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Seatrade insider news:

Enchantment lengthening is underway
23/5/2005
When Royal Caribbean last lengthened a ship 25 years ago, the project took three months. Stretching Enchantment of the Seas will take just 31 days.
The process is underway at Keppel Verolme Shipyard in Rotterdam. Enchantment will be both the largest cruise ship ever lengthened and the first to be lengthened in a drydock, according to Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch, vp sales - cruise ships for Aker Finnyards. The drydock method is 'a better way. You can do it faster and safer and you can be more precise,' he told Seatrade Insider on site at Rotterdam.

The €45m project is the first major endeavor for Aker Finnyards' new Lifecycle Services division. Keppel Verolme, a seasoned oil platform builder and repair yard with one of the world's largest drydocks, is serving as subcontractor.

Although Enchantment's arrival in Rotterdam was delayed one day by stormy seas on its Atlantic crossing, the process since then has gone 'like clockwork,' said Peter Fetten, vp newbuilding for Royal Caribbean.

The cutting of the ship is expected to be completed tonight after six days of work using gas and oxygen torches and circular saws to slice through more than 600 meters (1,969 linear feet) of steel. In the next phase, of approximately five days, the sections will be positioned. First, the 10,265-metric-ton (11,315-ton) foreship will be skidded forward, then the 2,666-metric-ton (2,939-ton) midsection will be moved into alignment. The midbody will be skidded backwards and then the foreship will move back.

Laser technology is ensuring precise alignment. In fact, the maximum deviation is calculated at only three milimeters (one-tenth of an inch), said Keppel Verolme md Harold Linssen. The final step, estimated at two weeks, is rejoining. More than 1,100 cables, 120 pipes and 60 air ducts will be reattached.

Those involved in the lengthening singled out no one particular challenge but referred to the project's overall complexity and the teamwork required. Enchantment's new midbody was built at Aker Finnyards in Turku and loaded onto a barge for the 2,320-km (1,252-nautical-mile) tow to Rotterdam. Using eight hydraulic jacking towers, heavy lifting specialists ALE Lastra moved the midsection from the barge. ALE Lastra also developed the special skidding system to shift the ship sections.

'There's a lot of logistics and very challenging engineering and very complicated and complex heavy lifting and moving of objects,' said Harri Kulovaara, evp maritime for Royal Caribbean. However, he added, 'I'm sleeping well at the moment.'

Aker Finnyards has built 11 ships for Royal Caribbean, including Enchantment in 1997, and this will be its third lengthening for RCCL. In addition, three Freedom-class newbuilds are under contract. Referring to the Enchantment stretch, Aker Finnyards president Yrjo Julin predicted 'another "wow" for Royal Caribbean, we hope.'

[ 05-24-2005: Message edited by: cruceromania ]

[ 05-24-2005: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

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Originally posted by RANGERVR6178:
Ernst, that was the Disney Magic and Wonder.

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I think Ernst is right, if you look at this pic (taken from lloydwerft.com, the yard building NCLA's Pride of America) you can see that the ship is in a floating drydock...

In which news program you saw a interview with the Captain? I only saw the RTL Morning news with a small item.

Kind regards

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Originally posted by Fairsky:
I believe Ernst is right. But technically POA was not a "ship" at the time of its lengthening. it was just a partially completed hull. So, technically Enchantment is the first, and to be fair it is much more challenging to lengthen a fully built cruise ship rather than a bare partial hull.

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Originally posted by cruiseshipluver:
where were the Disney Magic and Wonder built?...Fincanterii?? or one of the Werft yards?
cruiseshipluver

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Disney ships were built at Fincantieri.

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Originally posted by cruiseshipluver:
where were the Disney Magic and Wonder built?...Fincanterii?? or one of the Werft yards?
cruiseshipluver

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Here is the link to the site of “het jeugdjournaal”
In the pink field with camera symbol you need to click the “Laatste uitzending” link to see the news film. Unfortunately you need to watch the entire news bulletin in order to see the Enchantment part.

http://www.nos.nl/jeugdjournaal/voorpagina/index.html

All the best,

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Originally posted by Ernst:

Werft is the german word for yard. I guess you mean the Meyer Werft.

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Originally posted by cruiseshipluver:

lol, really???? the things u learn on this forum....There is LLOYD *YARD* too that why is said one of them
cruiseshipluver

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....and many, many others.
In contrast to Meyer the Lloyd Werft is not building cruise ships.

[ 05-25-2005: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originally posted by Ernst:

....and many, many others.
In contrast to Meyer the Lloyd Werft is not building cruise ships.

[ 05-25-2005: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originally posted by cruiseshipluver:

so LLOYD is focused on repair and refitting or conversion then???
cruiseshipluver

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Photos of the Enchantment cut in half.

After the lengtening the Enchantment would be 302 meters long. She would not fit in the Panama canal.
There was talk that the bow would be rejecteble but RCCL have desided that this job would be not done at this moment.

Almost everyday there is an report on this t.v. station. Very interesting to wach.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:
On the local Rotterdam broadcast corp. They say that tomorrow they begin the welding the stern section and the new midt section together.

After the lengtening the Enchantment would be 302 meters long. She would not fit in the Panama canal.
There was talk that the bow would be rejecteble but RCCL have desided that this job would be not done at this moment.

Almost everyday there is an report on this t.v. station. Very interesting to wach.

Greetings Ben.

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Originally posted by cruiseshipluver:
that fascinates me how they can move a midsection like that with out having to float the pieces to get them together...the middle section is on some sort of a roller syestem??? or a jack?...that they slipped it in so nicely????

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