Crystal names escort ship for Northwest Passage cruise
APRIL 13, 2016 — Crystal Cruises has named the icebreaker that will accompany the 1,070 passenger Crystal Serenity embarks in August on what will be the first venture by a large cruise
northwest passage
Rutter to help cruise liner sail Northwest Passage
MARCH 30, 2016 — Beginning August 16, this year, says Crystal Cruises, its 820 ft, 1,070 passenger Crystal Serenity will become the largest luxury cruise liner to ever navigate the Northwest Passage.
ABS and COSCO sign Arctic shipping cooperation agreement
FEBRUARY 2, 2016 – Classification society ABS has signed a Cooperation Agreement on Trans-Arctic Shipping Development with China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO). Changing climate conditions have opened new operational and trading
Weathernews beefs up polar routing capabilities
It’s one more indicator that one effect of climate chang will be to see more commercial shipping activities in the arctic.
The Global Ice Center (GIC) at Weathernews says that the northeast passage along the Russian coast has been open to shipping traffic since August 18, and the northwest passage across North America has been opened from September 1, making this year the first since 2013 that both passages have been open .
The GIC defines “open” as conditions free of ice in all passages, based on satellite observation
The northeast passage is expected to stay open until early October, with the northwest passage closing by late September, thus making it possible for commercial vessels to enter the icy region.
This year, ice in the Arctic Sea is melting at a fast pace, already reaching the third-lowest extent observed in the two routes, However, information available on conditions in two northern sea routes is still scarce, so Weathernews is planning the launch of the WNISAT-1R satellite.
Fednav vessel on unescorted Northwest Passage transit
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 — Canada’s Fednav reports that its MV Nunavik sailed from Deception Bay en route to China via the Northwest Passage, September 19, with a full cargo of nickel concentrate.
Arctic maritime potential fails to excite U.S. industry
APRIL 22, 2014 — Decreasing seasonal sea ice has opened up Arctic waters for longer periods with resulting potential economic opportunities in commercial shipping, cruises, commercial fishing, oil, and mining. But while