Products & services

Harris CapRock selected as communications service provider to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fleet

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 05 May 2012 05 May 2012

Harris CapRock Communications, a global provider of fully managed communications for remote and harsh environments, has signed a five-year agreement with cruise operator Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to provide communications services onboard its fleet of 34 ships in the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises brands. The hybrid satellite and terrestrial communications solution will enable Royal Caribbean to dramatically improve overall communications performance while enhancing guest experience and crew morale.

"At Royal Caribbean, our goal is for guests to have the best experience possible while vacationing on our ships," said Bill Martin, vice president and chief information officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "An important part of that experience is the communications service made available to them and making sure it performs above their expectations. We set a goal to change the market expectations for onboard communications, and with Harris CapRock’s innovative solution, our guests will be able to remain connected with friends and family onshore in ways not possible on any other cruise ship."

To meet Royal Caribbean’s needs for vessel administration, guest satisfaction and crew welfare, Harris CapRock will deploy a fully managed, end-to-end Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and terrestrial communications solution that will enable access to Royal Caribbean’s corporate network and business applications, broadband Internet, and telephony services. Royal Caribbean will receive equipment, installation, maintenance, service and 24/7 proactive monitoring and support from Harris CapRock’s global Customer Support Center.

The hybrid solution combines Ku-band, C-band and shore wireless connectivity, designed so that the ships can switch seamlessly from one preferred platform to another to maximize service availability and avoid downtime. Each ship will be equipped with two or three of Harris CapRock’s stabilized VSAT antenna systems to provide the optimal level of flexibility and availability.

"Harris CapRock worked hand-in-hand with Royal Caribbean to develop a customized solution required to meet their needs," said Rick Simonian, president of Maritime Solutions, Harris CapRock. "Royal Caribbean is known for using information technology innovations to provide its guests and crew with the best onboard experience possible. By selecting Harris CapRock as its provider, they can rest assured that we are there to meet their communications needs of today and tomorrow."

Harris CapRock Communications is a premier global provider of managed satellite and terrestrial communications solutions, specifically for remote and harsh environments including the energy, government and maritime markets. Harris CapRock owns and operates a robust global infrastructure that includes teleports on six continents, five 24/7 customer support centers, local presence in 23 countries, and over 275 global field service personnel supporting customer locations across North America, Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia Pacific.

Sance wins TUI Cruises’ cabin engineering contract

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 03 May 2012 03 May 2012

Sance, a Finnish engineering company, has won an order from STX Finland Cabin Ltd, which is part of the STX Europe Group, concerning passenger cabins’ HVAC, electrical and interior design (excluding suites). This contract will employ 5 people for about a year.

This is the second contract the company has won with regards of the 97,000 gross ton ship Hamburg based TUI Cruises has on order at STX Finland, also an STX Europe Group member. At the end of last year, Sance was awarded a contract concerning part of the ship's HVAC basic design. The ship will be delivered to its owner in the spring 2014.

“We are happy to start our cooperation with STX Finland Cabins in terms of TUI project. STX Finland Cabins is known and honoured as a reliable cooperation partner who appreciates quality and schedule-proof work,” said Sance’s Managing Director Mr. Kalle Sandelin in a statement.

Survitec's RFD Beaufort business is awarded Queen's Award for Enterprise

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 22 April 2012 22 April 2012

Survitec Group's RFD Beaufort facility in Dunmurry, has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise, for its RFD MarinArk Marine Evacuation System (MES).

Entered in the Innovation category, and specifically for "Continuous Innovation and Development", the RFD MarinArk attracted the attention of the award panel not only for its innovative design, responsiveness to regulations and the need for improved passenger safety, but also for its global commercial success.

Moya Johnston, Managing Director of the Dunmurry facility where the product is designed and manufactured, commented: "This is a fantastic achievement and international recognition for our business in Northern Ireland. We have worked extremely hard during what is a challenging economic period, to continue to innovate, deliver excellent products and remain competitive for a demanding customer base. Simply knowing that our product improves passenger and crew safety on board ships and ultimately, is there to save lives, is an enormous source of pride for all of us here in Dunmurry."

Survitec's history in marine survival equipment dates to Reginald Foster Dagnall in 1920, with the design of simple but critical flotation bags and rings for the Royal Navy's Aircraft. Marine Evacuation Systems as we know them today, began production at the factory in 1979, and in line with changes in regulation and advances in vessel design and increasing passenger capacities, the company has continued to invest in the continuous development of the product. It has also worked closely with Invest Northern Ireland, securing research and development grants to help bring the product to market with great commercial success.

Announced every year on the Queen's Birthday, only a small number of the hundreds of thousands of businesses who enter the awards are selected to receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise. It is an enormous boost to the Survitec Group to receive this award for outstanding achievement, particular recognising the achievements of its flagship product, MarinArk, which is designed and manufactured in Dunmurry.

Dunmurry was also recently recognised by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering with the MX Award for Most Improved Business 2011. This reflected achievements made by the business as a result of its radical modernisation programme to improve its management processes and which saw export sales increase 35% with on-time delivery and employee engagement ratings soar.

Portland Port offers maintenance services

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 26 April 2012 26 April 2012

Portland Port , which is located 20 miles from the main English Channel shipping lanes and which offers 24hr unrestricted access and deep, sheltered, safe waters, makes a perfect location for:

* Underwater class surveys

* Pre-dry docking services

* Underwater maintenance & repairs

* Onboard refitting & repairs

* Stores transfers/crew transfers/fresh water

* Bunkers, HFO, LS HFO & MGO

* Marpol waste reception

* Long or short lay up

All services supplied by the Portland Port Group and all associated or subsidiary companies are subject to contract and Portland Port Groups standard terms and conditions of trade and of sale, copies of which are available on request.

Royal Caribbean's Sunshine newbuildings to be powered by Azipods

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 18 April 2012 18 April 2012

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth more than $60 million to provide complete power and Azipod propulsion systems for two new cruise ships to be built by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL). The ABB order for the first ship was booked in 2011 and for the second vessel in the first quarter of 2012.

Founded in 1795, Meyer Werft builds special-purpose ships, and is especially well known for the construction of huge, modern and highly sophisticated cruise vessels. The new ships are the first vessels in Royal Caribbean’s new class of cruise ships, currently named Project Sunshine. The 158,000 gross ton ships will have a capacity of more than 4,100 passengers; in addition to redesigned spaces to optimize capacity and fuel use while maintaining passenger comfort, RCL and Meyer Werft will incorporate the latest energy efficiency and environmental technologies on the ship.

ABB’s delivery will help the new ships maximize their fuel efficiency, speed and maneuverability, reduce emissions, as well as provide a reliable power supply to improve the availability of onboard equipment, to help RCL meet its energy efficiency and environmental impact targets.
The vessels are scheduled for delivery to RCL in fall 2014 and spring 2015.

ABB will supply a complete electrical systems for the new ships, the delivery for each ship includes power generation and distribution systems, thruster motors, and two 20.5 MW propulsion systems including transformers, drives and two Azipod® XO propulsion units. ABB’s energy efficient Azipod propulsion uses less fuel than traditional systems, and provides greater maneuverability in all operating conditions.

"ABB offers the cruise ship industry the latest generation of technical solutions and solid electrical infrastructure that optimize vessel performance while enhancing passenger comfort and safety," said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. "We are pleased that as the cruise ship market rebounds, a number of shipbuilders have chosen our market-leading Azipod propulsion systems for the next generation of cruise vessels."

ABB recently won a number of large cruise ship orders for its Azipod propulsion in the first quarter of 2012. Azipod propulsion systems can have huge impact on the operating efficiency of ships and floating vessels, and can reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 20 percent. ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.