PALFINGER MARINE is to supply an extensive package of lifting and handling solutions to be fitted on board two new cruise expedition vessels in the Viking Expeditions fleet.
One of their most characteristic features will be a 26 m long slipway system allowing guests to embark and disembark the vessels by boat.
Both vessels, named ‘Viking Octantis’ and ‘Viking Polaris’, will be Polar Class 6-compliant. They will accommodate 378 guests in 189 staterooms. With a length of more than 200 m and a beam of around 23 m, they will be among the world’s largest expedition vessels.
The ships are being built by VARD Group and are both scheduled for launch in 2022.
Each vessel will be equipped with a range of PALFINGER products including:
• Shell doors.
• Mooring observation platforms.
• Equipment and waste lifts.
• Provision side-loading system.
• Launch and recovery systems for submarines and Zodiacs.
• Transport systems for submarines.
• Slipway systems for RIBs.
“We started working on this project in 2018. It has been a great pleasure to co-operate closely with the skilled staff from both Viking Cruises and VARD Group. Together, we are able to meet the demanding requirements and supply tailor-made equipment that will give future passengers a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Sverre Mowinckel-Nilsen, PALFINGER’S Sales Director for Offshore Lifting and Handling Solutions.
Among several enhancements on board will be an enclosed, in-ship marina, called ‘The Hangar’, which will allow guests to embark on inflatable boats from a stable surface inside the ship, protecting them from the elements.
In addition, a 26 m long slipway will enable safe launch and recovery of rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) with passengers on board.
Another innovative solution is the internal transport system, used for moving submarines (both starboard and port) from their berths to the launch and recovery area. On each side of ‘The Hangar’, a PALFINGER launch and recovery system for both submarines and Zodiac boats will be installed.
These systems will be accompanied by a main winch with a safe working load (SWL) of 13 tonnes, as well as a telescopic crane section with a SWL of 1 tonne.
