Maersk Sealand changes three Caribbean/Central America loops
From mid-June Maersk Sealand is replacing three of its Central American and Caribbean services — the weekly “Progreso” and “Dominican Republic Express” services and the fortnightly “North Coast of South America II” — by three new loops.
The weekly “Expreso” service will replace the “Progreso” service which started in November 2003. The new loop will use three vessels of 1,100 TEUs and have a port rotation of Progreso, Mexico; New Orleans, La.; Houston, Texas; Santo Tomas de Castilla; Puerto Cortes; Manzanillo, Panama; Cartagena, Colombia; Barranquilla; Santa Marta; Cartagena; Manzanillo; Puerto Limon; Puerto Cortes; Santo Tomas de Castilla; Progreso, New Orleans and Houston. The former “Progreso” service had used two ships and called New Orleans; Progreso; Puerto Limon; Manzanillo; Puerto Cortes; Progreso and New Orleans.
The “Dominican Republic Express” service is being replaced by the weekly “Dominican” service. The “Dominican Service” will deploy just one vessel, and call at Miami; Port-au-Prince; Caucedo; Freeport, Bahamas; and Miami. The former Dominican Republic service had used two ships and called New York, N.Y.; Freeport; Miami; Port-au-Prince; Rio Haina and New York.
The fortnightly “Maracaibo Feeder” service will replace the “North Coast of South America II” service. With a two-loop rotation, the new link will call at Manzanillo; Oranjestad; Guanta; Puerto Cabello; back to Manzanillo; Maracaibo; and back to Manzanillo again. The “North Coast South America II” service had called at Puerto Limon; Manzanillo; Cartagena, Colombia; Santa Marta; Barranquilla; Cartagena; Manzanillo and Puerto Limon. The Colombian ports formerly serviced by the “NCSA II” will instead be covered by the “Expreso” service.
Full details of these service amendments are available on ComPair Data, the global liner shipping database.
Maersk Sealand said that the “Expreso” service will connect in Houston to its transatlantic TA2 service to Europe. The regional service will also connect in Manzanillo with other Maersk Sealand deepsea services for transshipment to or from the U.S. East Coast, U.S. West Coast, West Coast of South America and Asia.