CP Ships carriers revamp South American services

CP Ships carriers revamp South American services    CP Ships subsidiaries Italia di Navigazione, Lykes Lines and TMM Lines have ended their joint, 11-day Central America/West Coast South America “Andes” service.
   At the same time all three carriers have started taking slots on the twice-monthly Mediterranean to Central America, North and West Coast South America “Mediterranean Service” of Compania Chilena de Navegacion Interoceanica and Compania Sud Americana de Vapores between ports in the Mediterranean, Peru and Chile only. Also, the carriers’ westbound calls at their regional hub port of Cartagena by the 11-day “Med Pacific Express” service are ending. The service’s last westbound call at Cartagena will be on Dec. 7 by the vessel “Cielo D’America.” Under the previous arrangement, the carriers’ “Med Pacific Express” service connected in Cargatena with their Central America/West Coast South America “Andes” service.
   The “Andes” service had used two ships of around 1,500 TEUs with a port rotation of Cartagena, Colombia; Cristobal, Panama; Guayaquil; Callao; Valparaiso; Lirquen; Callao and Cartagena. In February the “Andes” service stopped direct calls to U.S. Gulf ports.