The relationship between Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems and Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) has been further strengthened.
The Dutch marine flooring and decking company is currently undertaking work on seven ships for the cruise line. Work in hand includes the newbuildings ‘Norwegian Bliss’ and ‘Norwegian Encore’, and refits on ‘Norwegian Star’, ‘Norwegian Sun’, ‘Norwegian Breakaway’, ‘Norwegian Jewel’ and ‘Pride of America’.
Jacco van Overbeek, Bolidt’s Director, Maritime Division, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to work on the ‘Norwegian Bliss’ and ‘Encore’ projects. NCL is extremely pleased with the systems we are supplying, which fully meet their exacting requirements for durability and quality.”
The 323 m long, 4,000-pax capacity ‘Norwegian Bliss’ is nearing completion at Meyer Werft in Papenburg and is due for delivery in July, when she will join sister ship, ‘Norwegian Joy’, delivered last year.
‘Norwegian Bliss’ is fitted with an extensive package of Bolidt deck materials, including around 6,700 sq m of Bolideck Select Hard, which is mainly being used for underlay surfaces on steel balconies throughout the vessel.
Also used extensively on various areas on board is Bolideck Select Soft, a synthetic system that has high anti-skid properties and is claimed to be easy to clean. Around 8,900 sq m of Bolideck Select Soft has been used.
Bolidt’s Future Teak, an environmentally-friendly synthetic alternative to natural teak, has been installed on several recent cruise vessels. On ‘Norwegian Bliss’ about 5,575 sq m of Bolideck Future Teak has been installed to cover most of the cabin balconies and some high profile public spaces.
Several balconies on board the new cruise ship have also been fitted with Bolideck Future Teak, as part of Bolidt’s Smart Balcony system – a concept using composite interlinked planks, which are easier and quicker to install, and repair, than poured materials, the company explained.
One of the ‘stand-out’ features of ‘Norwegian Bliss’ is its Ferrari-themed racetrack. This has already proved to be an immensely popular attraction on ‘Norwegian Joy’, and NCL has worked with Bolidt to install the world’s second racetrack at sea, this time around 30% longer.
For ‘Norwegian Bliss’ 300 m-long track, Bolidt has supplied Bolideck Racetrack, a synthetic material based on established road surfacing technology, which has been modified to ensure suitable levels of durability and slip resistance for racing karts.
Bolidt has also been contracted to supply a similar package, including Bolideck Racetrack, to the next in the series, ‘Norwegian Encore’. This sister vessel is also under construction at Meyer Werft and is due to be delivered in the summer of 2019.
The company is also involved in forthcoming NCL fleet upgrades, including the refurbishing of balconies, replacing teak and other surfaces with Future Teak, and installation of Bolideck Select Soft in public spaces.
The 2,400-pax capacity ‘Norwegian Sun’, originally built in 2001, is due to enter drydock in Victoria (BC), at the end of this month. Bolidt personnel will be on board in the weeks leading up to and during the drydocking period.
Other refits at the planning stage include the 2,400-pax ‘Norwegian Star’ (originally ‘SuperStar Libra’, delivered in 2000) which is due to drydock in Marseille in May of this year; the 2011-built, 3,900-pax capacity ‘Norwegian Breakaway’, which will be drydocked in Brest towards the end of April; and the 2,400 pax ‘Norwegian Jewel’, delivered in 2005, which is due for a three-week long refit in Singapore in October/November this year.
In addition, a Bolidt riding squad is on board the 2,500-pax capacity ‘Pride of America’, carrying out upgrades while the vessel is in service.
Where existing teak is being replaced, Bolidt will be installing large quantities of prefabricated Future Teak, to speed up the installation process. Van Overbeek said that on some of the older NCL ships, Bolideck 1500 was installed when the vessels were built, which is now being replaced with Bolideck Future Teak.
Sime Utkovic, Senior Director Technical Operations, NCL, explained, “We greatly value our longstanding relationship with Bolidt, which currently extends to all of the ships in our fleet. We tend to involve them from an early stage of our newbuild and refit projects, as their ideas and expertise are always invaluable in delivering what we envision. Moreover, Bolidt has demonstrated on many occasions that it can successfully deliver large scale projects, on schedule, with products that are visually attractive, durable and easy to maintain.”
