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Editor's Note International Representatives ' *f While many facets of the maritime market remain stuck in the dol-drums, the passenger vessel end of the market is one which should continue to expand robustly through the coming year and far beyond. The cruise ship market continues its stampede forward, with 13 new ships and more than 16,000 berths coming on line in 1999 and 14 ships and more than 18,600 new berths scheduled to be delivered in 2000. On the smaller passenger vessel side, a significant development occurred last month when Australia's Austal Ships announced its new partnership with Bender Shipbuilding to construct a new facility in the Mobile area and vigorously pursue both passenger vessel and government contracts. As an industry leader in the design and construction of alu- minum fast craft, this should serve as a strong signal that the U.S. pas- senger vessel prospects are positioned to perk up. While most of the news emanating from the passenger vessel sector is positive, there are some disturbing trends which will command increasing attention from owners, builders and suppliers. There are an increasing number of lawsuits being brought about by passengers against carriers in the case of accident or mechanical failure. London law firm Lawrence Graham, in fact, has warned that cruise shipping companies are increas- ingly vulnerable, and that shipping companies in general can expect to face more stress at work personal injury claims. The latest potential suit to the long list of litigation in 1999 revolves around reported engine problems on Carnival's Paradise, which was said to have hampered the millennium celebrations of several hundred pas- sengers. At press time there were reports that there was a lawyer — who happened to be onboard the ship — who was chosen to head a commit- tee to pursue a "possible" suit against the carrier. While it is understand- able that passengers should expect comfort, safety and service to be the highest priority, it should similarly be noted that the litigation-happy public seems more than willing to take passenger vessel owners to court, and prudent protection measures should be enacted. INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS CHARLES E. KEIL, Vice President 4400 N. Federal Highway, Ste. 121, Boca Raton, FL 33431 Telephone: +561-368-1021; Fax: +561-368-1161 24-hr Tel/Fax: +561-998-0313; Mobile Tel: +561-716-0338 Tony Stein, International Sales Manager 12, Braehead, Bo'ness, West Lothian EH51 0BZ, Scotland, U.K. Telephone: +44 (0) 1506 822240; Fax: +44 (0) 1506 828085 Australia/New Zealand Tony Stein 12, Braehead, Bo'ness, West Lothian EH51 OBZ, Scotland, U.K. Telephone:+44 (0) 1506 822240; Fax:+44 (0) 1506 828085 Argentina R. LESLIE RAMSAY Calle Pellegrini 173 Primer Piso, Departamento C 1009 Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel: +54 1 394 8821; Fox:+54 1 326 4377 Benelux PAULA TACQ Maritime Media ML Otweg 18 2771 VX Boskoop, Netherlands Te: +31 172 230707; Fax: +31 172 230708 Brazil JOSE DUARTE DOS SANTOS Multipla Agential Martima, Ltda. Rua Caralino Rodrigues 28 Cuarto Andar, CEP-11055-070 Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil Tel/Fax: +55 1 32 32 74 74 Central America EDUARDO F. LOPEZ/ISELA BA2AN Transmarine Media Services, P.O. Box 8579, Balboa Ave., Panama 5, Panama Tel: +507 617 1469; Fox: +507 223 8367 China WANG ZE/XU XIAO FENG Uaoning Foreign Trade Advertising Corp. 2 Zhongshon Square, Dalian, China 116002 Tel: +86 411 2801924; Fax: +86 411 2644606 Eastern Europe IVAN BERENYI/OLGAIVANOVA Pannonia Media Agency, 8630 Bolatooboglar Radnoti Miklos u.14, Hungary Tel: +36 85 353 319; Fax: +36 85 353 442 Egypt CAPTAIN TARIQ M. OSMAN Osman Marine Media Co. Algamhoria St., P.O. Box 1248, Alkleej Bldg., Port Said, Egypt Tel: +20 66 340988; Fox: +20 66 325706 France DANIEL SOLNICA Ediconsult Internazionale, 25 rue Saulnier 75009 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 4246 9571; Fax: +33 1 4246 8508 Germany/Switzerland HANSJORG BRANS Maritime Media Freiherr v. Stein Sir. 24, D-63303 Dreieich, Germany Tel: +49 6103 697745; Fax: +49 6103 697743 Italy/Malta VITTORIO NEGRONE Ediconsult Internazionale Piazza Fontane Morose, 3-16123 Genoa, Italy Tel: +390 10 583684; Fax: +390 10 566578 Japan AKIOISHII Ace Media Service Inc. 12-6,4-chome, Nishiike Adachi-ku, Tokyo 121, Japan Tel: +81 3 5691 3335; Fax: + 81 3 5691 3336 Korea JO, YOUNG SANG Business Communications, Inc. Kwangwhamun P.O. Box 1916, Seoul, Korea Tel: +82 2 739 7840; Fax: +82 2 732 3662 Portugal/Gibraltar PAULO BREHM AZ Publiciadade Lda., Rua Almirante Barroso, 52-1 D, P-1000 Lisbon, Portugal Tel: +351 1 3142256; Fax: +351 1 3525157 Scandinavia STEPHAN R.G. ORN/LEON SCHULZ AB Stephan R.G. Orn, Box 184 S-271 24 Ystad, Sweden Tel:+46411-184 00; Fax:+46 411 105 31 Singapore CATHERINE WONG The Euro-Asia Link, 20 Maxwell Road 07-18A Maxwell House, Singapore 069113 Tel: +65 3231025 Fox:+65 3237026,+65 4564610, South Africa FINN KVAMSDAHL Finn's Enterprises, Media Marketing Division PO. Box 99, 2250, Blinkpan, Republic of South Africa Tel/Fax: +27 13 2953 023 Spain JOSE LUIS SEVA Via Exdusiuas S.L C/ Viriato, 69 SC 28010, Madrid, Spain Tel: +34 91 448 76 22; Fax: +34 91 446 0214 Turkey NIHAT BOYTUZUN Komera Corp., Cumhurlyet Cad. 257/3, Harblye 80230, Istanbul, Turkey Tel: +90 212 248 48 64; Fax:+90 212 230 36 97 United Kingdom MICHAEL J. DAMSELL Euromedia Ltd., P.O. Box 122, Hayward's Heath,West Sussex RH16 1YF, England Tel: +44 1444 417360; Fax: +44 1444410497 Don't think about support, use it. ABB Turbochargers AM North Brunswick, call 24 hours: 732-932 6103 6 Circle 201 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
