Dry dock for Majestic Princess late 2023?

[Drrmau]

I was just wondering if there was any news on what was going to be done in Majestic Princess's dry dock in late 2023?  I am booked to go for 14 night cruise in December and was wondering what might change before we board.

[snoozecrooze]

2 hours ago, Drrmau said:

I was just wondering if there was any news on what was going to be done in Majestic Princess's dry dock in late 2023?  I am booked to go for 14 night cruise in December and was wondering what might change before we board.

Do you have the dates for this dry dock? I don't see any gap in the schedule for the rest of the year.

[tert333]

It was originally scheduled for September 26, 2023.  However, I see that has now been filled with a cruise.

[chengkp75]

According to Lloyd's Register, the next statutory dry docking is in 2025, since she had one in 2020.  They will do an underwater survey this year, while in service to meet the hull inspection requirement, so I wouldn't expect a dry docking until 2025.

[Lazz]

I was just on her this past June and from a passenger point of view she looked wonderful and modern. 

[John99]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

According to Lloyd's Register, the next statutory dry docking is in 2025, since she had one in 2020.  They will do an underwater survey this year, while in service to meet the hull inspection requirement, so I wouldn't expect a dry docking until 2025.

Thanks for your comments.  Over the years, I’ve learned to respect you comments and/or opinions. 

You indicated there’s a legal requirement (statutory) for a dry dock ever 5 years?

 

I assume the dry dock in 2025 will require the docking facility to be flooded to allow the cruise ship to float in, then, be drained once the vessel is positioned on supports.

This gives shipyard workers access to the ship's hull and other areas that are usually underwater.  Many people (myself included) often refer to a cruise ship dry dock, thinking of typically of items like normal maintenance, repairs and refurbishments, painting, replace carpeting, replace furniture, and other furnishing.  But, it’s much more than that without getting into specifics.

 

Question; What‘s the difference between SOLAS and Lloyd’s Registry requirements?

Do both have a 5-year requirement?   John

[chengkp75]

7 minutes ago, John99 said:

I assume the dry dock in 2025 will require the docking facility to be flooded to allow the cruise ship to float in, then, be drained once the vessel is positioned on supports.

There are two types of dry docks:  floating and graving.  Floating dry docks are really "ships" in their own right, and will sink down until the keel blocks (that will support the ship that enters the dock) are deeper than the keel of the incoming ship, the ship will move into the dock, and then the ballast in the dock's tanks are pumped out to raise the dock until it actually lifts the ship out of the water.  A graving dock is a hole dug in the ground, and when flooded, the "door" is taken away, the ship is moved into position over the keel blocks, the door is put back into place, and the dock pumped out so the ship sinks down onto the blocks.

 

Cruise ship hotel refurbishment of the "front of house", or hotel side, is a corollary to the statutory underwater inspections and maintenance, and really doesn't require a "dry docking", just a visit to a shipyard with sufficient capabilities, and could be completed just alongside a dock.

14 minutes ago, John99 said:

Question; What‘s the difference between SOLAS and Lloyd’s Registry requirements?

Do both have a 5-year requirement?

SOLAS is the international convention that 95% of seafaring nations have adopted, that sets the requirements for ship construction, equipment, and operation, like the requirement to inspect the underwater parts of the ship "twice in 5 years".  Lloyd's Registry is one of a number of classification societies that certifies that the ship actually meets the SOLAS requirements on behalf of the flag state, so the requirements are identical, though the class society rules go far beyond SOLAS to include the other international conventions like MARPOL (pollution), SCTW (training and certification), MLC (labor laws), and ISM (safety management).

 

Without a valid "certificate of class" from the classification society, the ship is not allowed to sail.

 

As I said, the legal requirement is to dry dock the ship "twice in 5 years".  For ships less than 15 years old, the mid-period dry docking (at 2.5 years) can be replaced by an underwater survey by divers with cameras, so newer ships only dock every 5 years, but older ships have to do it every 2.5 years.