Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen carries out extensive cruise ship maintenance

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has recently carried out a number of cruise ship repair and refurbishment projects in the Netherlands. Included are Astor and Marco Polo, both operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages. The vessels have been at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) for a wide-ranging programme of work, scheduled and unscheduled. Damen carried out its scope within a tight timeframe so that both ships were ready for planned onward voyages, the company said in its press release.

Astor, whose passenger capacity of just over 600 ensures a personable experience for travellers, arrived at DSV on 17 October. Whilst in port she underwent a DNV GL Class Survey as Damen carried out diverse tasks. The scheduled maintenance included high-pressure washing and painting of the underwater part of the vessel, overhaul of overboard valves, hull anode renewal, maintenance and recertification of lifeboats, gangway repairs and certification and renewal of ducting and ventilators from engine room air-supply.

Peter Sterkenburg, Head of Sales & Marketing at Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, said of the project: “The work on the Astor was not without its challenges – the sheer diversity of the tasks we performed ensured that! The logistics were perhaps the greatest consideration – we had to manage this extensive scope, alongside a class survey, whilst 140 of the vessel’s crew remained on board throughout. I’m pleased to say we did everything according to plan and all work was completed in time for Astor to sail on 4 November.” The 176.25 metre ship sailed from Vlissingen to Tilbury in the UK where she collected the remainder of her crew and passengers for a voyage to Australia.

Only days later, on 11 November, Marco Polo arrived in Vlissingen. The vessel, though similarly sized to Astor, accommodates up to 800 passengers. Marco Polo was scheduled for a class survey and similar scope of maintenance to Astor. However, a recent grounding in Norway added an extra dimension to the project.

Mr Sterkenburg says, “The grounding caused some minor steel damage to the flat bottom of the vessel, so we’ve had to factor that into the planning on top of the scheduled work and class survey. Naturally, this has made the work more challenging, but we are used to this kind of project and to reacting quickly when something changes. Everything went according to plan.”

Having worked extensively on cruise vessel projects, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion understands the importance of punctuality in the sector. When the vessels emerge from the repair yard they are invariably scheduled to pick up passengers for a cruise. Marco Polo, having left DSV on 11 December, collected her passengers in the Amsterdan, Antwerp and Tilburg and sailed on to Brazil and the Amazon.