Last month, the 9,570gt, 139mtr long Spirit of Adventure docked for a 10 day programme of works, including steel repairs to the bulbous bow and a comprehensive external clean and repaint.
Richard Beards, Gibdock commercial director, comments: 'This is first time we have had the opportunity to work for Saga, which has in the past used other yards in the region. The project was completed on time and within budget, and we are hopeful that we can build further on this initial collaboration through additional projects with Saga in the future.'
The 350-passenger capacity Spirit of Adventure was originally built by HDW in Germany as Berlin in 1980 and was acquired by Saga in 2005 for its Siprit of Adventure Cruises brand.
Cruise visitors to Gibdock so far in 2011 have included 33,930gt Thomson Celebration for first time customer, Cyprus-based Columbia Ship Management. The ship arrived in March for general drydocking and tailshaft overhauls, as well as the renewal of around 40 tonnes of steel on one of its decks.
Gibdock’s ability to handle complex structural repair work on large cruise ships was also demonstrated towards the end of 2010 when it completed back-to-back repairs on two Pullmantur vessels, Empress and Sovereign. Both projects required significant amounts of steel renewal as well as routine drydocking work.
Two further cruise contracts are confirmed for November of this year.' With cruise repair facilities in Barcelona closing down, we are showing that we are more than capable of stepping into the breach,' said Beards.
Gibdock chief executive, Joe Corvelli said the yard was targetting the cruise market 'in a big way' citing strategic location advantage for operators in the Mediterranean, in particular, and the ability to complete demanding work programmes within fairly tight time limits.
Facilities at Gibdock include three drydocks, the largest of which measures 272mtr x 38mtr x 10mtr, and two repair quays. The yard can accommodate the majority of cruise vessels operating in the region.
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