Both Viking Expedition cruise ships to sail Great Lakes in 2023
Viking’s inaugural season in America’s Great Lakes is well underway. The line’s first expedition ship, Viking Octantis, recently wrapped up a roundtrip through the Welland Canal — a part of the St. Lawrence Seaway that connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. That makes it the largest passenger vessel to ever transit the canal.
Octantis is set to remain in the Great Lakes until early October of this year, operating a variety of itineraries between Toronto, Ontario and Duluth, Minnesota.
Next year, Viking’s second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, will join Octantis for the Great Lakes season.
“Our expedition ships were designed with the Great Lakes in mind. This region has been historically underserved by cruise lines, and we are delighted by the warm and enthusiastic reception we have received from the local communities,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “With our first season now underway, we are pleased with the strong demand among our guests and look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to these fantastic destinations in 2023.”
Viking’s arrival to the Great Lakes brings the newest and most modern vessels to the region, as well as an economic boost for the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio (starting in 2023), as well as Canada’s Ontario province.
To help develop the scientific enrichment program for its Great Lakes voyages, Viking has partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which conducts research on the environments and ecosystems of these lakes and their coastal regions.
These expedition ships have also been designated as official NOAA/U.S. National Weather Service weather balloon stations, and launches will be regularly undertaken from their decks.
The four itineraries Viking is operating in the Great Lakes this year are:
Undiscovered Great Lakes: 8 days, Thunder Bay to Milwaukee
Great Lakes Explorer: 8 days, Milwaukee to Thunder Bay
Niagara & The Great Lakes: 8 days, Toronto to Milwaukee
Canadian Discovery: 13 days, New York to Toronto
In 2023, Viking will add a new Great Lakes voyage:
Great Lakes Collection: 15 days, Toronto to Duluth
From now through May 31, 2022, Viking is offering special fares and reduced airfare on Great Lakes itineraries. Call Viking or contact your travel agent for information.
Cruiseradio.net
Laker’s innovative diesel electric solution delivers emissions savings
A Canadian laker with an advanced Berg diesel electric drive train is already showing significant emissions reductions. Built by China’s Chengxi Shipyard for Canada Steamship Line (CSL) the 26,000 dwt self-unloader, M/V Nukumi arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in time to take up duties for the 2022 Great Lakes season. As we reported earlier, the vessel is a single point loader developed in collaboration with Windsor Salt to deliver de-icing salt from Mines Seleine on the Magdalens Islands for use on roads across Quebec and Newfoundland.
It is the first bulk carrier to feature direct drive electric — an integrated solution developed by Berg Propulsion to make high efficiency electric propulsion easier to adopt.
“Conventional electric propulsion systems feed power from the generator to the power distribution system, then on to the frequency controller and the electric motor before they reach the main propeller shaft via the reduction gear,” said Jonas Nyberg, managing director, West, at Berg Propulsion. “This can be overly complex and hard to maintain, while energy is lost at every step. The direct drive electric solution features electric motors that are integrated to directly drive the propeller shaft.”
The removal of gears allows for shorter shaft lines, fewer bearings and a smaller engine room footprint, while very high torque meant the same power could drive larger propellers, according to Nyberg.
“For Nukumi, the use of direct drive electric propulsion shows the value available when a shipowner, an equipment maker and a system integrator work together in the early ship design phase on prioritizing performance and sustainability,” says Nyberg. “This is a key reference for direct drive electric as a fuel efficient and easy to install technology which broadens the appeal of greener electric propulsion.”
Frederic Jauvin, vice-president, global technical services, CSL said that, compared to its predecessor, the ship’s combination of optimized hull form, electric propulsion technology and Tier III diesel-electric engines would cut greenhouse gases by 25 percent and other pollutants by 80 percent. The propulsion solution will also enhance maneuverability in the shallow Magdalen Island channel, he said.
“Nukumi charts new waters when it comes to safe, sustainable and efficient shipping in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Great Lakes region,” said Jauvin. “Its efficiency and sustainability are truly exciting and Berg Propulsion’s integrated solution and its engineering partnership with Chengxi Shipyard has been key to securing all of the available performance enhancements.”’
The performance and sustainability gains of electric propulsion are widely acknowledged, especially when ships demand variable load capabilities, but Berg believes the greater simplicity direct drive solutions bring to the marine market could prove decisive.
Berg says that energy savings compared to other electrical solutions can be in the excess of 5%, with equivalent fuel savings available. Additionally, direct drive electric is also “future-proofed” to accommodate alternative energy sources, using a DC hub — or “superdrive” — to draw on main engines or stored energy from zero emission batteries and fuel cells, as required.
MarineLog
Viking cruise ship to dock near Dollar Bay
HOUGHTON, MI – If people want to catch a glimpse of the cruise ship visiting the Keweenaw next week, the best vantage point on land might be the Nara Nature Park boardwalk.
Houghton City Manager Eric Waara provided an update on the cruise ship itinerary during Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. The Viking Octantis cruise ship and research vessel will come to the Houghton area June 1 for the first of its seven trips to the area this summer. The Victory cruise line will also make two stops this summer.
Original plans had called for the ship to arrive via the North Entry and dock near the Kestner Waterfront Park. The 665-foot expedition ship, too big to fit under the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, would have turned around to head back out to Lake Superior when leaving. The revised itinerary sent last Thursday now has the ship docking near the U.S. Coast Guard Station Portage in Dollar Bay. Passengers will be tendered 3 miles to Houghton, where they will disembark at Bridgeview Park.
Passengers will have a number of options, whether seaplane tours of the Keweenaw, walking brewery tours or visits to the Quincy Mine Hoist and Seaman Mineral Museum.“There’s going to be a lot of people visiting a lot of the things that we have,” Waara said. “That’s what’s really nice, is they’re going to be getting that little taste, and hopefully they’ll come back on their own sometime.”
The Daily Mining Gazette
U. S. Steel celebrates investment in America with strategic pig iron caster at Gary Works
GARY, IN – United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) (“U. S. Steel”) employees joined United Steelworkers (USW) leadership, key partners, and elected officials to celebrate the Company’s investment in a pig iron caster at its Gary Works facility. The installation of the pig iron caster is a key part of U. S. Steel’s metallics strategy, capitalizing on its iron ore advantage.
“Mined, melted and made in America has always been important to us, and recent world events have demonstrated how critical self-reliance is,” said U. S. Steel President & CEO David B. Burritt. “This investment at Gary Works, to create the necessary material for our lower-emissions electric arc furnaces, is the perfect example of combining the best of integrated and mini mill technologies. It’s also helping propel our transition to our ambitious Best for All® strategy. We’re committed to a future of driving profitable steel solutions for people and the planet.”
The pig machine will be fed with iron ore from the Company’s Minnesota Ore Operations, Minntac and Keetac. The produced pig iron is expected to supply up to 50% of the ore-based metallics needs for Big River Steel Works.
“Gary Works is U. S. Steel’s largest manufacturing plant and its role in the Company and in this community is significant,” said Daniel Killeen, Vice President, Gary Works. “Knowing that the nearly 4,000 employees at Gary Works are not just contributing here, but we now get to utilize our blast furnace efficiency to contribute to the company’s new, most environmentally friendly operations at Big River Steel Works, is something we’re excited about.”
Pre-construction for the caster began in the first quarter of 2022, and start-up is expected in early 2023. The $60 million investment will bring approximately 25 new jobs to the facility.
Gus Atsas, President, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1014, said, “The process of pigging iron will help secure our plant in an ever-changing global market. The future of Gary Works and the United Steelworkers go hand in hand. Our families and communities depend on our success, and we are proud of the work we do every day.”
“U. S. Steel and their incredible workforce, including members of the United Steelworkers, are the foundation of the Northwest Indiana economy. I am grateful they are making this investment in the steelmaking capabilities of our region and the ability of future workers to continue to make the most environmentally friendly and efficient steel in the world,” said Congressman Frank Mrvan.
Businesswire
Time running out for Boatnerd freighter-chasing cruise early bird rate
After going on pandemic hiatus for the last two years, the Annual Boatnerd Soo Freighter Chasing Cruise is back in business!
•When: Friday – June 24, 6–9 pm, rain or shine
•Where: Soo Locks Boat Tours, Dock #2 (next to the Valley Camp)
•Limit: 100 passengers
•Food: Pizza and salad included with paid passage
•General Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $30.00 each, $35.00 each from June 1-June 17
•Youth Admission (US funds): Early Bird rate $20.00 each, $25.00 each from June 1-June 17. Youth admission applies to those under 18.
This year’s St. Marys River cruise will be aboard a Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours boat on Friday, June 24. Boarding begins at 5:30 pm, and we cast off at 6pm. The cruise is three hours long. We plan to travel through the U.S. Locks, but that may change in order to chase freighters. (NOTE: At this time, we can approach the Canadian Locks, but not transit through them. We can also approach Algoma Steel, but we cannot enter the slip.)
Pizza and salad are included in paid passage. There will be a cash bar on board. You can bring your own food and beverages (no alcohol).
Reservations are a must, as the group is limited to 100 passengers. Reservations (both online and mail-in) must be received no later than Friday, June 17. Buy tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/2p86wujf
If the cruise is not sold out, Angie Williams will take CASH ONLY reservations through the end of the Boatnerd Picnic on Thursday, June 23, at the Procrastinator Price of $40.00 per General Admission ticket, and $30 per youth ticket.
Contact Angie at griffinclawangie@gmail.com or 734-386-0899 if you have questions or wish to reserve without using EventBrite,.
The Boatnerd Picnic will be Thursday, June 23, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Sherman Park, just west of the locks. Bring a dish to pass. Burgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments will be provided by Boatnerd. Free.) Save the date and think early about your travel plans and lodging. The event will be held rain or shine, but lets hope for sunshine!
Events are in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers annual Engineer’s Day (Friday, June 24) open house at the Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
