P&O Cruises, part of Carnival Corp, has again chosen GE’s Marine Solutions to provide upgrades on critical components on board the 77,499 gt cruise vessel ‘Oceana’.
Formerly known as ‘Ocean Princess’, the cruise vessel was built in 1998 and had GE’s Syconum 2 electronic controller fitted on board. GE will be responsible for replacing the existing controllers with new power electronics controllers on the four propulsion drives. Enabled by a decentralised design, the new digital propulsion controller benefits from being compact, thus reducing its installation costs while improving operational safety through enhanced efficiency, asset availability and operational precision, GE claimed.
“Oceana is a very popular vessel, offering fly-cruise holidays to an increasing number of new cruise guests. Having reliable and capable ships across our fleet is crucial to capitalise on this growing opportunity,” said Donnacha O’Driscoll, Carnival UK senior vice president. “Following the successful first-phase upgrade provided by GE on ‘Queen Mary 2’ last year, we are delighted to continue this partnership with GE and embrace its latest technology to ensure smooth sailing for our guests.”
GE will also carry out extensive shop tests at its Belfort Centre using its real-time simulator. By creating a digital model of the vessel, GE engineers can simulate different scenarios and test the vessel’s behaviour, enabling GE to undertake a reliable upgrade within a short time period. The upgrade is expected to be completed in Hamburg at the end of this year.
“We have, in total, equipped 30 vessels across the Carnival Corp brands with our electric propulsion systems. Our expertise in propulsion controls upgrades is also well-acknowledged by Carnival Corp and vessel owners worldwide,” said Tim Schweikert, president & CEO, GE’s Marine Solutions. “We are a long-term partner with Carnival and have, in the past, provided upgrade services for them on nine vessels. This agreement with P&O Cruises further reinforces our close partnership and is a clear indicator of the quality provided by our marine services.”
