades have previously been implemented by the US in Iraq, Iran, and many other countries. Therefore, do not blame the Ansar Allah Houthis; instead, blame the Israeli aggressor and occupier and those who support it.”
Sal mentions that people are upset with what Israel is doing in Gaza while Israel is upset with what was done to Israelis on Oct 7th. Imagine how upset Palestinians must be after what Israel has done to them for more than 75 years. It’s mentioned that the Houthi are violating maritime and international law by their actions. Imagine how this violation compares with the crime of crimes (genocide), which Israel is committing. We never hear that Israel has been violating the law of the sea when it blockaded Gaza since 2006. Btw, If the US did what the Houthi are doing, it’ll be called in this website Humanitarian Intervention.
If my ship is hit and flooding I’m launching my lifeboat. There it was in its cradle. For the multi million dollar price tags of low income and homeless apts the United States can be refurbished and converted into immigrant and low income housing. No the propulsion wouldn’t be rehabed but the living spaces would be good. I just spent 14 days on a cruise ship in a small cabin. I could live there quite easily. Got to think outside the box Sal. Jealous of your upcoming trip. Congrats on the success.
very sad about SS United States – she was an amazing ship and it would be crazy sad to lose her – i really hope that someone can make a decision to rebirth her for free, she is floating history – the conservation group need to pull a thousand people in to volunteer to make something of her and with that she needs hundreds of companies to donate materials where ever they can – i mean i have a container with dozens of tins of paint going free – there has to be a mass of companies out there that can easily afford donating materials
From Wikipedia: The Bab-el-Mandeb (Arabic: ŲØŲ§ŲØ Ų§ŁŁ ŁŲÆŲØ, lit.ā’Gate of Lamentation’, Tigrinya: į£į„ į£į įįį³į„), the Gate of Grief or the Gate of Tears, is a strait between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and by extension the Indian Ocean. v Geography Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb with Perim Island in the distance The distance across is about 26 kilometres (14 nmi) from Ras Menheli in Yemen to Ras Siyyan in Djibouti. The island of Perim divides the strait into two websites, of which the eastern, known as the Bab Iskender (Alexander’s Strait), is 5.37 kilometres (2.90 nmi) wide and 29 metres; 96 feet (16 fathoms) deep, while the western, or Dact-el-Mayun, has a width of 20.3 kilometres (11.0 nmi) and a depth of 310 metres; 1,020 feet (170 fathoms). Near the coast of Djibouti lies a group of smaller islands known as the “Seven Brothers”. There is a surface current inwards in the eastern website, but a strong undercurrent outwards in the western website. Significance in the maritime trade route The Bab-el-Mandeb acts as a strategic link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Most exports of petroleum and natural gas from the Persian Gulf that transit the Suez Canal or the SUMED Pipeline pass through both the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz. While the narrow width of the strait requires vessels to travel through the territorial sea of adjacent states, under the purview of Article 37 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the legal concept of transit passage applies to Bab el-Mandeb, although Eritrea (unlike the rest of coastal countries) is not a party to the convention.
a question about Chinese ship building. After reviewing many stories about Chinese buildings within China and many of the belt and road initiatives around the world., quality is not superlative. (cracks in dams, crumbling buildings, etc) With no state regulations, ie, OSHA, etc; and an atheistic state with no moral compass (to do what is right and good) are their ships good quality? Does the industry speak of this? thanks
In thinking back to how awful conditions got aboard cruise ships caught mid voyage when the pandemic lockdowns were effected. What would these new cruise ships do in a case like that? Or what if war broke out and ports involved used the passengers on these ships as bargaining chips, refusing to allow them to berth or restock unless their demands were met? Honestly. We need gatekeepers with common sense to put a brake on these really bad ideas. I’m not at all sure I would want to set a foot on any device that would carry me out onto the water if that device was run by a company who only sees me as fodder for stockholder profits.
I’m not exactly an expert. But I say that the attacks the hhouthis are doing is having the intended effect even if indirectly. 13:50 we see that trade is slowing down in southern California so there. Regardless of your position on the genocide or the houthis. They will keep attacking anyone cause it is having an effect.
6:12 It has nothing to do with the words they speak with their mouths. Though you can figure out some things by what they say, the language itself has little correlation with the definitions of the words spoken or written, in that particular order as you or I might speak them. Frankly. It’s a shame we don’t have those old destroyers with long range artillery. Cheaper than missiles. But for that sort of issue. Not bad. Aircraft and autonomous vehicles can’t put the ( _ ) into a target on the coast as cheaply with these newer systems. Supposedly they have artillery that has farther range. But at what expense? Probably too much. I think what many current events teach us, is that sometimes what is really necessary is to shoot them until they stop sending people. All the other stuff is necessary, but perhaps not the best tactical choice, because of it’s cost strategically. Cheap strategies are often useful buffers. If weaker tactically on a case by case basis. You know. Seems like a good use for Warthogs.
If Russia is backing out of LNG tankers, that is an indication that much of Russia’s gas is going to become a stranded asset. With lowered pipeline shipments to Europe, you would expect that they would want more tankers. This suggests that they are limited in there ability to build facilities to liquefy natural gas.
Sal, my friend, you are High On Emotion. Cargo ship is nothing like a small boat that’s sole purpose is to carry its crew around on the lesuary trip or a journey. I A cargo ship is first and foremost cargo and cargo is synonymous to profit. What Hooties are attacking is profit, if they had access to the “Swift” system they will definitely prioritize attacking money transactions between the sponsors of the G. in Gaza.
in a world where the US and its western “allies” have made the new rules “might makes right” there is no precident in international rules when it comes to shipping and embargo rights, so as they have make rules based on their power, we see nations and non state actors use their powers to create new rules based on the reality of power in their respective regions of operations. Besides all they have to do is declare a ceasefire in Gaza and the region for these attacks on shipping to cease. Free Palestine
… pirates and mercenaries. Wherever did the pirate’s bossman(who?) come up with the cash to garner and train these murdering criminals back in the rapscallion’s practicum days? – Send ’em a Trojan Horse…a big Trojan Hoss named, ‘Czar Boom!’ Just spare the innocent folk and the dromedaries! Rolling arachnids too.
11:05 Well, that should tell you what UN Conventions are worth when the rubber meets the road. Nothing. Ink on paper. And to be brutally blunt, Israel as well as the US is treating UN Conventions the exact same way. In reality International Law means: I can bring about fait accompli and can back it up with armed and/or economic strength. That’ it. End of story.
Stay away from Israeli and Gaza ports and the Houthi will leave the ships alone. It’s a war. In all wars merchant ships have been attacked. It’s normal and not illegal. During WW2 many Swedish neutral ships was sunk! The wood and the ore ship was probably smuggling something to Israel. Take another route, it’s easy!
The Israel/Gaza thing is just a front for the Houthis to bare their teeth over the long-standing grudge they have with the west, for supplying the Saudis with weapons to kill them with, and the sea blockade that has prevented Houthis from even bringing in food & medicine for their people. If there is any actual parallel, Israel has been doing to same to Gaza for years before last October. (All of which has been backed by the US & Europe, whose view of what’s “illegal” is VERY inconsistent.) So the Houthis use the “Gaza solidarity” thing to get attention, but I bet if the west stopped arming the Saudis with advanced weapons and ended the Saudis’ sea blockade of Houthi areas, the attacks on shipping in the Bab AL Mandab would magically drop off to nothing, no matter what happened to Palestinians in Gaza. (I think because the Israel / Palestinian conflict gets big attention over here, while the brutal & ongoing Yemen war gets virtually none.)
That makes two fatalities caused by the Houthi campaign. In the meantime 1000’s have been killed in Gaza and a deliberate policy of starvation persists. This is not, as suggested, an illegal war, at least not yet, thanks to Israel being sheilded by the US. There is still no reporting on Yemeni deaths caused by US and UK air attacks, more than two I think. Many people are upset about Gaza but only the Houthi are doing anything. There are indeed two sides to this story but only one side involves genocide.
The SS United States should be restored! We can move forward without neglecting and forgetting our past! We waste so much money in our country on stupid things. If we just diverted a small fraction of that money to preserving our history it would be so worthwhile for our upcoming generations!!! Where’s our common sense???
Even if what the Houthis are doing violates maritime law, it may make sense and arguably is even legal, in a few bigger picture interpretations. The former USSR and the Berlin Wall fell not due to anyone prevailing with bullets, bombs, and guns, but due to finance and socioeconomic balances. Team Amerika, World Poleece, displaced the UK, France, Spain, and Portugal as colonizers running sugar, rum, and slave trades, not by wars, but by economic upheavals. US politicians are beholden to AIPAC, construction, securities, and medical industries, far more than to voters, as money, not bullets, bombs, and guns, are primary weapons in modern society. The Houthi’s actions are disrupting that, at least in small part. Container rates at record highs help prove it’s a functional and effective tactic for an otherwise unknown small group. Truth to power is ideal as a peaceful engagement process, when the players all act in good faith. When not only the crimes against humanity that are Israel do not do so, and they’re supported by the USA and major players of the EU, in illegal occupation implementing Apartheid via genocides, ANY available means of resistance can become lawful, even if not pretty or in conflict with other law. That may include “chaos to power”, when truth fails. It’s easier for a small faction to disrupt and decrease efficiency of corrupt major powers, than to engage head on. That includes propaganda where the Z-bots are far better funded and entrenched in governments and academic, and in shipping rates, costs of goods, decreasing efficiency of commerce that generates funding for wars by larger powers, and the same issues of opposition leading to the US 2nd Amendment as potential redress when other systems fail to act legitimately.
Sal if you can’t comprehend the Houthi actions, what do you think of the US complicity in Isreal genocide? The US is helping another country with logistic, bombs, money, international pressure in destroying all civilian infrastructures, commit war crimes, use starvation against a civilian population that is under siege for 17 years.
A government isnt a govt if a foreign govt says it is. A govt is legitimate if the people & various factions say so & nobody can dispute that the Houthis have the support of the people & factions in over 80% of the country while having many people defect over from the US backed Al-Qaeda/Sanaa to the Houthis. Sal is wuldly biased & says some of the most baseless propaganda ever when it comes to this issue…all of a sudden hes entirely incapable of thinking critically🤦 just supporting his team
Since you asked, what Houthi attacks on mariners have to do with Hamas being wiped up? Iran backs both terrorist organizations and ultimately calls the shots to damage and diminish international and particularly western interests in any way possible. Arguably, if one waits for the current U.S. government to take the wheels off of Iran’s little red wagon, one should be exceedingly patient. What is interesting is why Egypt must sit back and take being ripped a new one via tremendous losses of revenue through the canal? Any thoughts on this? Thanks for the great content, Sal.