Bolidt has been working on a wide range of cruise ship decking this year, from river craft to ocean cruise vessels.
As well as providing the decking for cruise ships, an important theme for The Netherlands-headquartered company has been the maintenance and after care of its products. This can be seen in Bolidt’s recent dealings with long-standing customer Viking River Cruises. Over the past two years, the flooring specialist has carried out a substantial winterisation programme which includes performing annual maintenance and cleaning across Viking’s fleet of river vessels, for up to 30 ships a year.
Jacco van Overbeek, director of Bolidt’s maritime division, explained: “We have completed sanding treatment and cleaning, carried out repairs, and explained to crew how to clean the decks. We have made them look like new.”
Bolidt will shortly be supplying Viking’s river cruise vessels with space-saving cleaning equipment so that the maintenance requirement will be reduced. The equipment was only developed recently, with Viking keen to have such solutions on board.
Mr van Overbeek said: “Operators need to clean the decks weekly. If they do not, then dirt will build up. Proper cleaning methods need to be put in place.”
As well as maintenance, Bolidt is working on projects for new river cruise vessels for both Viking and Scenic, another long-standing customer. Indeed, the river cruise market is a growing one for the company. Crystal Cruises is building four river cruise vessels, which will all use Bolidt’s Bolideck Future Teak, and this owner is also involved in a major refurbishment project on Crystal Mozart (formerly Mozart), the largest and most luxurious river cruise ship in Europe. Here, Bolidt is supplying all outdoor decking in Future Teak as well as prefabricated work on steps and other areas. The company has on average been providing 12-14 river cruise vessels a year with its decking products, over the last few years.
In the ocean-going cruise sector, Bolidt is supplying newbuilding Viking Sea, described on one website as one of cruising’s most beautiful small ships, and Crystal Esprit, the luxury ocean-going vessel, with its deck solutions. Another major project has been with Royal Caribbean International’s Harmony of the Seas. Bolidt provided the decking on the previous two Oasis class ships. The 227,000gt, 364m long vessel will feature a number of different Bolidt decking materials, including Bolideck Future Teak, Bolideck Select Soft Teak Effect, Bolideck Select Soft and Bolideck Select Hard. On Ovation of the Seas, in addition to supplying all outdoor decking Bolidt has supplied all balconies – some of them with its recently-launched Smart Balcony product.
The company has also provided all outside decks and balconies for TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5 – and has again been appointed to work with a local artist in producing an area of floor and wall artwork in one of the public areas of the vessel. This involves live pouring of the liquid flooring on board to create an image; a unique concept which was appreciated by the owner and passengers alike in a similar project commissioned for earlier vessel Mein Schiff 3.
Mr van Overbeek explained that Mein Schiff 5 differs from its sisterships as it uses more coloured Future Teak and Select Soft decking. Bolidt increased the number of its Future Teak colour options from two to nine last year. “Cruise operators have picked up on these different colours. The decking looks more lively using a few colours rather than just one shade. The use of the extra colours will make Mein Schiff 6 look different from Mein Schiff 5. Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruise Line have also used different colours recently. We can also make any colour. If an owner wants a new colour, we can do it.”
The arrival of China in the cruise ship sector has had a big impact for cruise ship suppliers, including Bolidt. “More and more cruise ships will sail out of China and more will carry out drydocking and servicing in this country, so we definitely have a presence there. It will be a big market for us,” commented Mr van Overbeek.
Other new developments for Bolidt include an advance in prefabrication work to be used on the balconies of cabins. Mr van Overbeek was not able to provide any details, as the project had not yet been made public.
He pinpointed a new trend when it comes to providing the decking for newbuilds and refits – working on blocks that are sheltered by tents. For example, Bolidt is installing balcony decks in block stages as part of its contract to supply MSC Cruises’ newbuild MSC Meraviglia. Mr van Overbeek observed: “This approach saves a lot of time and money for the yard. If we install in block stages, the blocks are already inside the big tents which are required to protect them. As a result, there is no need to provide any additional weather protection to install the balconies once the blocks have been put together for the complete vessel. What is important, and is appreciated by the yard, is that we are flexible enough to be able to accommodate this way of working.”
The biggest vessel in the MSC Cruises fleet, MSC Meraviglia, will have space for 4,500 passengers in 2,250 cabins. Earlier this year the cruise line agreed contracts with STX France for two further vessels for delivery in late 2019 and mid 2020. These will be even larger, at 331m in length, and will have around 200 additional cabins.
It has been confirmed that Bolidt will be supplying a comprehensive range of decking and flooring materials to these two vessels, in addition to MSC Meraviglia and its sistership that is due for delivery in early 2019. The range will include its Bolideck Future Teak, as well as Bolideck Select Soft Teak Effect, Bolideck Select Soft and Bolideck Select Hard.
Another growing trend in the design and development of passenger vessels is increased attention to structural and airborne noise.
Switzerland-headquartered Sika is a marine acoustic flooring solution specialist. Its UK marine account manager Tony Jenkins told Passenger Ship Technology: “The floor zone specification for newbuildings and refurbishments is critical in passenger vessels today. Ever-higher standards set by regulatory authorities, so that shipowners improve onboard comfort for their passengers and crew, are pushing the evolution of new flooring systems from manufacturers.”
He added: “In most modern passenger vessels, one of the main issues for shipbuilders is reducing the level of structural and airborne noise to modern acceptable standards. Simple absorber and mass systems are not enough to deal with low frequency structure borne noise. Combination floors using low frequency absorbing elements are required to reduce structure and airborne noise.”
Sika is continually developing its range of acoustic and A60 fire rated marine flooring systems, supplying the marine industry globally. The Sikafloor Marine range has been developed with strong acoustic reduction qualities, along with fast installation times, low weight factors and full FTCP A60 compliance.
A recent contract for Sika has been Mein Schiff 5, which is being completed at Meyer Turku in Finland. TUI Cruises’ vessel has been extensively outfitted with the Sikafloor Marine range from primary deck coverings in cabins and walkways to composite acoustic flooring systems throughout the high noise areas such as restaurants.
Mr Jenkins summed up: “The passenger shipping sector is a rapidly growing market for Sika and we are producing some really innovative products to meet the requirements of shipyards and regulatory authorities that are being very well received.”
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