Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2024

124 simultaneously. The scope of works included hull cleaning and blasting, painting, replacing steel in the hulls, tank cleaning, various inspections and other survey-associated work. A&P Falmouth has also undertaken several projects for P&O Ferries, Irish Ferries, Wightlink and Stena Line in 2024. Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, UK Located next to Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Cammell Laird’s yard offers full drydock facilities for medium-size cruise ships. Cammell Laird’s facility covers 130 acres and includes four dry docks, a non-tidal wet basin and one of the largest modular construction halls in Europe. Since the start of 2024, Cammell Laird has worked on three Stena Line vessels: Stena Edda, Stena Embla and Stena Adventurer. Stena Adventurer was the ninth ship to dock in the season and underwent a large programme of works, including extensive steel deck repairs, an overhaul of the main propulsion system and other auxiliary works, such as roller fairlead overhauls. Cammell Laird’s first double docking of 2024 saw CalMac Ferries’ Hebrides and Mersey Ferries’ Royal Iris of the Mersey simultaneously undergoing repair works in Number 6 dock. Harland & Wolff, Belfast, UK The 327,795-square-metre Belfast shipyard has two dry docks: one at 556 metres long and 93 metres wide, and the other at 335 metres long and 50 metres wide. With an influx of ships and limited dock space, Harland & Wolff is focused on upgrading and expanding its facilities to support vessel maintenance and revitalisation, and fulfil its aim of establishing a Cruise Centre of Excellence. Among the multiple projects the shipyard has worked on so far in 2024 is Margaritaville at Sea’s Islander, which spent four months in dry dock undergoing comprehensive repainting, redesign and cabin refurbishment work. In April, Harland & Wolff welcomed Villa Vie Residences’ ship Villa Vie Odyssey. The ship, which was formerly operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, had been laid up in Edinburgh, Scotland, since 2020 and as such required a substantial amount of work. The team completely rebuilt the pool deck, created an onboard business centre and installed new rudder stocks (read more about the ship in our exclusive interview with Villa Vie Residences’ CEO Mikael Petterson on page 56). Seatrium Tuas Boulevard Yard, Singapore With seven dry docks, Seatrium Tuas Boulevard yard can accommodate an array of vessels. Its largest dry dock is 412 metres long by 66 metres wide. In January 2024, Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess spent 14 days in drydock undergoing upgrades. These included the addition of a new outdoor Movies Under the Stars screen, LED lighting on the pool deck, and carpets, light fixtures and flatscreen TVs in the casino. Treatment rooms in the Lotus Spa & Fitness Center were also upgraded, as were the digital audio systems in the Princess Theatre, Explorers Lounge and Club Fusion. From mid-February to early April, Royal Caribbean International’s 2002-built Navigator of the Seas was in dry dock at the Tuas Boulevard yard, where the team carried out maintenance work and installed new carpeting and upholstery in public areas and cabins. FEATURE Singapore’s Seatrium Tuas Boulevard yard boasts seven dry docks (above), while the facilities at Cammell Laird’s facility in the UK includes four dry docks (top) Photo: Seatrium

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=