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I am the last person in the country you would want to approach for sports gambling advice (legal or otherwise!), as I have a long and consis- tent track record, for example, of always picking the

Super Bowl loser. (This is topical, of course, because the Super Bowl is fast approaching as we go to press, and because of the demoralizing picture you will find on page 8). Simply put, I tend to pick with my heart rather than my head.

The same does not hold true in all other aspects of my life, as I tend to be more analytical in other areas, particularly in regard to business. That said, all bets are off regarding the continued trend toward consol- idation. Just when you think you’ve seen the big get as big as they possibly could, another acquisition hits the headlines. In this instance, I reference the recent purchase of the French shipbuilder Alstom Marine by Aker Yards, which essentially teams a combined Scandinavian and French cruise shipbuilding team determined to take market share from Italy’s Fincantieri.

The cruise market is looking vibrant, as vibrant as it has post-9/11. While there is palpable excitement regarding recent orders and coming deliveries, notably a $2 billion plus order logged by Fincantieri for Carnival Corp., and the pending delivery of the world’s largest cruise ship — the 158,000-ton Freedom of the Seas being built for Royal Caribbean at Aker’s Turku yard — this April, there are also some very serious challenges to address. Chiefly, the issue of

Maritime Security in regards to potential terrorist attacks on cruise ships is ubiq- uitous, and will continue to affect the way in which cruise ships are outfitted and operated. While fruitless to speculate on such matters, the industry can ill- afford to ever let its guard down, continuing to stay abreast of the latest tech- nologies to keep ships safe. Cruise operators are also engaged in a very public debate regarding the safety of passengers while onboard their ships, as a number of recent crimes and missing passengers have been grossly overplayed by the mainstream media. While any such incident is unwanted and unfortunate, lost is the fact that the overwhelming majority of cruise ship passengers enjoy a peaceful and safe journey. Regardless, the industry must step up its public efforts to ensure its message is getting across.

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Founder: John J. O’Malley 1905 - 1980

Charles P. O’Malley 1928 - 2000

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Business Publications

Audit of Circulation, Inc. 14 Satellite Communication 27 Clean Water Technology 37 Coatings Directory 45 Ship’s Store 46 Buyer’s Directory 48 Ad Index 50 Classifieds

On the Cover: Pictured on this month’s cover is the first 158,000 gt cruise ships for Royal Caribbean International, MS

Freedom of the Seas, is due for delivery from Aker's Turku shipyard in April. Two sisterships will be delivered in 2007 and 2008. See story on page 20.

Editor’s Note www.marinelink.com [email protected]

On the Cover

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Coming in Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

March 2006

THE TRAINING & EDUCATION EDITION

U.S. Navy - Littoral Combat Ship Profile • Marine Electronics: Bridge Design

Maritime Security: Ship & Port Security Japan

April 2006

THE OFFSHORE ANNUAL

Offshore Business is booming, and MR examines trends and opportunities in this special “OTC” edition.

LNG Ships Deck Machinery & Cargo Handling Equipment Marine Fuels,

Lubricants & Additives Norway www.marinelink.com 6 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

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