During the voyage from May 20 to May 29, 2025, the MSC Fantasia encountered technical problems that limited the maximum cruising speed. The port call in Kerkyra on the island of Corfu, planned for May 27, had to be canceled at short notice. The ship sailed from Istanbul to Bari, with two days at sea. Guests on board were informed of the port cancellation the evening before via a cabin letter. The port call in Corfu could not be realized because more time was needed for the voyage from Istanbul back to the Adriatic. The costs for canceled MSC shore excursions on Corfu have been credited to the guests' onboard accounts. Each guest received a non-refundable onboard credit of €100 to compensate for the inconvenience. The reason for the route change were technical problems on board the ship. The engineers on board were working to resolve the issue. Whether this has been resolved in the meantime or whether route changes might occur on subsequent voyages is currently unknown.
News
LIGARI
On May 25, 2025, at 02.32 a.m. the 'Ligari' was boarded by three unarmed perpetrators, about 0.6 nautical miles off Helen Mar, Racon, in pos. 1° 7.96' N 103° 45.99' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). Nothing was reported stolen.
PEACE
On May 22, 2025, at 3.30 a.m. the 'Peace' was boarded by five perpetrators, armed withgun like objects, about 4.8 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.43' N 103° 38.0' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). Nothing weas reported stolen.
SPIRIT OF TASMANIA 4
Both of Tasmania's brand new Bass Strait ferries 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' and 'Spirit of Tasmania 'V' have technical issue with their LNG systems. The ferries have been built by the Rauma Marine Construction and have been undergoing testing and preparations to travel to Tasmania. The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' was due to leave Leith for Tasmania on May 26.. On MAy 27, the Minister for Transport Eric Abetz said that the TT-Line had advised the government an issue with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems on board both ships had been identified. The issue needs further assessment and rectification, and as a result the ferry will not depart for Australia until the work is completed. The government was awaiting further details in relation to a new expected departure date, but it is understood that this work will take some time. Any necessary repair costs will be covered under warranty with RMC. TT-Line had representatives on the ground in Finland and was engaging with the company. The ship will be relocated to Hobart as soon as possible for final fit-out.
HYUNDAI MASAN
On May 8, 2025, the 'Hyundai Masan' allided with the dock at the Georgetown during the berthing manoever, delivering the first load of wind turbine components for the Eastern Kings wind farm. The allision caused a small hole in the hull of the ship, which stayed at the port for about six days, while the damage was repaired. There was no major impact on the daily operations of the port and no affect on the wind farm schedule of the PEI Energy Corporation. There was no damage to turbine components either. The vessel was fully offloaded on May 15, and the components were transferred to Eastern Kings. Report with photo: https://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/ship-hits-the-dock-in-georgetown/article_15e53d22-e688-4470-94b7-0777f977efc4.html
SHINGLE
The 'Shnigle', which was sunk in Killala Bay about four kilometres out from Enniscronea in a joint effort between Killala Bay Ships 2 Reef (KBS2R), the Revenue Commission and Mayo and Sligo County Councils to become Ireland’s first artificial reef and a diving hotspot, has broken up into three pieces. The wreck was badly damaged during Storm Éowyn on Jan 24, 2025. Recent underwater surveys have revealed that the bow and stern have come apart from the main structure. The sections have benn marked out with buoys. However, the goal of creating an artificial reef has been a success. There is fish life flocking to all three sites which is very positive. There has been a massive growth of barnacles and this has become a habitat for fish. The three parts of the ship are now deemed as wrecks and have been marked as ‘obstacles’ on the Commissioner of Irish Lights' admiralty charts. There is no risk to infrastructure in the nearby waters, such as the nearby subsea fibre cable that links the USA with Europe. The ship has moved 200 metres in the opposite direction of the cable and gone more towards Sligo. It was originally 500 metres from the cable.
RPA 10
The 'RPA 10' was deoloyed to assist after a fire broke out in a barge carrying household waste on Brielselaan in Rotterdam-Charlois on the morning of May 27, 2025. The bareewas moored at waste processing company Afval Verbranding Rijnmond (AVR). Rijnmondveilig advised to close windows and doors and to switch off the ventilation if residents were bothered by the smoke. Just after 12:30 p.m.the fire brigade announced that the fire was under control. This also reduced the amount of smoke and the stenc, after it initially had released a lot of smoke that drifted towards the residential area, on the other side of the Maashaven, in Katendrecht. The Shipping Firefighting Team was also on site quickly. Several goods exploded on the barge. The fire brigade tried to extinguish the fire from above using the ladder truck. Fire brigade personnel were also present on the 'RPA 10'. AVR personnel tried to get the burning part to the side with a push boat. The barge was thentowed to the AVR in Rozenburg where the cargo will be unloaded. Reports with photos: https://www.dehavenloods.nl/nieuws/algemeen/58879/brand-in-duwbak-met-huisvuil-bij-avr-brielselaan-aan-maashave https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/2018014/brand-in-schip-met-huisvuil https://www.ad.nl/112-nieuws-rotterdam/brand-in-binnenvaartschip-met-huisvuil-overlast-in-de-buurt-door-rookontwikkeling~a84b2bbb/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F https://binnenvaartkrant.nl/brand-op-duwbak-in-maashaven-geblust
LAURUS
On May 19, 2025, the 'Laurus' detained in Venice with 15 deficiencies, nine of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Water/Weather - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Damaged 2) Life saving App - Inflatable liferafts Not properly stowed 3) Life saving App - Embarkation arrangement survival craft Not properly maintained 4) Emergency systems - Emergency source of power - emergency generator Inoperative 5) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Propulsion main engine Not as required 6) Fire safety - Fixed fire exthinguising installation Inoperative 7) Fire safety - Ventilation Inoperative 8)) Radio communication - Reservce source of energy Not as required 9) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on May 26 and dropped anchor off Venice. The last detention were only on Feb 3 in Brindisi with eight deficiencies for nine days and on March 15 in Tekirdag with 34 deficiencies for nine days.
PETREL PACIFIC
On May 23, 2025, at 1.56 a.m. the 'Petrel Pacific' was boarded by four perpetrators, armed with knives, about 1.8 nautical miles off Helen Mar, Racon, in pos. 1°6.9' N 103° 44.67' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The intruders stole engine spares.
LISA GLORY
On May 23, 2025, at 1.10 a.m. the 'Aeolian Grace' was boarded by five perpetrators, armed with long pipes, about 1.8 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.53' N 103° 31.31' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The intruders stole engine spares.
BELGICA
The 'Belgica remains stuck in the port of Zeebrugge due to an ongoing legal dispute between the Belgian government and the French company Genavir that operates it. While the ship remains under the command of three Belgian military officers, ongoing technical issues have triggered a legal dispute between Genavir and the Belgian state. Genavir has cancelled the contract and initiated legal proceedings against the government. Since then, the French company has only carried out the minimum necessary maintenance to prevent the ship from sinking. The 'Belgica' was at sea for 248 days for scientific purposes in 2023, but only for 29 days in 2024. No missions are scheduled for 2025. The legal procedure are still ongoing. There appeared to be delays in the French-speaking court of first instance in Brussels. Even if a new operator were selected soon,, the tendering process alone would take at least a year, so the 'Belgica' will almost certainly remain inactive until late 2026.
MSC ELSA 3
All sunken containers from the 'MSC Elsa 3' will be retrieved, and all floating containers will be brought ashore, accodding to the The Director General of Shipping, . Currently, 108 personnel from the salvage company T&T Salvage were working to contain the fuel leak and recover the containers. The Indian Coast Guard continued monitoring and managing the oil slick. A total of 50 containers have washed ashore as of May 27. The salvage operation was expected to be completed by July 3. The ship carried 13 hazardous containers, 12 of which held calcium carbide. Five of these 13 containers have fallen into the sea and haven't reached the shore yet. Scanning was underway to determine if they have sunk to the seabed. The calcium carbide was stored in the ship's cargo holds, which is why it sank with the vessel. The 13th container held rubber chemicals. A preliminary assessment suggested a failure in the balance management system might have caused the accident, possibly due to a technical malfunction. Investigations will examine the ship's balance mechanism, including the possibility of a valve failure. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) was tasked with providing protocols for handling debris washing ashore as part of the Chief Minister's emergency directives. Volunteer forces, supervised by the Fire and Rescue Department, have also been organized for efficient waste management.
GERMAN WARSHIP F217
On May 26. 2025, the Danish frigate 'Iver Huitfeldt' pursued the Russian destroyer "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" from Skagen to the Great Belt. In addition to the Danish Navy, the Federal Police patrol ships "Neustadt" and "Bamberg" shadowed the Russian destroyer on May 26, as well as a convoy of a Russian corvette and two Russian merchant ships on May 25, which also entered the Baltic Sea, bound for Kaliningrad. Units of the Russian Baltic Fleet, supported by the country's airforce and the Northern Fleet, will train for an emergency scenario. Russia plans to deploy 20 warships, 3,000 troops, and 25 aircraft and helicopters for the maneuvers. Almost simultaneously the destroyers "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" had departed from their base in the Kola Fjord for an anti-submarine maneuver. On May 20, the Russian Armed Forces Press Service announced that the destroyers "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" had completed their combat training in the Barents Sea. While the "Severomorsk" remained in the North Atlantic, the "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" headed south along the Norwegian coast, following the German frigate "Bayern." When the frigate set off from Torshvån in the Faroe Islands on May 23 for its transit through the Skagerrak to Warnemünde, the "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" was already there. The command of the "Bayern" was informed of its pursuer. The 'Bayern' berthed in Rostock on May 26. The "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" belongs to the Russian Navy's "Udaloy" class of destroyers. Four ships of this type are stationed in the Northern Fleet. Report with photo: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/nato-baltops-2025-russland-provoziert-mit-parallel-manoever-FTPYT62E2RH5TGHT3NIPMP4HE4.html
ALPHA PEACE
On May 22, 2025, at 2.20 a.m. the 'Alpha Peace' was boarded by four perpetrators, armed with knives, about 3.5 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.58' N 103° 39.38' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). Nothing was reported stolen.
PLATA SOUTH
On May 20, 2025, at 3.45 a.m. the 'Plata South' was boarded by five perpetrators, armed with knives and gun-like objects, about 4.4 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.4' N 103° 38.3' E, while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The intruders stole ship's properties and engine spares.
PPLS920
The commander of the 'LS 920' along with 16 more crew members has been charged by the Piraeus Naval Court with causing the trawler 'Adriana' to capsize, which led to death of up to 650 people on June 14, 2023, in international waters within the Greek SAR zone near the town of Pylos. At least 82 bodies were recovered from the disaster, though up to 650 were feared dead. Hundreds of people, including women and children, were missing after being trapped below deck. Only 104 of an estimated 750 occupants had survived. Survivors of the shipwreck told media that a botched attempt by Greek coastguard to tow the vessel had caused it to capsize. The deputy prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court indicted 17 Hellenic Coast Guard members, including the captain of the 'LS-920'. The captain faces charges of “causing a shipwreck”, “dangerous interference of maritime transport” and “failure to provide assistance”. Other crew members were charged with “complicity” in acts committed by the captain. Reports by rights groups and watchdogs, based on survivors’ testimonies, pointed to the role of the Hellenic Coast Guard in precipitating the wreck, by first delaying its rescue response and then attempting to tow the 'Adriana'. The patrol vessel attached a rope to the fishing boat and moved off quickly, causing it to flip. Once the survivors had reached land, they were told to keep quiet about how events had unfolded. In February, leaked audio recordings revealed that Greek rescue coordinators instructed the captain of the 'Adriana' to tell an approaching ship that those on board did not want to go to Greece - contradicting the Coastguard’s account of the incident. The Coastguard has maintained that the people aboard were not at risk and did not request assistance and insisted they wanted to go to Italy and not Greece. The 17 men are set to be questioned in the coming weeks by the naval court’s deputy prosecutor. The court will then decide whether a full trial will go ahead, or if the charges will be dismissed. Reports with photos: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/greek-court-charges-17-coastguards-over-deadly-2023-pylos-shipwreck https://www.proasyl.de/news/pylos-chronik-einer-vermeidbaren-katastrophe/ https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1261695/ombudsman-report-reveals-coastguard-failures-in-pylos-shipwreck-response-including-missing-communication-logs/ https://sea-watch.org/gemeinsames-statement-zum-staatsverbrechen-von-pylos/
HUNTS POINT
The victim of the explosion on the 'Hunt'S Point' has been identified as the veteran city engineer Raymond Feige, 59. He was a chief marine diesel engineer who worked at New Yorks Department of Environmental Protection for 33 years. He was killed in a methane explosion aboard the Department of Environmental Protection ship, while it was docked at the agency's wastewater facility on the Hudson River. The blast sent him tumbling off the ship on May 24 at around 10:30 a.m. The diesel engineer was pronounced dead at the scene after being found unconscious in the river. Another DEP employee was taken to the hospital, and a third at the scene refused medical treatment.The ship was carrying raw sewage at the time of the explosion, the cause of which was still under investigation. There has been no impact on plant operations or the environment. Report with photo: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-york-sewage-boat-explosion-victim-identified-veteran-city-engineer-rcna209087
KAWA BUDAPEST
The 'Panda Vega', which was formerly operated by Russia’s Panda Express Line has beem added tp the fleet of the Hong Kong-based Kawa Shipping and renamed 'Kawa Budapest'. It fetched a price from the Chinese buyer of just under $10m. $6m were obtained in October 2022 when the vessel was sold by the Brunei-based Amann Shipping. The ship has been deployed on Kawa’s expedited liner service from Asia to Germany, which Kawa launched late in 2024 with backing from the Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group. The vessel had formerly operated in Panda’s direct service between China, South Korea and eastern Russia. Snce late 2024 it has been owned and managed by the Hong Kong-based Konteiner Logistic Asia. The company was one of a number of new Russian carriers created to fill the gap left by the departure of most global liners in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian carrier has, however, been retrenching in recent months with the closure in February of one of three services between Russia and China.
NCL SALTEN
The Norwegian Maritime Authority carried out a Port State control on board the 'NCL Salten' in Orkanger on the evening of May 27, a few hours after the ship was towed off the ground at Byneset. Throughout the entire salvage operation, the Norwegian Maritime Authority had an action inspector on board to assist the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the shipping company, the class and the salvage company. After the ship had docked in Orkanger, the Directorate's Port State inspector went on board to carry out a port state control. As a result of the grounding, the ship has suffered hull damage that makes it unseaworthy. The flag state of Cyprus must provide written confirmation that the ship can go to a repair yard for repairs. The conditions for sailing to a repair yard must be approved by the Norwegian Maritime Authority. The Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) was switched off both before and during the grounding itself. This must be rectified before the ship can sail. The ship's ISM system (safety management system) does not comply with the requirements and must be rectified within three months. The escape routes on the ship do not comply with the requirements. The hatch to the emergency exit from the engine room is too heavy and is difficult to open from the inside. This must be rectified within 14 days. The Norwegian Maritime Authority has now completed its inspections and is now awaiting further plans for the ship, in dialogue with the shipping company and flag state. Report with photos: https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/18545184/inspeksjonsrapport-klar-etter-havnestatskontroll?publisherId=17849089&lang=no