Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven said it is expecting Phoenix Reisen’s 213 metre long cruise ship Artania to arrive in its Kaiserdock II on 17 November for a stay lasting about three weeks The Phoenix Reisen flagship is scheduled to leave the shipyard around 6 December.

"This order suits us well" said yard head Rüdiger Pallentin,  "and is, to boot, a fine recommendation for the good work we carry out at the Lloyd Werft".

Along with the maintenance and classification work being done by Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven, modernisation in the hotel and cabin sectors is being carried out directly by the owners.

That work, which includes the Pacific Lounge and Jamaica Club, has been put out to tender by the owners. In addition, carpets, furnishings, wallpapers and many other items are being refurbished and newly designed in more than 200 cabins and public areas. Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven is lending logistical support to this work

The 1984 built ship was acquired in 2011 by V Ships subsidiary Artania GmbH and it has been on charter since then with Phoenix Reisen, German company. Following the acquisition by its new owner the ship underwent a comprehensive conversion lasting four weeks in the spring of 2011 at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven. Five years ago, four new energy-efficient Wärtsilä main engines were installed on the Artania as part of a further comprehensive yard stay at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven.

The upcoming new contract will mark the fourth occasion on which Lloyd Werft Project Manager Jochen Mehrtens has been involved with this particular cruise ship. "At peak times, I can see as many as 120 yard employees taking part in this project", he said, "added to them will be a colourful array of local supply companies. For those of our employees who are involved currently in a parallel yacht newbuilding project, this contract will come as a welcome change, because we are, after all, a classic repair and conversion shipyard", explained Mehrtens, himself a marine engineer.

"The greatest challenge now will be switching over from the well-organised structure of the newbuilding sector to the extreme flexibility of repair work, because the unexpected happens time and time again during a repair contract. It is my job as project manager to bring structure into tasks that change regularly from one moment to the next so that the contract can be completed for the customer with high quality and within the set time framework".