2009/2010 heavy period for cruise ship refits

The next two years will see a significant number of major cruise ship refits undertaken worldwide. Over the period Jan 2009 through to the end of 2010 no less than 19 vessels will undergo significant work at shipyards in Australia, the Bahamas, Portugal and as yet to be announced locations.

Major refits currently underway involve Princess Cruises’ 3,100 passenger capacity Caribbean Princess, while Freeport’s Grand Bahama Shipyard is handling Carnival’s Carnival Sensation and Regent Seven Seas Seven Seas Mariner, while Australian shipyard Forgas Cairncross Dockyard is refitting Paul Gauguin.

March and April will see work on HAL’s Veendam and Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess, with work starting on Silversea’s Silver Cloud in Italy in May. Princess Cruises Sea Princess is set to enter drydock in September, while the end of 2009 will see six major refits started: HAL’s Rotterdam, four vessels from Carnival, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Elation, and SeaDream Yacht Clubs’ SeaDream I refitting at Portugal’s Lisnave.

During 2010, there are four major refits scheduled: HAL’s Ryndam, Statendam and Maasdam, and Regent Seven Seas’ Seven Seas Navigator. Sphere: Related Content

STX Europe works on Carnival Sensation’s refit in Freeport, Grand Bahama

STX Europe’s lifecycle services division has secured a major contract to upgrade Carnival’s 1993-built Carnival Sensation during her current refit underway at Freeport’s Grand Bahama Shipyard. STX Europe’s work package includes the fitting of 98 additional passenger cabin balconies, as well as new piping for black and grey water treatment systems. Work on Carnival Sensation is due for completion at the end of February. Sphere: Related Content

Gibraltar refit for Oceanic

Pullmantur’s 1,124 passenger capacity Oceanic is currently in the middle of a four week refit at Gibraltar’s Cammell Laird Shipyard. The ship will spend two weeks in drydock undergoing routine repairs, followed by a further two weeks alongside the South Mole.

Oceanic is due in Barcelona on 4 February for a further period of alongside repairs before starting a new series of two and five-day cruises; the two-day cruises will call at Ibiza and Palma, with the five-day voyages calling at Civitavecchia, Ajaccio and Palma. Sphere: Related Content