The most recent contract for the Dutch manufacturer’s hardwearing and environmentally friendly products covers the pair of Hurtigruten newbuildings, Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, two hybrid propulsion expedition cruise ships under construction at Kleven shipyard in Norway.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ pair of polar class expedition cruise ships, Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration, on order at the Vard shipyard in Tulcea, Romania will also feature extensive Bolidt decking systems onboard.
Jacco van Overbeek, director maritime division at Bolidt, believes the company’s reputation in the mainstream cruise and yacht sectors has helped it to secure a significant share of the fast-growing expedition cruise sector, whether used for balconies, indoor and outdoor decks and public spaces.
‘We are already well known for our high quality of workmanship, flexibility and speed of installation, and for our ability to deploy our own specialized application teams worldwide,’ he says. ‘This enables us to take on jobs at many different yards around the same time.’
However, Van Overbeek adds that important innovations have been needed to take account of the new environment: ‘Many of the ships call for heated deck systems, as well as special surface treatments to ensure our products remain resistant to extremely low temperatures.’
Bolidt’s inhouse R&D facilities, which include technology such as a climate chamber and accelerated weathering lab for testing advanced materials in extreme conditions, have meant that these environmental challenges can be overcome.
Bolidt is supplying a range of well-proven synthetic deck products to these vessels, including Bolideck Future Teak, Bolideck Select and Bolideck Helideck.
Other polar class newbuildings under construction that will feature Bolidt decking materials include 200-passenger capacity, Crystal Endeavor, being built at MV Werften yard and due to enter service in 2020.
Bolidt is also working on Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection’s first vessel under construction at Spain’s HJ Barreras shipyard and is the preferred supplier for Mystic Cruise’s World Explorer, which is being built at Portugal’s West Sea Yard for Quark Expeditions. The 9,300gt vessel will accommodate 176 passengers onboard.
Existing expedition vessels featuring Bolidt systems include Celebrity Xpedition and Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic's Sea Lion, Sea Bird, Endeavour, Explorer, Islander, Orion and Quest.
Some of these vessels had Bolidt systems as newbuildings, while others have been upgraded with the Dutch company’s synthetic materials during subsequent refits.
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