Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Queen Elizabeth gained scrubbers in Damen Brest refit

PHOTO: Damen Shiprepair Brest
The Cunarder was serviced in the 420-meter drydock No. 3
Technical work completed during Queen Elizabeth's drydock at Damen Shiprepair Brest included the installation of twin exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) which, along with all the pipe and ducting work, involved the removal of two staterooms to accommodate the additional equipment.

Massive drydock No. 3

Inside Damen Shiprepair Brest’s drydock No. 3—at 420 meters, one of the largest in Europe—maintenance work was carried out on the ship's stabilizers, ABB Azipods, bow thrusters and water intakes.

Queen Elizabeth’s lifeboats, life rafts and tenders underwent routine maintenance, and the yard also cleaned and repainted the hull and topsides of the 2010-built Cunarder.

As earlier reported, inside the ship the refurbishment included a series of staterooms, suites and corridors, retail and the new Mareel Wellness & Beauty spa in conjunction with Canyon Ranch.

Major logistical operation

Damen said the project represented a major logistical operation, with multiple third-party teams working alongside the Shiprepair Brest personnel and each other. In total, around 250 people were involved. Large quantities of materials flowed on board the vessel while substantial amounts of waste came ashore for disposal as the accommodations were refurbished. A series of large temporary shelters were available for the contractors’ use.

The 12-day project was completed a day early, with Queen Elizabeth back at homeport Southampton on the morning of Nov. 27.

Convenient to Southampton

Damen Shiprepair Brest is convenient for cruise ship operators that use Southampton. The two locations are 10 to 12 hours of steaming time apart and have excellent ferry and air links. The yard has plenty of room for contractors to store and access their materials and equipment, an important requirement for large-scale projects on a tight deadline.