In Jan 2013, news was abuzz
in China of the maiden voyage ceremony for mainland China's first luxury cruise
ship "Henna" with the theme of "Movement of the Sea, Sailing of
the Heart". In that maiden voyage ceremony and inauguration for
Henna. Ms. Xu Ying, 2009 Miss Asia champion, smashed bottles for the maiden
voyage as the "Sailing Goddess" of Henna. It marked Chinese brand's
official entering into the cruise tourism market, breaking the monopoly of
foreign cruise companies in the Chinese market and providing Chinese tourists
with a brand-new choice among cruise tourism products. Henna is the first and
largest luxury cruise liner in mainland China, with 739 passenger cabins and a
maximum passenger capacity of 1,965, including nine suites with balconies, 432
ocean-view staterooms and 298 interior staterooms.
Photo
courtesy : shipparade.com
Jeju Province is one of the nine provinces of South Korea. The
largest island Jeju lies in the Korea Strait; became a
separate province in 1946. Its capital is Jeju City. The island contains the
natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes … this tiny
island is in news now…
MS Henna was built in 1986
by Kockums Varv, Malmö, Sweden, for Carnival Cruise Lines as Jubilee, along
with near-sister ship Celebration. In 2004, the vessel was transferred to
P&O Cruises Australiaand renamed Pacific Sun. On 13 September 2012, HNA
Tourism Cruises announced that Pacific Sun's new name is Henna.
BBC reports that a South Korean district court on Friday
afternoon detained the Chinese luxury cruise liner Henna in the port of Jeju, stranding more than 2,300
passengers and crew members. The Chinese tour operator HNA Cruise said late on
Saturday that the ship, MV Henna remained in Jeju and that it is providing free
entertainment and around-the-clock food and drinks to its passengers while
trying to work out a solution.
HNA said the Jeju court
acted upon a request of a Chinese company over legal disputes but did not
elaborate. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said a Chinese creditor has
entrusted an unidentified South Korean company to submit the court request. HNA is quoted as blaming that it is an act
that restricted personal freedom of those onboard and one severely infringing upon
the rights of innocent passengers. It is
clear that it is a legal dispute… the local
court has ordered the Henna not to leave
after a request from a Chinese shipping company. It is not clear what the
dispute centres on. Chinese Consulate General in Jeju Island and HNA Cruise are
negotiating with the ROK side for an earliest possible departure of Henna, it
is stated.
Meanwhile, the company said
in an online statement that it is making plans to compensate passengers
appropriately for their losses. Dai Bin, a researcher at the China Tourism
Academy, said no commercial dispute should infringe upon tourists' legal
interests. According to the International Convention on the Arrest of Ships, a
ship may be only arrested in respect of maritime claim but in respect of no
other claim. Maritime claim means a claim arising out of one or more of the
following such as loss or damage caused by the operation of the ship, salvage
operation, and damage caused by the ship to the environment.
Tailpiece : Henna is a flowering plant; the name henna also
refers to the dye prepared from the plant and the art of temporary tattooing
based on those dyes. Henna has been used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, and
fingernails, as well as fabrics including silk, wool, and leather.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar.
14th Sept. 2013.
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