Carnival Vista, which has been suffering from propulsion issues for several weeks, will undergo a first-of-its-kind floating dry dock.
Carnival Vista Floating Dry Dock
Carnival Cruise Line has come up with a solution for the repair of the Carnival Vista. The ship has been suffering from a propulsion issue related to its Azipods. The cruise line is working with Netherlands-based Boskalis to deploy a large transport vessel for the first of its kind floating dry dock.
The usual Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas was damaged in April. One of the large cranes collapsed on Oasis of the Seas when it was just about to begin a dry dock. As a result of the crane collapse, the Royal Caribbean ship and dock facility was damaged so other vessels are unable to use it until it’s repaired.
Lars Ljoen, executive vice president of marine operations for Carnival Cruise Line, said:
“This groundbreaking procedure made possible by Boskalis is a revolutionary way to ensure Carnival Vista’s repairs are completed in a safe, timely and efficient manner, so the ship can resume her popular seven-day schedule from Galveston later this month.”
This has caused Carnival to think out of the box and come up with an urgent solution to fix Carnival Vista so even further cruise cancellations and changes won’t impact more guests.
Boskalis has detailed the complex dry dock operation in a video rendering which Cruise Hive readers can watch below:
The semi-submersible heavy transport vessel Boka Vanguard will bring the Carnival Vista aboard and sail to the Grand Bahama shipyard where it will then dock so the repairs by workers there can be made.
Boka Vanguard will arrive in the Bahamas on Friday, July 5 and will prepare for Carnival Vista’s arrive on July 12. The Carnival ship will sail from her homeport of Galveston, Texas.
The repair is expected to take two weeks and will be completed before the ship’s return to Port of Galveston for regular cruises on July 27. The ship which entered service in 2016 and the first in her class will then continue year-round seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean as normal.
