Belfast’s Harland & Wolff wins two major cruise ship upgrade projects
Margaritaville at Sea Islander seen alongside at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff shipyard (Source: Belfast Harbour Commissioners)
Belfast-based shipbuilder and repairer Harland & Wolff (H&W) is well known for its activities in the specialised field of repair and maintenance on ferries, but not so much in the other specialist sector of cruise vessel work. This situation looks about to change.
In recent years, H&W has started a concerted marketing effort to attract cruise vessel operators to its main Northern Ireland shipyard and this looks to have paid off at the start of 2024 with two major vessel and upgrade contracts being secured, both from new start-up operators in the US.
Margaritaville at Sea’s latest fleet addition, Margaritaville at Sea Islander arrived alongside the yard in January to start a five-month upgrade and refurbishment project, after being laid-up in Cyprus and Sardinia for the past four years. The 85,861gt 2000-built vessel is the former Costa Cruises Spirit-class vessel Costa Atlantica.
Work on this vessel is expected to cost between GBP 60 million and GBP 70 million and includes an extensive interior refurbishment, with the upgrade of all 1,100 passenger cabins, major changes to the atrium, and repainting of the hull. Margaritaville at Sea Islander is scheduled to undertake its maiden cruise for its new owners in June from Tampa, Florida.
Meanwhile, new residence-at-sea operator Villa Vie Residence’s first vessel, Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s former Braemar, is set to arrive in Belfast shortly from Rosyth, in Scotland, where the 1994-built 24,344gt vessel has been in layup since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Villa Vie Residence took delivery of the 924-passenger capacity vessel over the weekend of March 2nd/3rd, with Braemar to undergo a major refit and drydocking before entering service for her new owners in May.
Braemar, which will be renamed, will sail on her maiden voyage for Villa Vie Residence from Southampton in May – a three-year round-the-world voyage, which will also include segments.
Ownership prices for onboard accommodation on Braemar start at USD 99,999 for an inside cabin, with ownership guaranteed for 15 years. In addition to this price, “monthly fees” are also payable. The new owners of the cruise ship, Villa Vie Residence, is also offering “pay as you go” options.
At the start of this year, Villa Vie Residence said that the upgrade work on Braemar would be carried out at an unnamed German shipyard from March. Germany’s loss looks like being Northern Ireland’s gain.
