
Federal Charges for Captain of Deadly Missouri Duck Boat
The captain of the World War Two-style tourist "duck boat" that sank on a Missouri lake during a storm in July killing 17 people was charged on Thursday with misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty by a federal grand jury, prosecutors said.Kenneth Scott McKee, 51, of Verona, Missouri, was charged in a 17-count indictment, one count for each of the passengers who died when the vessel sank on July 19.McKee was captain of the vessel operated by Ripley Entertainment Inc, which ran duck boat tours in Branson…

Stevens Joins Hurtigruten Americas
Hurtigruten has appointed Christine Stevens as Vice President of Sales for the Americas to be based in its Seattle regional headquarters. Stevens brings 30 years of cruise industry expertise to Hurtigruten and will lead the sales organization, including field sales and national accounts. Angel Moledo, Vice President Customer Sales & Service, continues to be responsible for tour operator partners.Stevens will drive additional revenue growth, identify new client opportunities, lead and manage the sales team, and represent Hurtigruten at national and regional trade shows, events, and seminars.

Metro Cruise/Metro Shore Hires Marketing VP
Metro Cruise Services and Metro Shore Services, the cruise divisions of Nautilus International Holding Corporation, have appointed Rofia Larsson to the newly created position of vice president of sales and marketing. Larsson joined Metro Cruise and Metro Shore on June 1 and will be responsible for the implementation of various marketing programs and branding strategies to increase the visibility of cruise and shore event business to potential customers within the industry. She…

World’s 1st LNG Hybrid Barge Christened "Hummel"
The world’s first LNG hybrid barge of Becker Marine Systems was christened with the name "Hummel" on October 18, 2014, at Grasbrook Quay in HafenCity Hamburg. The godmother of the inaugural event for the floating LNG power plant for environmentally friendly energy supply of cruise ships was Dr. Monika Griefahn, Chief Sustainability Officer at AIDA Cruises. The co-founder of Greenpeace Germany and former Minister of Environment of Lower Saxony has been involved in sustainability and environmental protection for more than 30 years.
Tura Turizm Wins Two Awards from Royal Caribbean
Tura Turizm, the largest cruise line tour supplier in Turkey, received two out of five tour operator awards bestowed by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. at its Tour Operator & Shore Excursion Managers Conference that ended Feb. 7. The Istanbul-based company received the Shore Excursion Manager's Award and the Most Innovative Tour Idea Award. The Shore Excursion Manager's Award was voted on by shipboard excursion managers, based on ease of working with tour suppliers and overall guest satisfaction with tour products. Tura received the most innovative award for its HD Tour product.