Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, announced today, Sunday, that MSC EURIBIA, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, has transited through the Canal on its first voyage through it amongst vessels of the southern convoy after navigating through the Strait of Bab El-Mandab; on its way from the UAE to Malta.
MSC EURIBIA was one of the vessels stranded at the Strait of Hormuz for many weeks, and after successfully passing through it, it changed its course to navigating through the Red Sea and then the Suez Canal on its voyage to Europe, instead of navigating around the Cape of Good Hope.
The LNG-powered vessel is affiliated to the shipping line MSC. It is 331 m. in length, has a beam of 51.9 m. and a draft of 27.5 ft. The vessel sailing under the flag of Malta has transited the Canal with 192 crew members on board.
In accordance with the Suez Canal Authority's protocol for vessels transiting through the Canal for the first time, Adm. Ossama Rabiee delegated Capt/ Khaled Nada, First Chief Pilot, and Capt/ Raouf Moselhy, Chief Pilot, to board the cruise ship, welcome its crew, and present a commemorative gift to the vessel's master.
The Suez Canal also witnessed the transit of the cruise ship CELESTYAL JOURNEY as part of the southern convoy, en route from the UAE to Turkey.
The vessel is 219 m. in length, has a beam of 30 m. and a draft of 24 ft.
Adm. Ossama Rabiee affirmed that the Suez Canal continues to provide its maritime and logistical services and accommodate the newest and largest vessels in the global fleet, thanks to ongoing development projects.
The most recent of these is the Southern Sector Development Project, which has increased navigational safety factor for transiting vessels by widening the Canal by 40 meters to the east, from km 132 to km 162 (Canal Marking). This is in addition to increasing the doubled sections of the Canal by 10 kilometers at the Small Bitter Lakes area.
The Chairman of the Authority pointed out that the transit of cruise ships is a positive indicator reflecting the continued attractiveness of the Canal as a major east-west transit route, thanks to the time savings and reduced operating costs it offers, further solidifying the Suez Canal's position as the fastest, shortest, safest, and most sustainable shipping route.
It is worth noting that today, Sunday, 45 vessels transited through the Canal in both directions, with a total net tonnage of 1.7 million tons.
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