Saturday, February 07, 2026
MORE TOP STORIES
cruise ship rendering

Strength of Cruise Market Spurs New Niche Startups

Published Feb 6, 2026 5:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

The continuing strong demand for cruise vacations and the positive outlook are once again attracting new players into the market and driving the formation of niche offerings. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economics of operating cruise ships largely drove small players from the market, but the strength of the industry is once again creating interest for new companies. Much of the focus on 2026 will be on the entry of the luxury hotel brands into the market. Ritz-Carlton started the...

Continue Reading...
European Union

EU Calls for Maritime Service Ban Targeting Russia's Shadow Tanker Fleet

Published Feb 6, 2026 2:56 PM by The Maritime Executive

The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, took the wraps off its proposed 20th sanction package against Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, saying the time has come to slash Russia’s energy revenues. The proposed new package again targets the shadow fleet and Russia’s energy industry, as well as adding further sanctions on imports and exports and Russia’s regional banks. The EU notes that “important peace talks are underway in Abu Dhabi,” with EU...

Continue Reading...
tanker

US Sanctions More Tankers as Indirect Talks with Iran Begin

Published Feb 6, 2026 1:27 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. State Department announced on Friday morning, February 6, that it was adding to the list of sanctioned tankers and companies supporting Iran’s oil industry as it seeks to keep up the pressure on Tehran. The move came as U.S. officials and Iran’s Foreign Minister were starting indirect talks in Oman. The State Department accused the latest batch of vessels of continuing the efforts to move millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil and playing a key role in...

Continue Reading...
RoRo fire

Korean RoRo Turns Around After Reporting Truck Fire

Published Feb 6, 2026 12:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

A Korean-flagged RoRo operating as a ferry was forced to turn around on Friday evening, February 6, after the crew discovered a truck fire onboard. The crew, aided by the local fire department and the Coast Guard, was able to bring the fire under control after about two hours. The Korean Coast Guard unit in Jeju and the fire department reported receiving the report of the fire at about 5:30 pm local time. The ship had departed Jeju bound for...

Continue Reading...
MORE STORIES BY CATEGORY

Offshore

offshore wind farm

Massachusetts Looks to Nova Scotia to Supply Offshore Wind Energy

Faced with the need for more electrical power and a desire to expand renewable energy, Massachusetts is looking toward the import of renewable energy from neighboring Nova Scotia. The first-of-its-kind agreement would present a novel solution to meeting the needs while also addressing the opposition of the Trump administration to the development of offshore wind energy generation. Massachusetts is a strong supporter of the offshore wind energy industry, with some of the first large projects in the United States. It...

Continue Reading...

Shipbuilding

icebreaker Voima

Finland’s Plans to Replace World’s Oldest Operating Icebreaker

Finland is making progress on a project to replace the world’s oldest working icebreaker. They announced the progress, reporting that the project has settled on the design concept for a new vessel that can operate in the typical ice and open water conditions of the Bothnian Sea and the Gulf of Finland. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has settled on the design for the new icebreaker that will replace the 70-year-old Voima, which was built in 1954 and holds...

Continue Reading...

Environment

LCO2 transport

Northern Lights has Deals With Shipping Lines to Double CO2 Transport Fleet

The Norwegian CO2 storage initiative, which became the first commercial operation for carbon capture and storage, announced a new deal that will double the company’s fleet by 2029. This comes just months after the company completed its first injection of liquid CO2 for permanent storage. Northern Lights, which is a joint venture between Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell, reports it has struck a new charter deal with major shipping companies, including existing partner Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line), while adding MISC...

Continue Reading...

Business

Maersk containership

Maersk Predicts Difficult Times for Industry After a Strong Performance

Maersk, long considered a bellwether of the container shipping industry and broader global economy, presented a bleak near-term outlook as it reported 2025 financial results. The company pointed to the continued uncertainties in global trade as well as a growing overcapacity in container shipping, which it foresees contributing to further declines in freight rates and its earnings outlook. While posting a strong overall performance in 2025, which included nearly five percent volume growth for ocean shipping and terminals that achieved...

Continue Reading...