The Hapag-Lloyd container ship Al Bahia arrived at Port Canaveral to begin the required conversion process to reflag the vessel in the United States.

The Al Bahia will be renamed the Delaware Express and is the first of five Hapag-Lloyd container vessels owned and operated by the global shipping giant scheduled to undergo the U.S. reflagging process in Port Canaveral over the next several months. Once the U.S. reflagging process is completed, each vessel will be included in the federal Maritime Security Program (MSP) and made available for use when necessary by the U.S. government while it continues to operate commercially in international trade.  

Three tugs, the Christine S, Elizabeth S. and the Hawk, turned the 1,003-foot-long, 131-foot-wide vessel in the Middle Basin before docking at Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 1. The ship will undergo an extensive reflag process and ultimately manned with a U.S. Captain and crew – a requirement of the MSP program. The five Hapag-Lloyd ships to undergo the reflag process at Port Canaveral are among the largest container vessels to call on the Port. Each of the vessels have a capacity of approximately 6900 cargo containers that are 20 feet long, and each will have a crew of about 20.  Each vessel is currently operated under foreign flags with a foreign crew.    

“This is a great project for our Port, and we are excited to be a partner in this process to strengthen the U.S. flag fleet,” stated Capt. John Murray, Port CEO. “As we welcome the Al Bahia, we thank Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC for its confidence in our port’s ability to work with them on their reflagging project. It may not be a cruise ship, but it’s great to see this magnificent vessel alongside our berth.”

Al Bahia arrives at Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 1. Photo: Canaveral Port Authority

The Hapag-Lloyd container ship Al Bahia arrived at Port Canaveral to begin the required conversion process to reflag the vessel in the United States. The Al Bahia will be renamed the Delaware Express and is the first of five Hapag-Lloyd container vessels owned and operated by the global shipping giant scheduled to undergo the U.S. reflagging process in Port Canaveral over the next several months. Once the U.S. reflagging process is completed, each vessel will be included in the federal Maritime Security Program (MSP) and made available for use when necessary by the U.S. government while it continues to operate commercially in international trade.  

Three tugs, the Christine S, Elizabeth S. and the Hawk, turned the 1,003-foot-long, 131-foot-wide vessel in the Middle Basin before docking at Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 1. The ship will undergo an extensive reflag process and ultimately manned with a U.S. Captain and crew – a requirement of the MSP program. The five Hapag-Lloyd ships to undergo the reflag process at Port Canaveral are among the largest container vessels to call on the Port. Each of the vessels have a capacity of approximately 6900 cargo containers that are 20 feet long, and each will have a crew of about 20.  Each vessel is currently operated under foreign flags with a foreign crew.    

“This is a great project for our Port, and we are excited to be a partner in this process to strengthen the U.S. flag fleet,” stated Capt. John Murray, Port CEO. “As we welcome the Al Bahia, we thank Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC for its confidence in our port’s ability to work with them on their reflagging project. It may not be a cruise ship, but it’s great to see this magnificent vessel alongside our berth.”