Balmoral dry dock in full flow at A&P FalmouthBalmoral dry dock in full flow at A&P Falmouth

Seatrade Cruise went behind the scenes at A&P Falmouth to see Balmoral’s dry dock in action. 

Works began at the facility in early December and are scheduled to conclude on December 14, before the vessel makes its way to Southampton ready to take on passengers on December 16. 

An ultra-high pressure water blast of the underwater hull has been carried out and silicone paint to improve fuel efficiency applied, with a second coat planned.

Before Saturday will be an overhaul of the propellors, bow thrusters, stabilisers and main engine gearbox. The servicing of lifeboats, davits and crane, as well as overhauls of mooring winches, fans, motors and sea valves will also take place. 

It is the second time the 1988-built Balmoral has dry-docked in Falmouth, the process having last taken place in May 2022.   

The vessel, lengthened in 2008, joined the Fred. Olsen fleet from Norwegian Cruise Line (ex. Norwegian Crown) in 2007.

The ship's hull, clean and painted. (PHOTO: HOLLY PAYNE)

A 700-strong workforce  

'Planning, safety, making sure we do a good amount of work in a short space of time safely’ are the biggest challenges when completing a dry dock of this scale, according to Mike Spicer, A&P Falmouth's MD. ‘Making sure that we we strictly adhere to our plan,’ is another.

‘It's substantial in terms of the work package, the level of work that's going on and the number of people working on the ship. If you include the Fred. Olsen team and the A&P team, subcontractors and the local equipment manufacturers, there's probably 700 people working on this over a 24 hour period,’ Spicer told Seatrade Cruise. 

‘That's why it has to work so seamlessly… It's a very short window. We have to do a lot of work simultaneously, compared to what we might do elsewhere. We've work on other ships that don't have such tight timescales. So the challenge with the cruise dockings is that dense timescale.’

700 people are working on the ship. (PHOTO: HOLLY PAYNE)

Thistle Restaurant

Making a comeback is the Thistle Restaurant, well-recognised as being the largest restaurant on Braemar, which exited the fleet in 2022 and is today operated by Villa Vie Residences as Villa Vie Odyssey.

Stuart Ferguson, the line’s head of quality & resource, explained ‘we were looking at the four seasons theme. Now, it’s four seasons of thistle, with different themes [of thistle] in four areas.’ 

Specialty restaurant Vasco, which offered a fresh and modern take on Indian cuisine, has been discontinued to make space for Thistle. Plus, Vasco ‘didn’t have the right ambience.’ 

A buffet setup, Thistle ‘will offer a quicker more efficient dining process,’ which Ferguson describes as the ‘driver’ for the decision being made. 

Venue highlights include a ‘wines of the world’ offering. ‘In 96 hours, this will be a beautiful room,’ Ferguson asserted. 

The ship’s Asian fusion dining venue Colours & Tastes may be converted into a steakhouse in the future, the head of quality & resource revealed, with specialty restaurants added and removed on a cyclical basis to keep the offering current. 

New carpets are being laid throughout Balmoral. (PHOTO: HOLLY PAYNE)

Neptune Lounge

The place to be for musicals, plays and lectures, Balmoral’s Neptune Lounge is undergoing a radical overhaul. A vast LED screen at the rear of the stage has been replaced. The cost of the screen – in addition to screens in further lounges on board – is £320K. Coverings on the collapsible stage have been renewed, and new lighting and sound systems have been installed. 

A digital photo gallery will be another feature introduced on board the vessel. 

Balmoral's Neptune Lounge undergoing refurbishment. (PHOTO: HOLLY PAYNE)

A walkthrough of the vessel taking in areas undergoing refurbishment provided additional opportunities to see the ship’s engine control room, butcher shop, garbage room, and more.