Regal Princess

Emergency Repair on the Regal Princess: 'This is a Once-in-a-Decade Event' 

At the end of April, the cruise ship Regal Princess arrived at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam for a rare operation: the replacement of an entire engine block. "Replacing an entire engine block happens only once or twice in ten years, so this was a special job," says senior project manager Alexander Stijlaart. 

The Regal Princess is a ship measuring 330 meters in length and 38,4 meters in width, with a capacity for over 3,500 passengers. During a transatlantic crossing in October last year, a fire broke out in the engine room, leading to multiple cruise cancellations. "The ship has two large and two small generator sets on board, which is relatively few. If one set fails while another is under maintenance, you are left with only two. That is insufficient to sail at cruising speed," Alexander explains. 

Stripping During the Voyage 

The operation was technically and logistically complex. The defective block – one of the two large engines – weighed 92 tons along with the oil pan and was located in the forward engine room on the starboard side. While the ship was still on its way to Europe, colleagues from Damen Shiprepair Harbour & Voyage (DSHV) began stripping the engine. Project manager Remco Trouenbach from DSHV elaborates, "Pumps, platforms, pipes – everything was removed during the voyage. Even a steel support pillar over four meters high and 30 by 30 centimeters had to be removed. All while the vessel was carrying around 3,000 guests on board." 

Sideways Movement 

To get the block out of the ship, the bulkhead, part of the emergency exit shaft, and a section of the ship's hull had to be removed. "Specialists from Mammoet first jacked up the engine, allowing us to slide skidding beams underneath to move it sideways. It was then placed on a turntable and slid out of the ship via an external platform. Mammoet then lifted the block away with a mobile crane." 
 
Good Planning 

The scope of work on the Regal Princess was smaller than regular dry-docking of cruise ships. "We recently completed the P&O Aurora, which accounted for 40,000 man-hours in two weeks." Nevertheless, work on the Regal Princess was carried out 24/7. "Delivering late is not an option. If cruises have to be canceled again, penalty clauses come into effect. Therefore, you need to plan this kind of work well in advance to minimize risks." The preparation was intensive, he explains. Alexander personally traveled to Texas for a visual inspection of the ship. "What exactly needs to be removed, how are we going to do it, and what is the best option in terms of time and money? You map out those things on-site."  
 
Short Notice for a Cruise Project 

The assignment arrived at the end of November, with the request to complete the job by the end of April. "Normally, the lead time for a dry-docking operation of a cruise ship is at least a year. This repair was clearly an emergency docking. Fortunately, we were able to fit it in. There is always a limited number of dry-docking windows in which cruise repairs take place – mainly from February to early May and October to early December. This one fitted perfectly after a previous job." 

Safe Working 

The entire crew of 1,200 people was on board during the dry-docking operation. This imposed additional safety requirements. "We are used to working according to offshore standards, so the safety level here is good. For this project, we appointed a dedicated safety advisor and worked according to our permit-to-work system. For the crew, we created a separate walking route so they could safely move on and off the ship without PPE." 

The new engine block has now been installed. Engine manufacturer Wärtsilä is making the engine operational while the ship is already back in service, with support from Damen Shiprepair Harbour & Voyage. "They are reinstalling the large components and restoring the platforms."

Please see the interview with Alexander Stijlaart and Remco Trouenbach.