“The scope of work often includes upgrades to the public areas and guest cabins, as well as stabilizer maintenance in addition to the more standard machinery and hull treatment work,” said Dr. Ralph Petersen, managing director of Blohm+Voss.

Petersen was tight-lipped on potential projects in 2019, noting the bookings were not yet official, according to the 2019 Drydocking and Refurbishment Report by Cruise Industry News. 

Blohm+Voss has traditionally been among the go-to drydocks in Northern Europe for cruise jobs, located in Hamburg near a wide network of suppliers and contractors.

“Most of our clients plan anywhere between at least half a year to two years in advance,” Petersen said.

Typical refit periods last one to two weeks, and the trend is spending as little time at the yard as possible.

“One of the limiting factors is often the blasting and coating of a vessel, as well as the machinery overhaul, for example, stabilizers, thrusters and pods,” said Petersen. “That said, it is an enormous challenge for repair yards, especially in terms of logistics, to complete the required scope of work in time.”

Investments are coming thanks to parent company Luerssen, Petersen added.

“Depending on the demand for engineering work for the drydocking, planning starts up to one year or more in advance of the actual arrival of the vessel,” he said. “With the logistics and coordination effort becoming more and more relevant, good preparation is key to complete a project on time.”

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Go inside the world of cruise ship drydocking and refurbishment with the 2019 Cruise Industry News Drydocking and Refurbishment Report, presenting a 100-page overview of the $3 billion annual cruise ship drydock and refit market including a full 2019, 2020, 2021 estimated drydocking scheduled based on available data and research.

The report offers interviews with key drydocking executives from cruise lines, suppliers and shipyards, as well as case studies, trend reports and much m