How partnerships can develop passenger ship decking

While shipyards generally prefer to work with multiple suppliers to promote the competition that can stimulate product development, some partnerships see close collaboration as a source of mutual benefit.

Having first worked together on Celebrity Cruises’ Horizon in 1989, Meyer Werft and Bolidt have since collaborated on all cruise ships built at the Meyer Werft yard in Papenburg, Germany and on most of those constructed by sister yard Meyer Turku in Finland. This relationship has seen Bolidt supply its decking solutions to vessels operated by cruise companies such as AIDA, Carnival Cruise Line, NCL, P&O, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea and TUI Cruises.

Meyer Werft managing director Thomas Weigend singles out the importance of the supplier being able to listen and “take ideas on board”, as well as having a proactive approach. 

He explains how such collaborations can overcome challenges. In the early stages of their partnership, Mr Weigend recalls Meyer Werft and Bolidt finding it difficult to convince cruise ship owners and architects to swap teak for resin-based decking, even though the latter replaces a scarce tropical hardwood. 

Tried and tested in shipbuilding for centuries, teak was also the standard for luxury cruise vessels, with its aesthetic appeal matched by high durability, he says. Ultimately, it was the considerable weight savings offered by Bolidt’s alternative – rather than its greater sustainability – which proved decisive.

“Before the Panama Canal was expanded between 2007 and 2016, strict width limitations meant cruise operators were looking for ways to minimise weight to fit as many cabins on board their ships as possible,” explains Mr Weigend. “Bolidt’s solution was inherently lighter than teak, while its superior noise attenuation eliminated the need for a rubber underlayer to reduce noise transfer to lower decks, resulting in further weight savings.”

In recent years, intensifying environmental regulations have seen the re-emergence of weight considerations as a priority in cruise ship design. Imitation teak decking minimises overall vessel weight to reduce fuel consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

Mr Weigend singles out some examples. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, built by Meyer Turku, features an LNG/diesel-electric propulsion system and is almost completely powered by LNG. Its environmental performance is supported by 32,000 m² of sustainable decking.

Mr Weigend explains environmental factors must be balanced with evolving design trends. This is especially important for operators and architects in the luxury cruise segment, where guest expectations are particularly high. Decking needs to combine sustainability with a luxurious look and feel.

A new concept highlights how the partnership between the shipyard and Bolidt might develop in the future. The Algae Lifecycle Floor (ALF) was conceived by Meyer Werft concept designer Thorben Stubbe. As the winner of Bolidt’s Design Challenge in 2021, ALF is a carbon-negative decking innovation combining a bioplastic water tank containing live algae, which turns carbon dioxide into oxygen, with Pavegen tiles, which convert kinetic energy from footsteps into electricity.

“ALF provides a glimpse at the future of decking technology and is another example of a Meyer Werft–Bolidt collaboration that has the potential to revolutionise cruise ship design,” says Mr Weigend.