Port Canaveral adds container ship service

By Doug Ohlemeier January 19, 2016 | 4:07 pm EST

A new container ship service that has started at Port Canaveral is expected to expand the port’s access to South and Central America and Europe.

On Jan. 31, M/V Norderoog, a part of StreamLines N.V.’s Blue Stream weekly liner service, was scheduled to make its first call on the Cape Canaveral, Fla., port at its new Canaveral Cargo Terminal, managed and operated by GT USA.

GT USA invested $100 million into facilities, infrastructure, equipment and workforce and the service provides Port Canaveral a valued trade route that includes Central America, Europe and the Caribbean.

It should strengthen Florida’s perishable import market from Central America and provide a central Florida gateway to shippers seeking lower inland transportation costs and help them move their products to market faster, according to a news release from the Canaveral Port Authority.

Inversely, the service creates an efficient outlet for Florida shippers to export products directly to northern Europe, according to the release.

Part of the Seatrade Group, StreamLines is a diverse container line providing refrigerated and dry container service specializing in fresh produce and perishables and Port Canaveral is the service’s exclusive U. S. port of call, according the release.

The launch of the service is part of the company’s development plans and expands Port Canaveral’s relationship with StreamLines’ parent company which offers GreenSea specialized service calling monthly at Canaveral, according to the release.

With five ships with 1300 TEU capacity and 250 reefer plugs, the weekly service plans to offer one of the fastest services from Florida to Europe in 11 days and from Central America to Port Canaveral in three days, according to the release.

From Canaveral, the M/V Norderoog plans to head directly to Rotterdam, Netherlands, with calls in the United Kingdom and France.

After departing Europe, the schedule loop takes the vessels to French West Indies ports which serve a Caribbean market westbound from Europe and proceeds to Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala before returning directly to Port Cañaveral.