The P&O Cruises ‘Ventura’ recently completed a two-week docking at Damen Shiprepair Brest.
This was the first visit of the 2008-built, 290 m long, 116,000 gt vessel to the yard, where she underwent a regular docking together with a range of maintenance work.
Major features of the maintenance programme included the installation of two exhaust gas scrubbers, for which Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr) designed, manufactured and installed a sea chest.
While the Ventura was in DSBr’s Drydock No 3, at 420 m by 80 m the largest of DSBr’s three drydocks, the hull was ultra-high-pressure water blasted and then, along with the superstructure, repainted. Additional works included maintenance of the propulsion systems and stabilisers, plus other minor repairs.
As with all cruise ship dockings, completing the works within the scheduled period was critical with the ‘Ventura’ due to depart Southampton on 28th March on a 12-day cruise to the Canary Islands and Lisbon, Damen explained.
The logistics were particularly challenging, with a wide range of sub-contractors needing access to the vessel both inside and out, and hundreds of containers, trucks and garbage skips to be positioned around the dock and manoeuvred as necessary during the two-week period.
Meticulous planning and exact specification of all the different tasks to be undertaken took place in the months before her arrival. The ‘Ventura’ departed DSBr on 26th March with all work completed for her 3,574 pax and 1,220 crew.
“This is the first time that we have welcomed a vessel owned by Carnival plc (which operates the P&O Cruises brand),” said Patrick Renavot, Managing Director Damen Shiprepair Brest, “and we were delighted that the project was a success. All planned work was finished on time and the vessel returned to its busy schedule on schedule.
“As cruise ships expand in terms of both numbers and size, we hope to see our general activity in this sector grow. With two drydocks of 420 m and 338 m, respectively plus a convenient and easily-accessed location for cruise ships entering and leaving the Atlantic, DSBr has much to offer owners and operators looking for yards capable of meeting their specific needs,” he explained.
In recent years, the yard has made substantial investments in its facilities, including an enhanced black and grey water disposal capability and a new fire and cooling water supply system. The yard also features ample owners’ storage, extensive laydown areas and spacious temporary workshops for sub-contractors. There is even an adjacent container terminal.
