DRYDOCK December 1999
New thinking required for today's large cruise ship maintenance
(excerpt)
The cruise industry has been witnessing a major growth in the number of people of all ages who have decided on this form of vacation where literally everything - travel, acommodation, entertainment - is provided for their enjoyment. Many passengers or guests as they are now referred to, are repeat cruisers. New itineraries are being introduced and the range of destinations and activities is constantly being increased. The shipbuilding industry has responded well in meeting the demand for new tonnage to cater for this growth market, but what are the implications for the ship repair industry. One of the first companies to realise the potential of cruising was Norwegian Cruise Line and here its Executive Vice President, Cruise Operations, Mr Svenn H Dahl, gives his views on cruise ship maintenance and repair, now and in the future.
...
On-time return to service
These human considerations
are just as important when a ship is undergoing a scheduled drydocking. It is imperative
that the ship repairer keeps to the agreed delivery date and the vessel is returned to
service on time.
There is no question that one must go to a repair yard which keeps to schedules and
delivers the ship back on time and with which one feels 'comfortable'. In this respect,
Norwegian Cruise Line has had a very good relationship with Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven for 20 years. Firstly, the yard converted the
former transatlantic liner France into the Norway for us in 1979-80;
it then did some other minor work for us and in 1990 added two decks to the top of the
Norway to ncrease her passenger carrying capacity. This work was done in only 30
days in the yard, which was quite an achievement, and the ship was re-delivered on time and
back in service. I was next involved with the lengthening of three of our ships at the yard.
The first of these was the Norwegian Wind which had a 40m-long section inserted giving an
additional 250 cabins. This operation was done in 60 days. We then did Norwegian Dream
which was completed in 59 days. The third lengthening was that of Norwegian Majesty
this being perhaps the most complicated of the three. In the meantime I was also involved
with the newbuilding. Norwegian Sky, which having been partly-built by Bremer Vulkan for
Costa Cruises was acquired by Norwegian
Cruise Line an completed by Lloyd Werft. I am pleased to say that all three lengthened
vessels an the newbuilding were delivered on schedule. Consequently we have a very good
relationship with Lloyd Werft, and this emphasis that shipowners an ship repairers can
wor well together to achieve the same aims of on-time, to-budget delivery.