Blue Star Line’s Titanic II replica concept by Mining magnate Clive Palmer’s looks set to remain a dream. The $500 million plan to build the Titanic II remains unfulfilled and the intended shipyard, CSC Jinling in Nanjing, China, is reportedly sceptical that the 270m long/40,000gt ship, originally planned to launch in 2016, would ever be built.

CMV’s chartered 16,144gt/1948 built Azores was held overnight in Lisbon on 7th April with almost 500 British passengers aboard due to allegedly unpaid debts. The ship had been about to head for Bristol at 1900 to round off a 15-night cruise when she became unwittingly involved in the midst of a legal wrangle between a former crew member and the ships’s owners, Lisbon based Islands Cruises Transportes. The vessel was impounded for 19 hours until CMV (the Charterers of the ship) came to an arrangement with Portuguese authorities. The delay subsequently shortened the following cruise by one night.

NP&O Cruises (Australia) sent the Pacific Dawn to Vanuatu on 28th March as part of the cyclone relief effort, laden with muchneeded supplies for the storm-ravaged island. The ship was already scheduled to call at Port Vila before the cyclone struck so the call was revised to deliver 20-25 pallets of supplies whilst not disembarking passengers during the state of emergency there. The Pacific Pearl also called a few days later with more aid, including food and water, corrugated iron, and hygiene products

Virgin Cruises’ futuristic cruise ship design has been revealed, showing an innovative hull design typical of the Virgin brand. The striking image is a stark move away from the conventional cruise ship design and is at the centre of an argument involving former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Colin Veitch who says Virgin founder Richard Branson stole his concept design. Virgin Cruises has signed a letter of intent with Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard for two 4,000-pax ultra-ships but currently isn’t planning on joining the cruising scene until 2019.