Dutch marine flooring and decking company makes progress on seven significant ship projects
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Dutch marine flooring and decking company Bolidt Synthetic Products and Systems is continuing work on seven Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
Following on from its recent project onboard Norwegian Joy, which was delivered in 2017, Bolidt is now working on the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Bliss, which is nearing completion at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and will enter service this July.
Norwegian Bliss has been fitted with Bolidt’s Future Teak flooring, an environmentally friendly synthetic alternative to natural teak. It has been used on several balconies as part of Bolidt’s Smart Balcony system, which uses composite interlinked planks that are easier and quicker to install than poured materials.
In addition, Norwegian Bliss will feature a Ferrari-themed racetrack, which has already proved popular on Norwegian Joy. This time, the racetrack will be 30% longer (around 300 metres) and Bolidt will supply Bolideck Racetrack, a synthetic material based on established road surfacing technology that has been modified to ensure suitable levels of durability and slip resistance for racing karts.
Bolidt has also been contracted to supply a similar package, including Bolideck Racetrack, for the next ship in the series, Norwegian Encore. This sister vessel is under construction at Meyer Werft and is due for delivery in summer 2019.
“We are delighted to have been chosen to work on the Norwegian Bliss and Encore projects,” said Jacco van Overbeek, director of the maritime division, Bolidt. “Norwegian is extremely pleased with the systems we are supplying, which fully meet its exacting requirements for durability and quality.”
Meanwhile, Bolidt is will refurbish balconies, replace teak and other surfaces with Future Teak, and install Bolideck Select Soft in public spaces onboard several existing ships. This March, it will refit the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Sun, which will enter dry dock in Victoria, Canada. Other refits at the planning stage include the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Star which is due for a dry dock in Marseille, France this May; the 3,900-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, which will be dry docked in Brest in Bretagne, France towards the end of April; and the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Jewel, which is due for a three-week-long refit in Singapore this October and November. Pride of America will also be updated with new Bolidt flooring.
“We greatly value our longstanding relationship with Bolidt, which currently extends to all of the ships in our fleet,” said Sime Utkovic, senior director technical operations at Norwegian. “We tend to involve the company from an early stage of our newbuild and refit projects, as its ideas and expertise are always invaluable in delivering what we envision. Moreover, Bolidt has demonstrated on many occasions that it can successfully deliver large-scale projects on schedule, and with products that are visually attractive, durable and easy to maintain.”