Wärtsilä and NCLH renew performance based service contract

The Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and US-based cruise operator Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) have signed a renewal of their existing performance-based service agreement.

“Joint continuous improvement efforts ensure that the engines on board of 10 NCLH cruise ships run at optimum performance levels. Wärtsilä supplies NCLH with maintenance service, carried out together by the two companies to secure the safety, engine reliability and performance of the vessels,” Wärtsilä said in a statement.

The renewed service agreement, signed in May 2017, and relevant to the maintenance of 45 Wärtsilä engines installed on NCLH vessels is tailored to the needs and expectations of NCLH's global operations. The contract extends from scheduled maintenance and spare parts to training programmes and from annual audits to monthly key performance indicator reviews, which measure the performance of Wärtsilä against the jointly set targets.

The contract provides Wärtsilä's Dynamic Maintenance Planning (DMP), so that engine maintenance can be carried out according to actual needs, enabling optimal availability and minimal risk of disruptions. Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) optimises the availability, reliability and performance of Wärtsilä engines on NCLH vessels through the diagnostics of key parameters and on-time decision support.

The contract is part of Wärtsilä's digital portfolio and covers a broad scope of services, including maintenance planning, periodic technical surveys, dedicated technical support and expertise for major overhauls, spare parts supply and workshop services. In addition, Wärtsilä offers NCLH performance guarantees, such as Response Time Guarantee and Quality Guarantee, which ensure that the contractual performance targets are met. The agreement spans over two years, with a renewal option for three additional years.

Wärtsilä continues to provide training to the NCLH crew. The training ensures that the vessels' engines are maintained to the highest standards, and the crew is able to work in full coordination with Wärtsilä's technical team. Overall, the partnership is focused on safe operation of the vessels.

 

Trimline completes transformation of TUI Discovery 2

During a six-week refurbishment in Navantia's Cadiz shipyard, marine refurbishment specialist Trimline transformed the interior of Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas into Thomson Cruises newest ship TUI Discovery 2, sister ship to TUI Discovery, which Trimline transformed last year.

The 200-strong team refurbished the 1,832-passenger ship in a similar way to TUI Discovery giving it a new contemporary style of interior, with a number of areas being transformed, most notably the Live Room entertainment space, which is the ship’s focal hub.

Previously split into two parts, Trimline created an open space and then the team set about installing new bulkheads, deck heads, raised deck and stage areas, and a custom-built bar. A bespoke acoustic ‘floating’ deck was installed along with sound dampening to reduce noise levels to cabins situated directly below. The final feature was a grand piano on a raised drinks area, painted yellow with a high gloss finish. Trimline fitted contemporary laminate pink and blue design bulkheads with feature ceiling discs and LED lighting, including a programmable system for dimming and changeable colours to suit the requirements of the onboard entertainers.

Other areas that underwent a transformation included 915 cabins and suites, 47° Restaurant, Venue Bar, Photography Studios, Gaming Room, Bar Eleven, Deck 9 stage, Deck 10 bar, alleyways, landings and lobbies.

Trimline Co-Chairman, Michael Oliver commented, “Following the successful completion of TUI Discovery last year we have worked closely with Thomson Cruises to ensure a smooth brand conversion of TUI Discovery 2. I’m very proud of our team. They have done a great job and the ship looks stunning.”

Thomson Cruises’ Director of Operations, Adrian Hibbert remarked “We were delighted to work with Trimline once again. Their commitment and engagement to the TUI Discovery 2 project has resulted in a fantastic ship that our customers are already raving about.”

3D Scanning changes name to Blom Maritime

3D Scanning, a company that has introduced 3D-laser scanning and smart 3D-engineering to the maritime market, has seen the need to evolve with the market. "With current presence in Miami, Oslo, Stavanger and Krakow and with scanning capacity globally within 24 hours we are still looking to expand and the rebranding and name change contributes to this expansion," the company said in a statement.

"As our business has grown with almost all the major cruise brands in the world, including well known suppliers, delivering high end 3D scanning and 3D engineering, we noticed that our name was not defining our services as naval architects and marine engineers."

More and more of our clients see the need for maritime consulting when their projects for compliance with emission regulations enter into force. "Our Naval Architect and 3D engineering skills are in demand as we see the pace pick-up, now also from the commercial maritime market. We want to position ourselves as one of the prime partners."

"3D-Laser scanning and smart engineering is only a fraction of what we deliver to our clients and as time has passed we have seen that the clients are looking into securing a partner for all their engineering requirements, including naval architect services, re-fit services, class approval design, structural analysis and modifications to vessel hull, topside and more. In order to be more precise in our customer relations, we chose to rebrand using a well-founded name in the GIS (Geographical Information Systems), mapping, marine engineering and the construction world."

Telenor, SES to provide VSAT and mobile systems for Silversea

Telenor Maritime, the global maritime mobile operator in the Norwegian Telenor group, has teamed up with SES and announced the introduction of the mobile ecosystem onboard Silversea Cruises’ entire fleet.

“Global VSAT services and mobile broadband backhaul, 3G, Wi-Fi and digital services supporting the complete digital value chain vastly enhancing the customer experience, with speeds up to 150Mb/s,” the company said in a statement

“We met their (Silversea’s) requirements through innovation in technology and way of working. SES with their global concept as sole airtime provider across the globe, combined with our mobile background and ability to optimising services end to end over satellite links proved immensely successful,” said Frode Støldal, CEO of Telenor Maritime.

“For the first time, cruise guests can truly use their mobile devices like at home, with no constraints on Apps such as Facebook, YouTube or even Netflix. These capabilities are real game changers,” Frode Støldal continues.

 

Columbia Shipmanagement receives DNV GL certification for energy and safety management

DNV GL has confirmed that Columbia Shipmanagement complies with the highest standards in energy and safety management. Torsten Schramm, President at DNV GL – Maritime, recently presented the ISO certification for the standards ISO 50001:2011 and OHSAS 18001:2007 to Carsten Sommerhage, Director of Columbia Shipmanagement (Deutschland) GmbH, at the shipping company’s offices in Hamburg.

“These certifications highlight our efforts to perform a systematic energy management as well as maintaining the highest levels of health and safety through our company. At Columbia, we pursue an integrated strategy to incorporate health and safety into all units of our company,” says Carsten Sommerhage.

“Columbia holds the protection of the environment and natural resources as extremely important. The company ensures that all health, safety, environmental and energy aspects of its activities comply with the International Standards of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 for shipmanagement services. Furthermore, these standards include the crewing and operation of oil tankers, bulk carries, chemical tankers and multipurpose ships,” adds Axel Schulz, Technical Director of Columbia Shipmanagement (Deutschland) GmbH.

ISO 50001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications achieved by CSM Group in 2016 and 2017 for its shipmanagement hubs at Hamburg, Limassol and Singapore are in line with the company’s commitment to continual improvement. ISO 50001:2011 aims at supporting organisations that want to continually reduce their energy use, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The OHSAS 18000 standards provide organisations with the tools for an effective safety management system that can be integrated into other management systems. This helps organisations to improve their occupational health and safety performance as well as their economic objectives.

”CSM has become a leading force in its field by making an unequivocal commitment to quality and efficiency. The company is well known for its efforts in implementing safety standards of life at sea, and safe ship and cargo operations," says Torsten Schramm.