Volume 85 No. 10
“The Voice of Port Industries”
October 2021
@VAmaritime
CRUISE SHIPS RETURN; LARGER VESSELS TO COME
VA GETS GRANT TO TRAIN FOR SHIPBUILDING RICHMOND | On October 15, a $5 million Department of Defense grant was awarded to the Virginia Defense Manufacturing Community to train workers for defense manufacturing industries in Danville and Hampton Roads.
The Ocean Explorer marked the return of cruise ships since the pandemic.
NORFOLK | With the arrival of the 341-ft Ocean Explorer on October 5, Norfolk’s cruise ship program made its official comeback. The Ocean Explorer is the first foreign-flagged cruise vessel to call Norfolk since the pandemic began. It can accommodate 177 passengers, although only 53 were on board at the time. To better prepare for the return of cruise ships, Nauticus is installing a new passenger gangway system, which arrived on October 6. The gangway was designed by Swedish company, Seawing PBB, and arrived disassembled aboard the vessel M/V Sluisgracht to be re-assembled at Nauticus over the coming weeks. The new boarding system will accommodate larger, more modern cruise ships, including the Carnival Magic, scheduled to set sail from Norfolk in 2022. Carnival Cruise Line begins its five-year sailing schedule from Nauticus in 2022 with the 4,000-passenger Carnival Magic. Also of significance, Norwegian Cruise Line will call on Norfolk 25 times in 2022, making it Nauticus’ largest portof-call commitment ever. “Our program continues to grow exponentially,” said Nauticus’ executive director, Stephen E. Kirkland. “In 2022, we’ll roll out the red carpet for 180,000 passengers, making it one of our very busiest seasons ever.”
INSIDE THIS EDITION h VMA’s Maritime Golf Outing Scores (2) h Sugar Producer Expands in VA (3)
“Our maritime defense manufacturing industry is vital to the nation’s security and a critical part of our economy,” said Governor Northam. “Virginia is a recognized leader in defense manufacturing. This groundbreaking partnership will help diversify and modernize the nation’s best maritime workforce Continue Reading on Page 3
ANN PHILLIPS, NOMINEE FOR MARITIME ADMIN. WASHINGTON | On October 14, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Ann Phillips for Administrator for the United States Maritime Administration at the Department of Transportation. Phillips is a leader in the field of coastal resilience and climate impact on national security at the regional, national and international level. As the first Special Assistant to the Governor of Virginia for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, she is building a collaborative, whole of government and community approach to address the impact of coastal flooding across the Commonwealth, including the development of Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan. In particular, she coordinates across Federal, State, local and other partners to create equitable strategies to address rising waters and climate impact to federal, maritime, and other critical coastal infrastructure assets in Virginia.
h Cured Meat Producer Chooses VA (3) h BOEM Plans for Seven New Offshore Lease Sales by 2025 (4)
h I-95 Southbound Bridge Opens, Doubling Capacity (4) h VMA’s Maritime Mixer Photos (7)
h Spirit of Life Award Dinner (4)
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