By
Alice Chambers |
Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company Navantia welcomed the first cruise ships into its docks in Cádiz Bay, south of Seville, 10 years ago. Since then, these facilities have specialised in ship refurbishment and repair work, and has also completed newbuilds.
Navantia has also increased its scope for cruise refit projects by opening facilities in Puerto Real. Like the shipyard in Cádiz, the Puerto Real facility has capacity to carry out refits, repairs and refurbishment projects on cruise ships of any size. In addition, the shipbuilder has Ferrol Estuary facilities in northern Spain, which are an ideal new option for medium and smaller-sized cruise ships. The yard is also a viable alternative for projects with a short duration.
These projects were for established customers like Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, as well as new customer Holland America Group. In September alone, Navantia’s team in Cádiz simultaneously repaired eight cruise ships, generating more than 1,000 jobs in the surrounding area. Tasks included managing the logistical requirements – such as organising unloading areas, warehouses and storage – disposing scrap material, and handling a large volume of supplies, spares and materials provided by clients.
Navantia was also busy in the first quarter of 2022, repairing nine cruise ships. It is also due to complete another seven by the end of the year. Ships include Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess and Island Princess, Amadea Shipping Company’s Amadea, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff Herz, Marella Cruises’ Marella Discovery II, Holland America Line’s Volemdam and Zaandam, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Breeze, and Royal Caribbean International’s Brilliance of the Seas.
Navantia is preparing for its 2023 season, having already received nine bookings.
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe to Cruise & Ferry Review for FREE here to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox or your door.