Cruise Ship Dry Dock Time

Table Of Content

• What the list of cruise ship renovations generally includes?
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Why cruise ships are being refurbished?
• Post-Dry Dock Cruise: Should You Expect Service Issues?
• Carnival Cruise Line
• Silversea Will Refresh Silver Whisper with Enhanced Private and Public Amenities
• Upcoming Cruise Ship Dry Docks: How to Find Them

The chief complaint of passengers right before a dry dock is that the ship usually looks like it needs refurbishing. Dry dock is also a time for interior refurbishments such as adding new coats of paint and replacing flooring, bedding, curtains, etc. Anything that cannot easily be done while a ship is in service will be done during dry dock (deep cleaning of onboard spaces, adding new venues, etc.). It can be filled with water or emptied as required, and most shipyards have one or more dry docks of various sizes to carry out production or other activities.

What the list of cruise ship renovations generally includes?

In 2018, the ship was drydocked for maintenance works done by Seaspan (Canadian shipbuilder). Among the upgrades were a new stabilizer (ducktail, on the stern), propeller repairs and polishing, blast painting of the underwater hull. The sailships' technology updates/upgrades include larger smart TVs in all staterooms (with interactive content and on-demand movies) and new WiFi points (with access to Starlink Internet). Each of these vessels is now 824 ft / 251 m long, with a weight of ~60,000 GT and passenger capacity 2,070. After the refit, each of them is 902 ft / 275 m long, with a weight of ~65,000 GT and capacity 2,680 pax, featuring 193 additional cruise staterooms and 59 new crew cabins. CCL's refurbishment schedule shows newly added onboard amenities and facilities.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Each of the enlarged gambling facilities now has 140 of the gaming industry's newest slot and video poker machines. In addition, a separate non-smoking area was added in the casinos of Nieuw Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam. All drydock refurbishments 2016 thru 2019 as projects were part of NCL's "Norwegian Edge" fleet renovation program (budgeted ~US$500 million). Cruise ship refurbishment tends to be the best value-for-money strategy and highly successful policy for major cruise line companies in a time of worldwide economic uncertainty. Teak decks and overall decor will be redone, and all cabins will get new carpeting and televisions with on-demand programming.

Why cruise ships are being refurbished?

Other enhancements around the ship include areas receiving new flooring and a new flooring mat in the water park. Additional enhancements include the Java Blue Cafe, a bona fide coffee shop open from early morning till late at night, which serves a selection of pastries and drinks. Royal Caribbean International has not announced any massive updates for the ship, such as the introduction of completely new venues or removing well-known features, but such surprises are always possible.

Royal Caribbean offered affected guests from Freedom of the Seas three options for alternative cruises or refunds, including extra money for pre-booked air or hotel cancellation charges. When a cruise ship needs to go into dry dock, it means the ship will be out of service and that means no revenue for that time. During some dry docks, Royal Caribbean ships will undergo significant refurbishments or amplifications through Royal Caribbean’s Royal Amplified program. During dry dock, ships undergo routine mechanical work as well as checks of the ship’s propeller blades, thrusters, stabilizers, navigation software, etc.

Carnival Cruise Line

Behind-the-scenes improvements like changes to kitchen equipment or more fuel-efficient engines and generators may also be on the agenda. When Oasis of the Seas received her amplification in 2019, which included adding waterslides, the Ultimate Abyss, a Caribbean resort-style pool deck, and new dining venues, it took a total of 63 days. This work was done while the massive vessel was not in service during the industry-wide shutdown. All cruise ships ceased operations in mid-March 2020, and Symphony of the Seas was out of service for over 17 months before welcoming passengers again in August 2021. Carnival Glory‘s most recent refurbishment was a brief wet dock in late January and early February 2022, when some routine maintenance was completed as well as expanding the onboard casino and rebranding some public spaces. Sometimes a cruise line will bring extra workers onto the last sailing before dry dock, and passengers might see certain areas closed off to accommodate the prework.

P&O Cruises Ship Finishes Dry Dock and Sailing With Upgrades - Cruise Hive

P&O Cruises Ship Finishes Dry Dock and Sailing With Upgrades.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 02:35:50 GMT [source]

Most cruise lines have briefings with the crew members before the dry dock to point out those hazards and give guidelines and rules on how things work while the ship is in dry dock. Norwegian Joy finished her lengthy dry dock update on February 11, 2024, and returned to service with an 11-night transatlantic cruise to return to Miami. This gave guests onboard the first opportunity to enjoy the ship’s new updates and extensive luxury. Pacific Adventure, built in 2001 and last refurbished in 2021, is registered in England. Per SOLAS, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, cruise ships must inspect the bottom of the vessel annually, with two inspections in a five-year period carried out in dry dock.

For a ship to enter a dry dock, the basin must first be filled with water, allowing the ship to sail in safely. Once the ship sails into the dry dock and is situated in the correct position, the gate is closed and water is drained. Welcome to my travel, cruise & lifestyle blog, where you will find cruise ship, travel, food, recipes & lifestyle tips to make your life or your next getaway easier. Walking under the ship you realise how small you really are and how big a cruise ship is. At the end of the dry dock I was luckyenough go down into the dock and walk under the ship from bow to stern. The ship is still running with 3 meals a day, coffee breaks and cabins being slept in.

This is a jump link to the drydock dates and refurb details - if you wanna skip the "Royal Amplified" program details. 2020 drydock (USD 30 million) - technical maintenance works, regular maintenance (all staterooms and public spaces), new carpeting, upholstery. In comparison to cruise newbuilds' cost (especially of bigger units), ship refurbishments are a lot cheaper than building a new one. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus crisis and IMO's new maritime regulations, all major cruise shipping companies started to sell (and eventually replace) the fleet's oldest units to smaller travel operators. Cruise ship drydocking (vessel refits and onboard refurbishments) is a multi-billion market with regularly scheduled vessel renovation projects every 2-3 years.

Oasis was out of service for 63 days in order to get all of her work done, which is a significant investment by the cruise line. The amount of time would have been far less had they not decided to upgrade the ship, but the short-term financial impact is offset by the higher revenue and increased bookings down the line when the ship returns to service. Over 2,700 contractors were onboard Oasis while the ship was in dry dock in Cadiz, Spain to get the work done in time. Because ships cannot, of course, be constructed in the water, they are constructed on a dry dock which can later be filled with water to allow the ship to safely sail out once constructed.

In 2022, MSC Seaside was forced to do an unexpected dry dock for engine repairs, shortening one cruise and canceling another. Guests were compensated for the shorter sailing, and guests on the canceled cruise were offered alternatives. It's not uncommon for furnishings to seem sparse throughout the ship as pieces are gathered below decks to speed along flooring changes or to begin re-upholstery work. The closer you get to the end of your sailing, the more likely you are to notice work being done, but in most cases, it should not interfere with your cruise.

In 2009 Saga Holidays (UK company) refitted and refurbished its newly purchased Saga Pearl 2 ship (former name ms Astoria) spending 20 million pounds on this project and providing more than 300 jobs over a 3-month period. The 2024 Drydocking and Refurbishment Report is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the cruise ship refit business. It provides comprehensive data, analysis, and insights that can help suppliers plan their bids and forecast for the future. Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine.

Fitters, plumbers, deck or engine staff members, for example, will have much additional work without extra pay, whereas dining room or bar department members may have some spare time off the ship. I remember being fortunate enough to be on dry dock in San Francisco for two weeks. While the ship is in dry dock, depending on the work done, a horde of contractors will come on board to carry out various positions.

After any necessary work on the ship or completion of its construction, the dry dock is refilled until the vessel is afloat and the water level is equal to the outside water level. With various types of dry docks available, carrying out maintenance and repair tasks in conditions adapted to specific boats is possible. The vessel is set to welcome crew and guests onboard for the ship’s Grand Round The World Cruise, which remains on schedule to depart London’s Tilbury Cruise Terminal on Saturday, January 6. During the 120-day voyage, the ship is set to visit 24 countries and 34 ports of call, including a transit of the Panama Canal. Guests and travel agents were advised by the British cruise line on December 7 that Ambience would be out of service until early January.

On Deck 16 aft, Camp Discovery's Outdoor Play Area was upgraded with an interactive water table. They can be dispatched to any location in a matter of hours, providing fast-response vessel inspections, repairs, refurbishments, equipment installation/replacement. Yet, she has already undergone one short dry dock, in spring 2021, for technical updates. From May 20 and into June 2021, the ship received routine maintenance as well as hull painting and updates to the propellers, fin stabilizers, and other engineering components. This is CruiseMapper's article dedicated to Royal-Caribbean International (RCI) ships' refurbishments. Here you will find drydocks schedule for the entire RCI fleet, with vessel refits dates, details on all upgrades and renovations, deckplan changes on the refurbished ships, dry-docks cost.