Products & services

MXP joins Deep Wave Maritime Technologies Group

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 04 October 2026 04 October 2026

MarineXchange, a leading provider of fully integrated enterprise software for the global cruise industry, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to join Deep Wave Maritime Technologies Group, an international group of specialist maritime software companies backed by San Francisco-based True Wind Capital.

MXP enters this next chapter from a position of strength. Founded by Hannes Lindthaler, the company today serves more than 60 cruise brands and over 400 installations worldwide with mission-critical software supporting shipboard and shoreside operations. Many of the world’s leading cruise lines rely on MXP solutions every day.

MXP will continue to operate under its own brand, with its full focus on cruise and passenger shipping. Customers will continue to work with the same teams, products and support organization, while existing contracts and commercial relationships remain unchanged.

Founder Hannes Lindthaler will continue his active leadership role at MXP as co-Managing Director and, following completion, will become a shareholder in Deep Wave, underscoring his long-term commitment to both MXP and the Group. MXP is led by Chief Executive Officer Michael Eder, together with Chief Financial Officer Mathias Klein and Chief Technology Officer Philipp Grasmug.

Becoming part of Deep Wave will create opportunities to broaden the services available to MXP customers, including hosting and monitoring, data analytics, AI initiatives and project management services.

Hannes Lindthaler, Founder of MXP: “Over the past 20 years, we have built MXP into a trusted technology partner for the global cruise industry. We are taking this step from a position of strength. With Deep Wave, we have found a partner that shares our long-term perspective, our entrepreneurial mindset and, above all, our commitment to our customers. I will continue my active leadership role at MXP and become a shareholder in Deep Wave. I am fully committed to the company, our customers and this next chapter.”

Michael Eder, CEO of MXP: “For our customers, the fundamentals remain the same: the same people, the same products, the same focus on cruise and the same commitment to reliable delivery and exceptional service. Together with Deep Wave, we can further strengthen our platform, expand our use of AI and develop additional capabilities that create tangible value for our customers. Our objective is clear: to make an already strong MXP even stronger.”

Mark Rogerson, Chair of Deep Wave Maritime Technologies Group: “MXP is one of the maritime software industry’s highest-quality businesses, with an outstanding reputation and deep expertise in the cruise sector. Its strong customer relationships, mission-critical technology and experienced team make MXP a natural fit for Deep Wave. We look forward to supporting the company’s continued innovation and international growth while preserving the qualities that have made MXP so successful.”

The transaction has been signed and remains subject to customary regulatory clearances.

Almaco completes modernization project onboard Harmony of the Seas

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 03 October 2026 03 October 2026

Almaco Group has completed a modernization project onboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas during the ship’s scheduled drydock at Navantia Shipyard in Cádiz, Spain. The project was completed in May 2026.

The project included the addition of new stateroom areas in the forward part of the ship, as well as the conversion of existing public spaces into accommodation. The work was executed within a demanding schedule and a complex operating environment, requiring detailed planning and close coordination with all project stakeholders.

Almaco’s scope covered the construction of a new forward accommodation block comprising 7 panoramic suites and 21 staterooms. In addition, areas of the two-deck level Wonderland restaurant were converted into accommodation areas, adding 29 new staterooms. A noise reduction ceiling was also installed in the Music Hall located below the new cabin area.

Project preparation lasted approximately seven months and included design and engineering, procurement, planning, and coordination with the owner and other contractors. Harmony of the Seas arrived in Cádiz in April for a drydock period of 44 days. During execution, Almaco deployed up to 240 personnel on site and managed the delivery of approximately 86 TEUs of material to Cádiz.

The project was completed through close cooperation between Almaco, the shipyard, the owner, and other project partners.

Evac acquires WatMan Engineering to strengthen fresh water treatment offering

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 01 October 2026 01 October 2026

Evac Group, a global leader in integrated water, waste and wastewater management solutions, as well as corrosion protection and marine growth prevention systems for the marine, offshore and land-based construction industries, today announced the acquisition of WatMan Engineering, a Finnish specialist in advanced water treatment solutions with a strong focus on marine desalination.

Founded in 1995, WatMan Engineering is a recognized supplier of water treatment systems, particularly desalination units for vessels such as cruise ships. The company’s portfolio includes desalination units, filtration systems, reverse osmosis solutions, and a range of other water treatment technologies. WatMan’s systems are used in marine, energy and industrial sectors.

WatMan employs around 20 people and operates from Lahti, Finland, where the company’s headquarters and production are located under the same roof.

The acquisition strengthens Evac’s fresh water offering and supports its plans to grow its watermaker business, particularly in the cruise segment. With WatMan’s desalination expertise and Evac’s global reach and service network, cruise operators will benefit from more reliable and sustainable onboard freshwater systems. It also improves support for WatMan’s existing systems.

Evac also sees growing opportunities to apply this expertise in land-based sectors, including data centers and industrial facilities where advanced water treatment plays an important role in operational efficiency.

“WatMan has built a strong reputation for high-quality water treatment solutions and has deep domain expertise in this field of technology,” says Björn Ullbro, CEO of Evac. “That’s down to a highly skilled and experienced team. Bringing that expertise together with Evac strengthens our watermaker capabilities and supports our ambition to build the world’s best RO offering.”

“Joining Evac is a natural next step for WatMan,” says Juha Lintujärvi, CEO of WatMan Engineering. “It gives us the scale to develop our technology further and extend support to our installed base through a global service network.”

WatMan will continue to operate from Lahti and the brand will continue as WatMan under Evac.

Carnegie expands its Xorel Cruise collection with new patterns

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 02 October 2026 02 October 2026

Carnegie, a leader in sustainable textiles and acoustical management solutions for the commercial industry, expands its Xorel Cruise collection with two new patterns, Seashore and Seafloor.

Introduced in 1981, Xorel is Carnegie's proprietary signature performance textile, known for its durability, cleanability, design flexibility, and sustainable material chemistry. A woven, PVC-free material, it is the safest, most environmentally responsible textile on the market. With Xorel Cruise wallcovering and Xorel Luxe IMO upholstery, Carnegie offers an end-to-end portfolio of marine-grade textiles that meet the cruise market's demanding needs with sustainable, high-performing materials engineered specifically for it.

The new patterns expand the brand’s existing Xorel Cruise offerings with sophisticated texture, subtle movement, and versatile neutral palettes for a broad range of cruise interiors. Both Seashore and Seafloor are Wheelmark-certified wallcoverings for marine-grade applications and are also available for upholstered wall and wrapped panel applications, giving specifiers a complete system of stylish, sustainable, and safe materials for the cruise industry.

The new patterns include:

– Seashore: Inspired by the surfaces and weathered textures found along the coastline, Seashore brings a soft, organic rhythm to cruise interiors. Its painterly texture feels dimensional yet understated, evoking natural erosion, mineral deposits, and shifting tide marks. Available in six colorways, Seashore is composed of 75% IFR Xorel and 25% Modacrylic.

– Seafloor: Seafloor explores the quiet structure and subtle texture of underwater landscapes. With a refined woven surface and softly shifting color palette, the pattern evokes the Stratified tactility of sand, stone, and ocean floor formations. Available in seven colorways, Seafloor is also composed of 75% IFR Xorel and 25% Modacrylic, and must be reverse-hung upon installation.

As with the rest of the Xorel Cruise collection, the new textiles are available with X-Protect IMO Wall, X-Protect Wall, or unbacked options. Xorel Cruise is IMO 2010 FTP Code Part 5 & Part 2 certified and IMO Wheelmark certified for marine-grade compliance; it also meets SCS Indoor Advantage Gold and California Indoor Air Quality Specification CA 01350 standards and contributes to LEED credits. The material exceeds Type II performance standards for wallcovering and is durable, bleach-cleanable, and stain-resistant without added finishes; it also carries a 10-year warranty. Xorel Cruise is free from chlorine, plasticizers, heavy metals, and harmful topical coatings, with extremely low VOCs.

“Cruise interiors require an extraordinary amount of materials. They have to withstand constant use and rigorous cleaning, meet very specific safety requirements, and still contribute to a beautifully designed environment,” says Heather Bush, Chief Creative Officer at Carnegie Textiles. “That intersection of beauty and performance is where Xorel has always been strong. The collection designs range from softer solids and textures to more dimensional jacquards and figurative woven designs. With Seashore and Seafloor, that approach continues through abstract references to natural surfaces, the movement, layering, and quiet complexity found along the coast and beneath the water.”

This launch also brings news to Carnegie's broader cruise offering: Xorel Luxe for IMO indoor/outdoor upholstery is now Wheelmark certified. Made with biobased Xorel yarn, derived in part from rapidly renewable sugarcane, Xorel Luxe brings the elegance and dimensionality of a luxury woven textile together with the performance, cleanability, and material integrity designers expect from Xorel. Xorel Luxe achieves IMO 2010 FTP Part 8 compliance and is Cradle to Cradle Gold certified.

With Xorel Cruise, designers can carry a cohesive Xorel design language across vertical and horizontal surfaces throughout the ship, from guest rooms and corridors to lounges, restaurants, suites, and public spaces. Carnegie's in-house design and manufacturing expertise also allows for a high level of customization, including bespoke colors, pattern adaptations, and fully original custom designs, with no large minimums or upcharges and lead times that match in-line products.

Vikand and wellness pioneer Anna Bjurstam launch Marenia – Medical Wellness at Sea

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 15 September 2026 15 September 2026

Vikand, the global leader in maritime healthcare solutions whose doctors and nurses serve cruise ships worldwide, and wellness pioneer Anna Bjurstam, founder of Wahayla, today announced Marenia, a medical wellness concept created for the cruise industry.

The idea behind Marenia is a new level of wellness at sea. The medical team already on board can do more than treat illness, it can actively raise guests’ wellbeing every day of the voyage, and take those who want more into a full medical longevity programme. Rehydration after a hot day ashore. An immune boost the moment a cold threatens. Blood work, testing and a personal programme for guests who want to understand and improve their health. From everyday wellbeing to healthier ageing, delivered by medical professionals on board.

Wellness at sea is changing quickly. Cruise lines have begun adding IV therapy and medi-spa treatments to their spa menus, reflecting how fast guest expectations are moving toward health, recovery and longevity. Marenia starts from a different place. It is not a spa adding clinical services. It is the ship’s medical operation, with doctors, nurses, an equipped medical centre and a laboratory, opening its doors to wellness.

Marenia runs inside that operation, under Vikand’s clinical governance and protocols. In its simplest form, it adds a Marenia nurse, employed and trained by Marenia, to work inside a medical operation that is already on board — no new licence, no new clinic to build.

That starting point is also a safety statement. Every Marenia service is delivered with a ship’s doctor on board, a certified medical centre, and the equipment and escalation pathways that already protect every guest at sea. For a cruise line, the clinical accountability for every treatment sits in one place: the medical operation that is already answerable for it.

The offer is built as a ladder:
– Everyday care; vitamin shots, IV hydration, energy and recovery, delivered by the medical team.
– Diagnostics; blood panels drawn on board and analysed in the ship’s own laboratory, with results the same day; glucose monitoring worn across the voyage; metabolic and fitness testing.
– A personal health plan; results reviewed with an experienced functional medicine and longevity doctor supporting the programme from shore, and turned into a plan the guest takes home.

A blood panel drawn in the morning comes back from the ship’s own laboratory the same day. That onboard laboratory is what makes real diagnostics possible at sea. Without one, samples travel ashore and results arrive after the guest has gone home. Further services, including regenerative treatments, may follow where clinically and operationally appropriate.

“Cruise ships already carry something extraordinarily valuable: professional medical teams and certified medical infrastructure,” said Peter Hult, CEO of Vikand.

“Historically that capability has rightly focused on illness, injury and emergencies. Marenia asks a different question: how do we responsibly use it to help guests feel better, recover faster and leave the ship healthier than they arrived with the same clinical governance that has always protected them at sea?”

The ship’s spa remains at the heart of the guest experience. Marenia is designed to work alongside existing spa and wellness partners, taking on only what requires clinical delivery and medical oversight, and referring guests in both directions. Because Marenia uses infrastructure the ship already carries, operators can add a new wellness category, and a new revenue stream, without building a separate facility on board.

“Guests no longer just want to relax. They want to understand their health, improve how they feel, and make changes that last after the journey ends,” said Anna Bjurstam. “A cruise is the perfect place for that, because guests have something increasingly rare in modern life: time. Marenia uses that time to keep guests well, and to help those who want more to truly optimise how they feel and how they age. With VIKAND’s medical expertise behind it, we can do that responsibly, and beautifully.”

The partners will pilot Marenia with selected cruise operators before expanding across the international cruise market.

“The cruise industry does hospitality exceptionally well. Vikand understands medicine at sea. Anna understands how to turn wellness into an extraordinary guest experience,” Hult added. “Marenia brings those three worlds together.”