By
Rebecca Gibson |
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion recently completed repair and refurbishment projects on Astor and Marco Polo, both operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages.
Arriving at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) on 17 October, the 600-passenger Astor underwent a DNV GL Class Survey and maintenance work. The scheduled maintenance included high-pressure washing and painting of the underwater part of the vessel, overhaul of overboard valves, hull anode renewal, maintenance and recertification of lifeboats, gangway repairs, and certification and renewal of ducting and ventilators from engine room air-supply.
Following her upgrade, the sailed from Vlissingen to Tilbury, UK, where she collected the remainder of her crew and passengers, before embarking on a voyage to Australia.
“The work on Astor was not without its challenges – the sheer diversity of the tasks we performed ensured that,” said Peter Sterkenburg, head of Sales and Marketing at Damen. “The logistics were perhaps the greatest consideration – we had to manage this extensive scope, alongside a class survey, while 140 of the vessel’s crew remained on board throughout. I’m pleased to say we did everything according to plan and all work was completed in time for Astor to sail on 4 November.”
Meanwhile, Marco Polo arrived in Vlissingen on 11 November and underwent a DNV GL Class Survey and similar maintenance work to Astor. Due to an unexpected grounding earlier this year, the ship also underwent some minor steel repairs.
“The grounding caused some minor steel damage to the flat bottom of the vessel, so we’ve had to factor that into the planning on top of the scheduled work and class survey,” said Sterkenburg. “Naturally, this has made the work more challenging, but we are used to this kind of project and to reacting quickly when something changes.”
Marco Polo left DSV on 11 December, collecting passengers in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Tilburg, before sailing to Brazil and the Amazon.