The recent reorganisation of the Australia/New Zealand trades has seen
passenger routings on cargo ships 'all change' as of this month, as the
new services begin. A dozen ships have now replaced the ten that that
previously carried passengers.
With the acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd by Maersk and CP Ships (including
Contship Containerlines) by Hapag-Lloyd during 2005, the previous
eastabout and westabout round-the-world services have now come to an
end and have been replaced by two 84-day pendulum services, weekly
out-and-back via Suez and fortnightly out and back via Panama. In
addition, Hamburg S=FCd has mounted its own fortnightly 84-day round
voyage via Panama.
Of the twenty-four ships involved in these trades, not all carry
passengers, but half of them, or a dozen, do, in all cases using
Tilbury as their base UK port.
Five vessels in the new CMA CGM/Hapag-Lloyd joint service trade via
Suez. These include the Hapag-Lloyd-chartered ADELAIDE EXPRESS,
Rickmers' AENNE RICKMERS, ALEXANDRA RICKMERS, formerly known as
CONTSHIP LONDON and CONTSHIP ROME, the French-flag CMA CGM UTRILLO and
the German LEDA TRADER. Australia/New Zealand ports of call are similar
to the previous service, with a homebound call at Singapore on the way
back to Europe and calls at La Spezia in each direction.
Seven ships now trade via Panama. These include four CMA CGM/Marfret
vessels, the CMA CGM LATOUR, CMA CGM MANET and CMA CGM MATISSE plus
Rickmers' MARFRET PROVENCE, in the CMA CGM/Hapag-Lloyd joint service,
which maintains the traditional French calls at Papeete, Tahiti, and
Noumea, New Caledonia, on the southbound leg. These ships call outbound
at New York and homebound at Philadelphia, the traditional US East
Coast reception port for New Zealand lamb. In addition, three chartered
Hamburg-S=FCd ships, the CAP VAN DIEMEN, CAP VICTOR and CAP VINCENT,
now carry passengers out and back via Panama on another 84-day round
voyage, which calls at Philadelphia in both directions. These ships do
not call on the Pacific islands but feature a call at Cartagena,
Colombia, in both directions.
Kevin ...
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The Cruise People Ltd, 88 York Street, London W1H 1QT, England
Isn't it High Time you were on the High Seas?
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7723 2450
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E-Mail: cruise@dial.pipex.com
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