Second Time's the Charm as Iran Permits Chinese Boxships Through Hormuz

Ice Slows the Start of Shipping on the Upper Great Lakes

Published Mar 29, 2026 5:47 PM by The Maritime Executive

The shipping industry is sounding a cautionary tale as the 2026 season for operations on the Great Lakes is getting underway. They are saying a shortage of icebreakers is compounding a difficult situation, leaving ships stranded after a heavy winter across much of the region. The Soo Locks reopened on Wednesday, March 25, and it is a big day for the region and the economy. Located at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the locks close each winter for maintenance when the...

Ukraine Sustains Unrelenting Nightly Attacks on Russia’s Baltic Oil Ports

Published Mar 29, 2026 4:17 PM by The Maritime Executive

Ukrainian officials are reporting that they have maintained a series of unrelenting attacks designed to dramatically impact the oil export operations on the Baltic. Overnight into Sunday, they staged what they said was the fifth consecutive nightly attack on the Russian terminal at Ust-Luga. The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, confirmed the attacks in a series of social media postings. He warned residents, initially saying they had destroyed 29, then 31, and then 36 drones. He also warned...

Architecture of Adaptability: Designing Vessels to Stand the Test of Time

Published Mar 29, 2026 4:13 PM by Boksa Marine Design

The marine and maritime industries are currently navigating a sea of rapid technological evolution. For commercial and government vessel owner-operators, the pressure to design vessels that remain relevant for a 30- or 40-year-plus lifespan is industry standard. Whether driven by tightening emissions regulations, the promise of alternative fuels, or the competitive aspects of autonomous operations, the goal is to "future-proof" vessels. However, in the world of naval architecture and marine engineering, true longevity is not found in a single "silver...

China Merchants Is the Latest to Withdraw from China’s Cruise Market

Published Mar 29, 2026 2:46 PM by The Maritime Executive

China Merchants, one of the country’s largest industrial companies and heavily involved in the maritime sector, has abandoned its efforts to develop a luxury Chinese cruise product. The company had launched a joint venture with Viking in 2021, acquiring one of Viking’s cruise ships, but recently put the cruise ship up for sale. The company had reportedly paid nearly $400 million in 2021 as part of the joint venture to take control of the 745-foot Viking Sun (47,800 gross tons)....

Shipping

Second Time's the Charm as Iran Permits Chinese Boxships Through Hormuz

Two Chinese-owned containerships were permitted to make the transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, March 30, as Iran continues to let a trickle of ships from noncombatant nations pass. It came as Donald Trump first told reporters Sunday evening that Iran was letting more ships through out of “respect” for the United States, and then hours later on social media threatened Iran that the U.S. would be “blowing up and completely obliterating” infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz...

Tugs & Salvage

Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea

A tanker carrying Russian oil has been hit by drones near the northern entrance to the Bosporus, according to Turkish officials. The vessel, identified as the Sierra Leone-flagged Suezmax Altura, sustained damage to her bridge and to her engine room, according to Turkish channel NTV. No injuries were reported among the 27 members of the crew, all of whom are Turkish nationals. The salvage and rescue vessel Nene Hatun was dispatched to the scene to assist. As of Thursday morning,...

Government

Op-Ed: Where Have All the Daniel Inouyes Gone?

Regardless of your political leanings, it's hard to argue that the late Senator Daniel Inouye's life reads like a work of fiction. A witness to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he rendered aid and saved lives as the Pacific Fleet burned. Labeled an "enemy alien" by the country he loved, he was battlefield-promoted from sergeant to second lieutenant, and he distinguished himself in combat beyond what most could conceive. Leading the charge on three enemy machine gun nests, he...

Corporate News

Stena RoRo Takes Delivery of the 13th E-Flexer from the China Merchants

[By Stena RoRo] Stena RoRo has taken delivery of the 13th ship in the 15 ship series of E-Flexer RoPax ferries from the China Merchants Industry shipyard in Weihai, China. The ship, named Capu Rossu, was handed over to CORSICA LINEA following the delivery to Stena RoRo. The ship will start its commercial operation mid June and will trade between Marseille and Corsica. GOTHENBURG, Sweden, March 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The E-Flexer-series is based on a design which is larger...

Cruise Ships

China Merchants Is the Latest to Withdraw from China’s Cruise Market

Ports

Ukraine Sustains Unrelenting Nightly Attacks on Russia’s Baltic Oil Ports

Shipping

Second Time's the Charm as Iran Permits Chinese Boxships Through Hormuz

Tugs & Salvage

Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea

Government

Op-Ed: Where Have All the Daniel Inouyes Gone?

Corporate News

Stena RoRo Takes Delivery of the 13th E-Flexer from the China Merchants

Cruise Ships

China Merchants Is the Latest to Withdraw from China’s Cruise Market

Ports

Ukraine Sustains Unrelenting Nightly Attacks on Russia’s Baltic Oil Ports

Offshore

Chevron Plans to Buy Oil From Sable's Controversial Santa Ynez Unit

Houston-based Sable Offshore, owner of the Santa Ynez platform complex and pipeline in Santa Barbara County, has a buyer for its production. Chevron says that it will begin buying 20,000 barrels per day from Sable now that the Trump administration has approved a restart of the former Santa Ynez pipeline, the oil major announced Tuesday. "We’re going to run Sable’s crude at El Segundo in April," Chevron president of downstream Andy Walz told Bloomberg. "We’re taking American crude oil, putting...

Shipbuilding

USCG Requests Proposals to Replace Outdated Light Icebreakers

The U.S. Coast Guard is looking to urgently move forward with its planned replacement program for its badly outdated Light Icebreaker class that dates to the 1960s. It posted a Request for Information providing just two and a half weeks for responses while saying it contemplates streamlined approaches related to contract design, reduced government oversight, source selection, and contract requirements. Icebreakers proved even more vital in 2026 in a winter that saw a deep freeze overtake much of the eastern...

Environment

Carbon Storage Developers Complete Applications in UK’s Second CCS Round

The UK’s North Sea Transition Authority received bids for more than two million acres of seabed in its second carbon storage licensing round. Bidding closed on March 24 after having opened in December 2025 and follows the first four licenses, which were awarded in 2023, which have already begun efforts testing the injection process. A total of 21 licenses were awarded in the first round. The authority had reported strong initial interest before beginning the solicitation, and it now says...

Business

Cyber Risk in Shipping: From Technical Threat to Business Reality

Cybersecurity in shipping is still too often framed as a technical issue, something for IT teams to manage in the background. From Marcura’s position across financial, operational and compliance workflows, it is increasingly clear that it has become something far more fundamental: a question of business resilience, financial integrity, and trust across an increasingly complex global ecosystem. Few organizations sit closer to that reality. I see first-hand how cyber risk manifests in day-to-day shipping and where some of the industry’s...

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