Cascade General On Schedule For Cruise Ships

As the cruise ship industry continues to grow, there are increasing demands on the cruise lines to provide more varied, onboard services and visit more exotic harbors. Remodeled interiors, increased deck space, even additional thruster power, are all required to keep ships competitive. Additional thruster power is becoming particularly necessary as smaller harbors have become popular stops on the cruising circuits.

However, cruise ships have only the brief repositioning period between seasons to complete this work. Typically, no more than three weeks can be made available, no matter how large the project. Cascade General, operator of Portland Shipyard, is one operator that has learned to work within this strict limit and established a worldwide reputation for outstanding service to cruise ships. All of the major players on the Pacific coast - Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Viking Cruises, Holland America Line and Regency Cruises have come to rely on the Portland, Oregon shipyard to perform first-class maintenance and upgrades.

Three ships from Princess Cruises alone have received significant upgrades recently - the Sky Princess for turnkey installation of a stern thruster, new furnishings and decor, the Regal Princess for upper stern deck extensions and the Crown Princess. This last order for stern deck extensions, new interior (atrium) and additional turnkey stern thruster installation proved once again the versatility of Cascade General. This type of makeover encompasses every conceivable shipyard skill and trade - with just 21 days between passengers debarking and embarking in different locations. With the deck extensions high up on Decks 12 and 14 and the thruster site just above the keel, the job literally extended from top to bottom.

Doing as much advance engineering and prefabrication as possible, Cascade General went into a round-the-clock effort when the 811' Crown Princess arrived from its winter cruising grounds en route to Alaska on April 29th this Spring. It was immediately lifted in Portland Shipyard's Dry Dock 4 while the existing deck structures were being cleared. Within a day, the two aluminum deck extensions, weighing 13 and 20 tons respectively, had been lifted into position and secured in place. Each module included complete deck housing, and work immediately began to transform the new spaces into an enlarged Lido Cafe and a new Children's Centre. Plumbing, wiring and ductwork went in first, followed in the second week by ceilings, wall paneling and floors.

At the same time, Cascade General crews were busy staging the stern thruster site outside the ship, and inside, where the ship's original port and starboard tank spaces were being subdivided, blasted and coated to create a new thruster control room. A 7' diameter hole was cut in the hull, five transverse frames were cut back and reinforced, pipes and wiring were rerouted, and floors and stringers added to take the loads generated by the thruster.

This created enough working space for the next step - to lift the four-ton, 1500 KW electric motor into the control room by a hoist attached to a new strongpoint on the deckhead. The motor remained suspended above the tunnel site while work continued below: The 12-foot long, 11-ton thruster unit was blocked up above the dry dock floor and hauled into the hull opening. After precise alignment, it was ready for welding into the ship's 1" steel plating and framing.

The electric motor was then lowered through the control room floor and onto the thruster gearbox, connecting it to the Lipps CP-propeller in the thruster tube. The power lines from the ship's 6.6 kV electrical supply were connected and all additional systems installed: Hydraulic pitch controls for the propeller, direct controls to the bridge and engine room, a cooling system, alarms and lighting. All structural work was inspected and certified by representatives of Lloyd's of London.

Up on the stern decks, by the third week of the project, the extensions were complete and finishing and trim work were being completed. The redesigned galley and bar were emerging on schedule in the Lido Cafe and the play area was taking shape in the Children's Centre. By this time, the ship's passenger areas were also in the final stages of a complete upgrade and refit with new carpeting and fixtures.

All of this took place under the personal supervision of Cascade General Executive Vice President and cruise ship specialist Suren Menon. When the ship departed a day early, he was pleased to see how the deck extensions fit into the ship's overall appearance. "Once painted, you would never have guessed they were not part of the original design," he commented. "Many owners rely on us to complete interior and hull modifications in conjunction with the biannual dry dockings," he continued. "We have had as many as three cruise ships in Portland Shipyard at one time."

Thanks to the co-ordination and total effort that has become a trademark, Cascade General returned the Crown Princess to service in just 19 days. With this kind of performance, Mr. Menon is confident the cruise ships will keep coming back to Cascade General's Portland Shipyard for more.

Related articles

Cascade General on Schedule for Cruise Ships (Sep. 22)

Cascade General on Cruise Ship Schedule (Oct. 14)

Planning Comes First in Cruise Ship Overhauls at Cascade General

Cascade General operates Portland Shipyard, the largest and most complete ship repair and industrial facility on the West Coast of the United States. We provide full-service repairs and conversions for tankers, cruise ships, bulk carriers, container ships, government vessels, tugs, barges and workboats. Cascade General's Portland facility includes a 60-acre (24.2 ha) yard, 550,000 square feet (51,096 square meters) of craft shops, more than 7,600 ft. (2,326 meters) of full-service repair berths, and two floating dry docks.