All articles by Elliot Gardner
Elliot Gardner
How old is the average cruise passenger?
The standard cruise ship stereotype conjures images of decks lined with a more elderly retired clientele, but is that really a true reflection of age demographics in cruise ship clients?
No kids on board: the surge of adult-only cruises
‘No kids allowed’ cruises are growing in popularity, with enquiries for ‘adult-only’ cruise holidays surging on search engines. And cruise providers, in their restless search to attract new customers, are more than happy to indulge.
Life at sea: the longest cruise journeys in the world
With the popularity of cruises growing, some companies are offering increasingly longer journeys to capitalise on this heightened interest. What are the longest cruises available on the market right now?
Shipbreaking Platform: fighting to stop boats being broken up on beaches
Shipbreaking is still a major problem, both due to unsafe working conditions and damage caused to coastal ecosystems in countries such as Bangladesh. In this Q+A, NGO Shipbreaking Platform speaks about the impact of shipbreaking, the progress that has been made to change the landscape of this activity in recent years, and the steps it is taking in the future.
The fight for Doraleh: the legal battle over Djibouti’s port
A convoluted legal battle is taking place over the Port of Doraleh in Djibouti. The country has illegally seized control of the port from operator DP World and reneged on its contract. And now a special report on the arms trade in the Horn of Africa has warned that the port could potentially be used as an illegal weapons hub. Elliot Gardner untangles the story behind the fight for control over the disputed port.
Lithium-ion batteries: a new safety issue for ships?
More and more ships are turning hybrid or fully electric and increasingly rely on lithium batteries and energy storage as a power source. The technology has proven itself reliable and powerful, but safety concerns, such as thermal runaway, still linger. Elliot Gardner takes a closer look at some of the main risks.
Setting international standards for man overboard systems
An average of 21 man overboard incidents occur on cruise ships every year. Up until now, there have been no internationally agreed requirements to evaluate the effectiveness of man overboard detection systems, but new international ISO guidelines set out clear specifications for such technologies. Elliot Gardner finds out what this means for manufacturers and operators.
Market fresh: the challenge of local and responsibly sourcing on-board cruise ships
Recent years have seen a surge in consumer awareness of where and how food is sourced. This trend has also impacted the cruise industry, with more and more operators making efforts to source food locally and responsibly. But what challenges does local and ethical food sourcing present for the cruise sector?
Ocean Cay: the world’s biggest private cruise resort emerges
MSC Cruises has broken ground on what will be the biggest cruise line private island in the Caribbean. Being built on a former sand-mining facility, which was originally planned for development into an LNG import terminal, the 95-acre man-made island resort will feature several kilometres of beachfront and a deep-water pier connecting to visiting cruise liners. Frances Marcellin takes a closer look.
Cargotec wins MacGregor equipment order
Cargotec has received a €25m order to deliver MacGregor equipment for 11 container ships being built at South Korea’s Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering shipyard.