Tag Archives: Netherlands

Damen Replaces Engine on Regal Princess

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Damen Replaces Engine on Regal Princess

Regal Princess in the historic port of Liverpool, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr Account.

The Regal Princess had an engine block replacement during its recent stay at Damen Shiprepair in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

According to an update shared by the facility, the project was part of a repair operation that took place in late April.

“The Regal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship that has four diesel generators. The main reason it came into our drydock is that it had an engine failure and needed it replaced,” said Alexander Stijlaart, project manager at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam.

“We facilitated this engine exchange together with our sister company, Damen Harbour & Voyage,” he added.

“They did all the preparation work before the ship came into drydock. They already went onboard a couple of weeks prior.”

One of three Princess ships that underwent drydocks earlier this year, the Regal Princess arrived at the Damen shipyard on April 25, 2025.

After undergoing the repairs, the 2014-built ship welcomed guests back on May 9, kicking off a summer program in Northern Europe.

“When the ship came into drydock, we had to execute the scope, which meant we had to pump water out of the dock, cut the shell plate out, cut the internal bulkhead out, then put the skidding tracks in, jack the engine up and out,” Stijlaart explained.

The shipyard then reversed the process to install the new engines before painting the hull, he continued.

According to Damen, the engine replacement is a rare event that only happens once or twice in a decade.

“We had to make sure that everything that was obstructing the path of the engine was cleared, so we removed all piping, pumps and walkways,” added Remco Trouerbach, project manager at Damen Shiprepair Harbour & Voyage.

“The unique part of the work that we did onboard before and after the drydock is that the vessel was still in operation and therefore passengers were onboard enjoying their lovely cruises around the world.”

Trouerbach also highlighted the collaboration with Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam, noting that the companies have an “easy cooperation.”

“We are basically colleagues with each other; therefore, issues you’re facing during the project can be easily worked out.”

Holland America’s Rotterdam Returns to Fort Lauderdale for Winter Season

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Holland America Line’s Rotterdam returned to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades to kick off its winter season in the Caribbean.

After completing a summer deployment in Europe, the vessel docked at Port Everglades on Oct. 27, 2024.

To open its season in the region, the Rotterdam is offering a 12-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal.

Named “Panama Canal Sunfarer,” the itinerary features visits to six destinations, as well as a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

After departing Fort Lauderdale, the 2021-built ship sailed to Holland America’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.

The Rotterdam then visited Willemstad in Curaçao and Cartagena in Colombia before entering the Panama Canal.

Before returning to South Florida, the ship is also scheduled to sail to Colón in Panama, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica and George Town in the Cayman Islands.

Through mid-April, the Rotterdam continues to offer a series of seven- to 12-night cruises to the Caribbean.

The itineraries also sail to the Eastern Caribbean and feature visits to additional destinations, such as Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos), Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands).

Following the winter season, the Rotterdam is scheduled to return to Europe for a summer program sailing from the Netherlands.

The cruise program features departures from Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with itineraries that visit Scandinavia, Iceland, the British Isles, the Baltic, and more.

The Rotterdam is currently the newest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. It was built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and entered service in late 2021.

A sister to the 2016-built Koningsdam and 2018-built Nieuw Statendam, the 2,650-guest ship is the seventh in the company’s fleet to carry the Rotterdam name.

As part of Holland America’s Pinnacle Class, the vessel offers 11 different dining experiences, as well as a series of entertainment venues and other facilities.

Princess Ship Completes Drydock in Rotterdam

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The Sky Princess successfully completed a routine drydock at the Damen Verolme in Rotterdam earlier this month.

According to the Dutch shipyard, the Princess Cruises vessel spent a total of 16 days in the facility undergoing regular maintenance, in addition to technical upgrades.

The scope of work included the installation of class-certified parts for a new air lubrication system and a full hull painting program, Damen said.

A total of 1,200 crew members and 700 contractors worked around the clock to complete the project, which the shipyard called a logistical challenge.

Following the successful drydock, the Sky Princess resumed service on May 5.

Spending the summer in Northern Europe, the 2019-built vessel is presently offering a series of cruises departing from Southampton, England.

The program includes itineraries to Western Europe, the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and more.

In May, for instance, the ship is offering a seven-night cruise to Scandinavia, in addition to a special 14-night cruise to Iceland and Norway.

Also sailing roundtrip from Southampton, the two-week cruise features visits to Akureyri, Isafjord and Grundarfjordur in Iceland, as well as Skjolden, Olden and Alesund, in Norway.

Following its summer program in Europe, the Sky Princess is set to return to North America in November.

Starting on Nov. 25, the vessel offers a series of itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from Princess’ cruise terminal in Port Everglades, Florida.

Fourth in a series of six ships known as Royal Class, the Sky Princess originally entered service in 2019.

Built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the 141,000-ton cruise ship was followed, in 2020, by the Enchanted Princess – which also completed a drydock recently.

After arriving in Europe in March, the 3,660-guest vessel underwent routine work at a facility of the Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo, Italy.

A third ship also spent time at a shipyard recently, as the Sapphire Princess visited the Vigor Shipyard on the U.S. West Coast for regular maintenance in April.