What the Ship: Hormuz Crisis, War Risk Spikes, Cruise Chaos, Cable Sabotage & SS United States
In this episode of What’s Going on With Shipping, Sal Mercogliano breaks down the top five maritime stories as of November 8, 2026, in our latest installment of "What the Ship." From geopolitical fallout in the Persian Gulf and shifting US shipping policy, to record-setting war risk insurance, cruise ship detentions, Baltic cable sabotage convictions, and the legal battle surrounding America's flagship ocean liner, here is everything you need to know about what's happening across the global maritime sector. ⚓Hormuz crisis & US policy: How recent political shifts impact the Strait of Hormuz conflict, ongoing tanker escort missions, and the looming expiration of the Emergency Jones Act waiver. ⚓Surging war risk insurance: Black Sea war risk rates hit historic highs, outpacing WWII Atlantic convoys, as attacks on commercial shipping continue. ⚓Cruise industry fallout: The sudden abandonment of the residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey in Cambodia, plus the US Coast Guard’s detention of MSC Poesia in Port Miami under Port State Control. ⚓Baltic cable sabotage sentences: A Finnish court hands prison sentences and heavy fines to the crew of Fitburg for dragging anchors across undersea telecom cables. ⚓The fate of SS United States: A federal judge denies emergency bids to block the planned reefing of America’s flagship ocean liner as tow-out approaches. 00:00 - Intro 00:38 - Hormuz crisis & the Jones Act waiver 07:08 - Black Sea & Middle East war risk insurance 10:51 - Cruise ship chaos: Villa Vie Odyssey & MSC Poesia 17:37 - Baltic cable sabotage convictions 20:02 - SS United States reefing legal battle Recommended reading on SS United States: 📖The Big Ship: The Story of the SS United States by Frank O. Braynard 📖A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States by Steven Ujifusa Contact What's Going on With Shipping via: Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping Twitter: @mercoglianos Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social Facebook: @wgowshipping Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com How US midterm elections could impact course of Hormuz crisis https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1158910/How-US-midterm-elections-could-impact-course-of-Hormuz-crisis Maritime Industry Urges Trump to Let Jones Act Waiver Expire November 15 https://gcaptain.com/maritime-industry-urges-trump-to-let-jones-act-waiver-expire-november-15/ Ukraine war risk insurance now 10 times more than Second World War Atlantic convoys https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1158941/Ukraine-war-risk-insurance-now-10-times-more-than-Second-World-War-Atlantic-convoys Cruise Ship Leaves Cambodia After Forcing Hundreds of Passengers Off https://gcaptain.com/cruise-ship-leaves-cambodia-after-forcing-hundreds-of-passengers-off/ U.S. Coast Guard Detains MSC Cruise Ship in Miami https://gcaptain.com/u-s-coast-guard-detains-msc-cruise-ship-in-miami/ Port State Control Division (CG-CVC-2) https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Inspections-Compliance-CG-5PC-/Commercial-Vessel-Compliance/Foreign-Offshore-Compliance-Division/Port-State-Control/Detentions/ Finnish Court Jails Cargo Ship Captain, Crew Member for Baltic Sea Cable Sabotage https://gcaptain.com/finnish-court-jails-cargo-ship-captain-crew-member-for-baltic-sea-cable-sabotage/ Judge Rejects Efforts to Stop Planned Sinking of S.S. United States https://maritime-executive.com/article/lawsuit-seeks-to-stop-planned-sinking-of-s-s-united-states