Cruise passenger numbers are increasing. An estimated 35 million people took a cruise in 2024, according to Cruise Lines International Association, which also predicted almost 40 million people will cruise annually by 2027 in its 2024 State of the Cruise Industry Report.
In order to meet the needs of this growing number of guests, cruise lines must ensure their ships are modern, comfortable, safe and well-equipped with facilities to offer varied entertainment and activities for passengers. Regular maintenance will enable ships to stay seaworthy but more extensive refurbishments are often required to elevate the customer experience on older vessels to ensure they can compete with newbuilds. As such, repair and refurbishment shipyards around the globe carried out multiple projects on passenger ships in the latter half of 2024 and the first part of 2025. We highlight some of those refurbishment projects in the following pages.
Hythe Shipyard, Southampton, UK
The shipyard spent two months carrying out yearly maintenance work on two W-class ships belonging to ferry operator Wightlink. The project began with work on Wight Sky in September 2024 and also involved Wight Light, both ferries were withdrawn from service in turn for the refurbishment. Some of the works included painting the vehicle decks, pouring new resin flooring in passenger walkways and replacing the original mild steel/plastic control boxes with stainless steel.
Hythe Shipyard carried out a programme of maintenance for ferry operator Wightlink
BLRT Repair Yards, Klaipeda, Lithuania
The BLRT ship repair yard in Klaipeda has serviced two of TT-Line’s fleet of ferries: the 190-metre Akka and the 179-metre Nils Dacke.
On Akka, the team serviced Azipods and replaced approximately 20 tons of steel across various decks, including for the stern ramps on decks three and five. On Nils Dacke the team painted XGIT-FUEL (from GIT Coating) onto the underwater hull and replaced and treated the steel on multiple decks. Antiskid layers were placed on ramps and scheduled maintenance was carried out on the ferry’s propulsion and propeller systems.
The BLRT yard in Klaipeda is part of BLRT Grupp, which also owns and operates ship repair yards in Tallinn, Estonia, and Naantali, Finland. In February the team in Finland completed a maintenance project on Viking Line’s 1992-built Gabriella, which included overhauling bow thrusters, replacing rudder pintle bearings and installing new outside shaft seals.
Grand Bahama Shipyard, Freeport, The Bahamas
Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas will undergo a more than $100 million refurbishment at Granda Bahama Shipyard in April 2025 as part of the cruise line’s Amplified programme. Once complete, the ship will offer multiple new experiences, including a reimagined pool deck with resort-style pools, ‘tots and tweens’ pools with slides, water cannons and fountains, and the brand’s Cyclone and Typhoon racing waterslides, as well as the SuperCell champagne bowl.
The shipyard also completed a three-week project in October 2024 on Holland America Line’s Volendam, which included new exterior paintwork and a refresh of interior public areas.
Chantier Naval de Marseille, France
AIDA Cruises’ AIDAdiva spent seven weeks in dry dock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille yard in February and March 2025 as part of the brand’s Evolution programme, which also includes refurbishment projects on AIDAluna and AIDAbella in late 2025 and early 2026, respectively. UK-based outfitter Trimline focused on updating key guest areas onboard AIDAdiva, with co-owner of Trimline, Nick Farrell, saying: “This project allows us to showcase our commitment to quality, innovation and long-term partnerships in the maritime industry.”
Trimline also completed a casino expansion onboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Silhouette at the yard in Marseille in the latter half of 2024. It will complete a similar project onboard Celebrity Apex in the first half of 2025.
Trimline crews working on a Celebrity Cruises ship in drydock at Chantier Naval de Marseille in France
Damen Shiprepair Brest, France
At the end of 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore entered dry dock at Damen’s yard in Brest for two weeks while its former laser tag arena was transformed into the new Spice H2O, an adults-only complimentary outdoor area separated from the main pool deck. The ship’s dining venues, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Teppanyaki, were expanded during the refurbishment, which also included redesigning suites in The Haven by Norwegian and the creation of 24 new balcony staterooms.
Norwegian Bliss also dry docked at the yard in late January 2025, where the team expanded suites in The Haven by Norwegian complex to include three-bedroom suites and repurposed part of the Observation Lounge on deck 15 to create 24 balcony staterooms and two club balcony staterooms. The refurbishment project also included the creation of Horizon Park, an outdoor gathering space designed in collaboration with SMC Design and Conductr. A similar outdoor recreation area was built during the refurbishment project onboard Breakaway, which was in dry dock at the French shipyard from 19 February to 12 March.
Trimline worked on the public areas for all three ships and also carried out casino extension projects on Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises ships at the yard.
Navantia, Cadiz, Spain
Navantia repaired and refurbished 17 cruise ships at its shipyard in the Bay of Cadiz, Spain, throughout 2024, including projects onboard TUI-owned cruise brand Marella Cruises’ ship Marella Explorer and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff. Trimline installed a 1,200-metre-square floating floor on Marella Explorer using a Weber Marine product in a record-breaking five days.
Windstar Cruises’ luxury yacht Wind Surf spent two months in Cadiz while a team worked on refurbishing suites and public areas, including the Yacht Club Cafe, Compass Rose Bar and Lounge, Amphora Restaurant and Wine Room, and the pool bar and deck. The team also created new Broadmoor and Sea Island Suites, which were inspired by land-based hotel resorts The Broadmoor in Colorado and Sea Island in Georgia.
Navantia has dry dock reservations for 12 cruise ships and 10 ferry-type vessels in 2025. The firm has taken on increasingly complex projects and for the last three years, the Cadiz shipyard has repaired and refurbished the most cruise ships worldwide, according to maritime data analyst firm Marine Benchmark.
Navantia’s Cadiz shipyard has dry dock reservations for 12 cruise ships and 10 ferry-type vessels in 2025
Oresund Drydocks, Landskrona, Sweden
Viking Line’s ferry Viking XPRS spent three weeks undergoing refurbishment at Oresund Dry Docks from late January to early February 2025. The vessel’s interiors were redecorated in a bright, modern style, while the carpets were replaced in the entrance area and the 736 cabins were updated with reupholstered sofas and new curtains. The biggest change involved a floor-to-ceiling renovation of the tax-free shop, which was enlarged to create a more functional space.
As well as interior refurbishments, Viking XPRS also underwent technological maintenance and upgrades. Vertical sections of the ship’s hull were sandblasted and painted to help Viking Line achieve its aim of reducing fuel consumption on Viking XPRS’s route by five per cent.
Harland & Wolff, Belfast, UK
Stena Line’s ferry Stena Superfast VII docked at the ship repair quay where pipe repairs were carried out. The ferry operator’s Birkenhead-to-Belfast vessel Stena Edda, which was built in 2001, also underwent a routine marine evacuation system exchange.
It was confirmed at the end of January 2025 that Navantia and its British subsidiary, Navantia UK, will acquire Harland & Wolff’s operations and will invest in its facilities across four sites – Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish – to modernise its facilities, technology and training.
Seatrium Admiralty Yard, Singapore
Cunard’s 2,000-guest ship Queen Elizabeth was refurbished at Seatrium’s Admiralty Yard in Singapore between 25 February and 13 March 2025. The “era-defining” refurbishment included updates to the ship’s exterior, interior public spaces and guest accommodation. The Garden Lounge and Panorama Pool Club were refreshed while The Queens Room was given a new dance floor, furniture and soft furnishings. Furniture, fixtures and fittings were also replaced in the Commodore Club. Cunard also introduced the Pavilion Wellness Café, which debuted on Queen Anne in early 2024. New mattresses, soft furnishings, balcony furniture, USB ports and in-room entertainment systems were also installed in suites and staterooms.
Discover more insights like this in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. Don’t miss out – subscribe for FREE and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox.