By
Cherie Rowlands |
Mistubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Japan, has gained two new cruise ship refurbishment orders in Asia’s fast-growing cruise market.
The Tokyo company’s Yokohama Dockyard & Machinery Works in Kanagawa Prefecture, will be undertaking repair and conversion work on Nippon Charter Cruise’s (NCC) Fuji Maru between 14-26 December 2012 and Mitsu O.S.K Passenger Line’s (MOPAS) Nippon Maru between 15-27 January 2013.
Refits will be carried out on the two vessels in line with the medium- to long-term maintenance plans of MOPAS and NCC to ramp up ship safety and passenger comfort. In addition, work on Nippon Maru will include installation of LED lighting and an upgrade of galley facilities to boost energy savings and passenger service, while a periodical mandated inspection will also be undertaken. The latest project follows a major conversion on Nippon Maru in 2010.
MHI plans to continue establishing a competitive position in the expanding market for repair and conversion of cruise ships. “Recently, along with swift expansion of the cruise market in Asia it has become increasingly important for cruise companies, both Japanese and foreign, to differentiate their services and enhance their responsiveness to customer needs,” the company said in a written statement.
Among facilities in Japan dedicated to ship repair and conversion, MHI's Yokohama Dockyard is the only site in Japan that is dedicated to repair and conversion, with a track record of servicing American and European cruise ships, while the company's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works is the only yard to have built cruise ships for international lines.
The 23,235 gt, 163-cabin Fuji Maru went into service in 1989 and was the first post-war cruise ship manufactured in Japan, while the 22,472 gt, 202-cabin Nippon Maru went into operation 1990. Both ships were built at MHI’s Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works.