The 2013 Cruise schedule has been released. Begining in May , and running until October, All of the Usual ships return, Including the weekly trips by both Massdam and Carnival Glory.

Notable in Absence is Disney Cruise Lines, Who sailed here last year for the first time.
I Note that the schedule is available at http://www.cruisehalifax.ca/our-visitors/index.html however there was not a press release issued – this suggests that the schedule is not yet complete, however it is typically released in Early Febuary.

The Port of Halifax will be the first port in Atlantic Canada to implement shore power for cruise ships, beginning with the 2014 cruise season.

I suspect The Port Authority will be the customer to NS Power. They will buy the power at the market rate, mark it up and sell it to the crusie ship, as just another fee. As the Port is the Customer of NS Power the customer is responsible for equipment on thier premise. I see no reason to involve NSP in this Project.

The Question that should be asked of the port however, is why is it not funding the project themselves? They do collect a fee for every vessel and Passenger, which amounts to ~ $30,000/day/crusie ship for a 1 day stopover (Based on 2009 rates).

From the Release:
Shore power is a highly effective way to reduce marine diesel air emissions by enabling ships to shut down their engines and connect to the electrical grid in order to provide necessary power while docked. This initiative represents the second shore power installation for cruise ships in Canada.

Once installed, shore power at the Port of Halifax will have immediate benefits by decreasing cruise ship idling by seven per cent, and will contribute to improved air quality and human health. This percentage is expected to increase over time as more ships equipped for shore power use the facilities. The seven per cent reduction represents an annual decrease of approximately 123,000 litres of fuel and 370,000 kg of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions.  

Full TC Release here

The Chronicle Herald is reporting that a company that handles international garbage has been ordered to stop using the Legrows maritime facility (Located near the Dartmouth side of the MacDonald Bridge), as it contravenes zoning bylaw’s.

International garbage is garbage from foreign vessels that must be treated to ensure no invasive species are able to escape into the environment. Ships Typically Load it directly onto the Barge, where it is taken to the Dartmouth Dock at Legrows for transfer. I suspect the vessels Agents contract this work on behalf of the lines, though it is doubfull there is more then one supplier of the service in halifax.

The Tug Gulf Spray, and the Barge are registered to Larinda Ltd. of Halifax.

The Recent outbreak of Norovirus at a local resturaunt, now seeming to have come from the passengers  of the cruise ship Carnival Glory brings up the topic of Quarantine .

Today ships fly the Q flag to indicate that they have not yet cleared customs, However in the past, the Flag was used to indicate that there was an illness aboard  ship. Canada has a Quarantine act that applies to marrine traffic.

The Act states: 12.
(1) Where, in the course of a voyage of a vessel to one of the ports referred to in subsection (3), (a) a member of the crew or a passenger on board the vessel has
 (i) died,
 (ii) had a temperature of 38°C (100°F) or greater that persisted for two days or more or was accompanied or followed by a rash, jaundice or glandular swelling, or
 (iii) suffered from diarrhea severe enough to interfere with that person’s work or normal activity,

 the person in charge of the vessel shall, by radio at least 24 hours prior to the vessel’s estimated time of arrival at its port of destination and between the hours of 9 o’clock in the forenoon and 5 o’clock in the afternoon, notify the quarantine officer at the quarantine station designated in subsection (3) for that port of the occurrence and provide him with the information described in subsection (2).

(2) The information to be provided to the quarantine officer pursuant to subsection (1) is
(a) the name and nationality of the vessel;
(b) the ports called at during the voyage of the vessel;
 (c) the nature of the cargo on board the vessel;
 (d) the number of persons comprising the crew of the vessel;
(e) the number of passengers on board the vessel;
 (f) the port of destination of the vessel and the name of the vessel’s owner or, if the owner is not in Canada, the name of the vessel’s agent in Canada;
 (g) the condition of all persons on board the vessel and details of any death or illness occurring during the voyage;
(h) whether the body of any person is being carried on the vessel;
(i) the estimated time of arrival of the vessel at the port of destination;
 (j) the number of persons on board the vessel who are not in possession of valid evidence of immunization to smallpox; and
 (k) the date and place of issuance of any de-ratting certificate or de-ratting exemption certificate applicable to the vessel.

 (3) For the purpose of subsection (1), the quarantine station for vessels bound for (a) a port in the Province of Nova Scotia or a port in the Province of Prince Edward Island, is Quarantine Station, Halifax, Nova Scotia;

In Halifax, The Quarantine Station is at Anchorage 1, and is identified by the Symbol of a cross in a circle as below: