what happens to a cruise ship in dry dock

What Happens When a Cruise Ship Is Dry Docked?

By Anna Duncan

Dry docking is a necessary process for cruise ships, but what happens when a cruise ship is dry docked? Dry docking is the process of taking a vessel out of the water in order to inspect and repair it.

This can include repairs to the hull, engine, and electrical systems. It also includes painting and cleaning of the interior and exterior of the vessel. Dry docking provides an opportunity for crews to perform necessary maintenance and repairs that cannot be done while the ship is in service.

When a cruise ship is dry docked, it is first moved to a dry dock facility – usually located near port. The ship will then be raised out of the water by either pumps or a floating dock, which will take several hours.

Once out of the water, workers will begin inspecting and repairing any damage that was identified during routine inspections prior to dry docking. Depending on what needs to be done, this process could take several days or weeks.

Workers will inspect all areas of the ship, from top to bottom. They may have to remove any rust spots or corroded metal from exterior surfaces before applying new paint or other protective coatings.

The interior spaces may also need to be cleaned thoroughly in order to maintain a healthy atmosphere on board. Any necessary repairs or replacements made during dry docking can range from simple tasks such as replacing light bulbs or repairing broken pipes to more complex tasks such as replacing engines or installing new navigation equipment.

In addition , while in dry dock technicians may use specialized tools and techniques such as ultrasonic testing or special underwater cameras in order to detect any potential problems with the vessel’s hull integrity. This helps ensure that ships are safe for passengers when they return back into service.

Dry docking is an important part of maintaining the safety and reliability of cruise ships, and it requires careful planning and execution by both crew members and technicians in order for it to be successful. By ensuring that all necessary repairs are completed correctly during dry dock periods, cruise lines can help ensure their vessels remain safe for passengers throughout their journey.

Conclusion: Dry docking is an essential process for cruise ships because it allows crews to perform necessary maintenance and repairs that cannot be done while at sea. During this time workers will inspect all areas of the ship from top-to-bottom including painting exterior surfaces, cleaning interior spaces, replacing light bulbs/broken pipes/engines/other equipment and using specialized tools/techniques such as ultrasonic testing/special underwater cameras in order to detect any potential problems with hull integrity – ensuring passenger safety upon return back into service.

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What happens during a dry dock?

by - 22 Aug 2018

It’s often you hear of ships going into dry docks and being out of action for a few months at a time. Cruise ships take advantage of this time by replacing fixtures and fittings, repaired the ship or even undergoing mass refurbishments.

How does it work?

Much in the same way as a canal’s lock system, using a flood basin to float the ship into the dock and draining until it comes to rest on a dry platform. For obvious reasons, the dry dock will always be located close to the sea or body of water which the cruise ship usually occupies and will be flooded to the same level so the ship can be safely floated in and positioned on the platform.

Once the ship is safely in, the gates of the dry dock close and the water is let out, leaving the ship raised above the now dry floor of the dock, ready to be worked on.

What happens?

It depends. Even if a ship is not scheduled for a refurbishment, it will need to go into dry dock in order to undergo inspections by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

Newer ships only tend to dry dock every three to five years, while older ships are in need of a little more upkeep and enter dry dock every two years. During a scheduled maintenance dry dock, the ship’s hull is inspected, cleaned and sometimes repainted, while the vessel’s propellers and thrusters are also checked. If the vessel is scheduled for a makeover, it will stay in dry dock longer as more cosmetic work is done. During this time, ships can have all their public areas redecorated and be fitted out with all-new features and even stateroom configurations, during more intensive overhauls.

What about the crew?

If you’re a crew member, it’s usually up to you what you do during a dry dock. Most cruise lines will allow you to disembark for the duration of the dock, but this will be at your own expense. As most routine dry docks last for around two weeks, this could work out OK if you want to turn it into a holiday. However, there’s also the option of staying aboard, albeit on a minimal salary, as many of the day-to-day tasks you’d usually undertake don’t apply when the ship’s in dry dock. Duties if you do decide to stay aboard include cleaning, fire duties and staffing the bar to service the contractors working on the ship. Speaking of contractors, there will be a lot of them about, so crew members staying aboard are usually restricted as to where they can be on-board during dry dock.

What if I’m sailing just before my ship goes into a dry dock?

If your cruise is scheduled just before the ship is due to enter a dry dock, there is no need to worry. If the ship is entering purely for maintenance, then you won’t encounter any issues during your cruise. However, if your ship is scheduled to to enter dry dock to fix a problem, such as a propulsion issue, then your itinerary may be amended accordingly and some parts of the deck may be closed off towards the end of your sailing.

If you’re longing for a seamless sailing, then we’d advise not to book a cruise just before the ship enters a dry dock to ensure your cruise isn’t disturbed. Cruise lines typically plan dry docks in advance and schedule itineraries around the break in sailings, unless the ship is called in for emergency, in which case some cruises may be cancelled to accommodate the ship’s needs. Should this happen, most cruise lines will either refund your deposit or offer you an alternative sailing.

What if I’m sailing just after a dry dock?

Post-dry dock the ship should be sailing as per usual, however there can some instances where unexpected delays mean that contractors may still be on-board while you cruise. This may mean that construction noises can be heard and some parts of the ship may be temporarily closed off for some time. In rare instances, your cruise may be cancelled or shortened, in which case you should be issued a refund from the cruise line.

How to find out abut upcoming dry docks

Follow our news blog to keep up with the latest on which cruise ships are due to enter or emerge from dry docks or, when booking a cruise, if you notice any gaps in the cruise line’s sailing schedule then that may indicate an upcoming dry dock. It may even be best practice to contact the cruise line to confirm dates of upcoming dry docks.

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• CruiseMapper
• Ships and Lines

Cruise Ship Refurbishment Schedule

This is CruiseMapper's cruise ship refurbishments schedule of dry-dock dates, news, and information on deck plan changes during vessel refits, regular maintenance and repairs, overhauls and renovation of small and big passenger cruise ships. Next links jump down directly to the cruise line refurbishment schedule of Royal Caribbean , Carnival , NCL Norwegian , Princess , Celebrity , Holland America , P&O (UK-Australia) , Oceania , Disney , MSC , Costa , TUI-AIDA , Windstar , plus various small-ship and luxury brands .

Cruise ship refurbishment tends to be the best value-for-money strategy and highly successful policy for major cruise line companies in a time of worldwide economic uncertainty.

For your convenience, this link goes directly to the list of all cruise line refurbishments 2018-2019-2020 schedule . To read more cruise ship technology news, please visit our engines-propulsion-fuel survey.

At CruiseMapper's list of new vessels under construction or on order , you'll also find an impressive number of passenger ships (river-, ocean- and cruiseferries ) being built/launched in the period 2015-2019. The majority of those joined the fleets owned by the world's biggest cruise companies - Carnival Corporation and RCCL-Royal Caribbean - via their subsidiaries/brands.

Cruise ship refurbishments, renovations, refits

Cruise ship drydocking (vessel refits and onboard refurbishments) is a multi-billion market with regularly scheduled vessel renovation projects every 2-3 years. Most drydocks are planned by the world's largest cruise shipowners - Carnival Corporation, RCG-Royal Caribbean Group, MSC Shipping Group, and NCLH-Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

2019's drydock schedule featured the industry's largest (so far) vessel reconstruction project - Carnival Triumph's conversion into Carnival Sunrise . The 60-day project (at Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz Spain ) was budgeted ~USD 200 million. For comparison, Carnival Destiny-Sunshine conversion (2013) cost ~USD 155M. Navigator OTS ' drydock reconstruction (Jan-Feb 2019) was budgeted USD 115M. Also in 2019 were conducted the drydocks of the NCLH-owned Oceania (6-ship brand) with fleet-refurb budget ~USD 100 million.

Cruiseship refurb and newbuild contractor companies

One of the industry's largest companies contracted for cruiseship and yacht interior outfitting (both of newbuilds and refitted boats) is De Wave Group (based in Genoa Italy). The company's cruiseship order book in 2022 was EUR 104 million. De Wave Group's latest projects included the newbuilds Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Pursuit, Discovery Princess (EUR 15M), Norwegian Prima (EUR 10M), Celebrity Beyond (EUR 9M/April 2021), as well as refit projects for Virgin's Resilient Lady (June 2021/EUR 40M), NCL (EUR 6M), Oceania's Marina and Riviera (~600 staterooms + public areas).

ALMACO Group is another major turnkey manufacturer serving the marine and offshore industries. The company designs, manufactures and installs staterooms (crew and passenger cabin units), galley/kitchen equipment, provision stores, cold freezer rooms, refrigeration machinery systems, laundry facilities, pantries, bars. ALMACO is also contracted for lifecycle services (scheduled maintenance works) and spare parts supply for passenger vessels (including cruiseferries), as well as for and expert engineering and project management. Among ALMACO's customers (multi-million projects) are Carnival Corporation, Saga Group UK, Ritz-Carlton Yachts, Swan Hellenic, VIKING LINE.

Why cruise ships are being refurbished?

Time is money - while a cruise ship overhaul takes 15-30-days, building a new liner (design to launch) takes ~3 years (depending on vessel size, specifications, special features, owner, budget, etc).

In comparison to cruise newbuilds' cost (especially of bigger units), ship refurbishments are a lot cheaper than building a new one. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus crisis and IMO's new maritime regulations, all major cruise shipping companies started to sell (and eventually replace) the fleet's oldest units to smaller travel operators.

In most cases, "refurbished" is synonymous with "maintenance and repairs", "freshened up" and "overhauled". Works include engineering/machinery updates, hull cleaning-painting, new furniture and decors (sometimes only changing the color schemes), new carpets, smart HDTVs (interactive systems), shipwide Wi-Fi coverage and faster satellite Internet, replacing handrails and glass, upgrades of venues (sometimes creating new lounge areas or expanding old ones), new amenities and services, etc. This would cost the company between US$10-30 million per ship. Some refits may cost up to US$50M.

Drydock refit projects for older vessels always include installing low-water usage toilets (urinals and fixtures), energy-efficient LED lighting (inside and outside), energy-efficient windows, HVAC system (heat-ventilation-air conditioning), hull coating (to reduce the boat's resistance through water).

What the list of cruise ship renovations generally includes?

Major cruise ship overhauls may include reconstructing or adding new cabins, lounges, restaurants, a SPA facility, swimming pool(s), sometimes adding a whole new deck, and even better - a whole midsection, like the case of MS Enchantment of the Seas refurbishment / lengthening in 2005 (next photo and the YouTube video below).

Some technical enhancements, like a new external coating or an updated propulsion, for example, could significantly reduce fuel consumption (improving the ship's efficiency and environmental performance), while "most fun" modern time gadgets and contraptions attract huge crowds - like virtual "real-time" windows in all Inside cabins, or a water park with a slide, or a kids-only area, or a hugely-huge movie screen by the main pool.

Cruise ship refurbishment news are some of the "most wanted" and extremely popular on all major online travel forums. All big lines put their liners into dry dock every few years to update (or upgrade) them - it costs money, but again - it's cheaper than going on newbuilds. It's a fact that many travelers are hesitant to take the first sailing post-drydock.

Most dry-docks are routine - just refreshing, do not include major changes and have a fairly accurate schedule. A major refit, on the other hand, usually involves significant changes in construction (or services) and have an "unpleasant" tendency to start prior to the actual drydock (even during the sailing prior) and often continues into the first sailing after.

The next YouTube video shows the timelapse of the MS Braemar 's drydock extension at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg Germany .

Cruise ship refurbishment jobs

Cruise ship refurbishment jobs are another issue. In 2009 Saga Holidays (UK company) refitted and refurbished its newly purchased Saga Pearl 2 ship (former name ms Astoria) spending 20 million pounds on this project and providing more than 300 jobs over a 3-month period.

The next video is about the April 2016 drydock refurb of Splendour OTS (now Marella Discovery) done in Freeport Bahamas.

Often vessels' need unscheduled repairs - not matching with planned maintenance schedules. In such cases are used teams of underwater specialists for fast, high-quality repairs, thus avoiding potential loss of income due to drydocking. The world's first global underwater ship repair service provider is Wartsila which provides any marine services and maintenance works, regardless of the ship's current location.

In 2017, Wartsila (Finnish marine corporation) acquired Trident BV (a global provider of commercial diving services) Via Trident, Wartsila offers worldwide underwater repairs, propulsion systems overhaul, regular maintenance works (hull cleaning, propeller polishing, welding), scrubber-cleaning and retrofitting, even major underwater overhauls. Corporation's main underwater teams are in Holland, Italy, and the Canaries. They can be dispatched to any location in a matter of hours, providing fast-response vessel inspections, repairs, refurbishments, equipment installation/replacement.

Cruise ship refurbishment schedule 2020-2023

This is a regularly updated list of dry-dock dates, with concise info about the cruise ship upgrades, deck plan changes and refits by the cruise company. All links in the following table are internal (CruiseMapper) and redirect to the ship's deck plan page.

Note1: All Singapore-based vessel refurbishment projects are done by Sembcorp Marine (at the Admiralty Yard). The company is among the leaders on the cruise ship refit market. Among its regular clients are Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Star Cruises (Asia).

Note2: All Cadiz (Spain)-based ship refurbishments are done by the Navantia shipbuilding company - Europe's 5th and the world's 9th largest shipbuilder. The company's ship-repair services are provided to both commercial and military (naval) vessels.

RCI Royal Caribbean drydock refurbishments

RCI's "Royal Advantage" renovation program (2011-2016) was budgeted US$300 million. RCI's 6-ship refurbishment project "innovation renovations" was implemented in 2016. The vessels Adventure, Empress, Jewel, Liberty, Majesty, and Radiance received some of the company's most popular shipboard features.

In mid-March 2018, Royal Caribbean announced a USD 1 billion fleetwide refurbishment project ("Royal Amplified", 2018-2022) covering 10 liners in 3 classes (Oasis, Freedom, Voyager). By this program were introduced new and innovative features/technologies, experiences and amenities, pool deck areas and venues, dining options, nightlife concepts, onboard attractions.

RCI drydocks are usually conducted at the shipyards in Freeport (Grand Bahama), Singapore, and Cadiz (Navantia's shipyard in Puerto Real). RCI ships usually enter drydocks in up to 5-year periods. For details see the RCI's link.

Next are listed only RCI's recent dry docking, the majority of which are for general maintenance works and technical overhauls.

• Explorer OTS (2023 Jan-Mar) Perfect Storm added
• Independence OTS (2023 Jan-Feb)
• Mariner OTS (2023 Feb-Mar)
• Vision OTS (2022 February)
• Rhapsody OTS (2022 April-May)
• Serenade OTS (2022 March)
• Harmony OTS (2021 April)
• Symphony OTS (2021 May)
• Jewel OTS (2021 May)
• Liberty OTS (2021 July)
• Enchantment OTS (2021 Sept)
• Radiance OTS (2024 March)
• Freedom OTS (2020 (January-March) Royal Amplified, cost US$116 million
• Allure OTS (2020 March-May) Royal Amplified, cost US$165 million
• Navigator OTS (2019 Jan-Feb) Oasis- and Quantum-class cabin updates, Perfect Storm added
• Ovation OTS (2019 April)
• Oasis OTS (2019 Sept-Nov) US$165 million
• Voyager OTS (2019 Sept-Oct) US$97 million
• Quantum OTS (2019 Oct-Nov) US$65 million
• Brilliance OTS (2018 April) Oasis-class upgrades
• Grandeur OTS (2024 April)
• Majesty OTS (2016 May) Perfect Storm added

CCL-Carnival Cruise Line drydock refurbishments

CCL's refurbishment schedule shows newly added onboard amenities and facilities. These old and future planned fleetwide upgrades are by the company's "Fun Ship 2.0" fleet renovation program. The company's additional program for ship technology upgrades (also fleetwide) was budgeted USD 300 million.

• (new facilities): bars (RedFrog, BlueIguana, Library, Alchemy, EA Sports), Guy's Burger, BlueIguana Cantina, Punchliners (George Lopez), DJ IRIE (Spin U /DJ Academy), Seuss at Sea (kids venue), Hasbro The Game Show, Playlist Productions (dining menu and show programming upgrades).
• Some have Bonsai Sushi
• technology upgrades (scrubbers, shoreside power capabilities)
• WaterWorks Aqua Park, Camp Carnival (kids playground)

NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line drydock refurbishments

All drydock refurbishments 2016 thru 2019 as projects were part of NCL's "Norwegian Edge" fleet renovation program (budgeted ~US$500 million). Each drydock cost ~US$35-40 million.

Princess Cruises drydock refurbishments

P&o cruises (australia and uk) drydock refurbishments, hal-holland america line drydock refurbishments.

In 2003-2008, by the SOE ("Signature of Excellence") program, HAL upgraded all older vessels, on which were also added new venues, stateroom categories, and amenities. In November 2015 was announced company's USD 300 million fleetwide renovation program, including Suite cabin improvements (new decors, furnishings, amenities, services) for all suite categories on Vista-Class, Signature-Class and R-Class vessels.

In 2018, HAL contracted ABB Group (Swedish-Swiss corporation specializing in robotics, marine power, and propulsion equipment) for installing shore-power systems fleetwide. The technology allows docked in ports cruise ships to receive shoreside power supply (from the city's grid) and turn off their engines, thus reducing to zero emissions and noise. ABB installed its shore-power equipment on 11x HAL ships. Switchover (ship-to-shore power) at seaports takes around 20 min.

In 2023, HAL conducted 5 refurbishment projects to expand the casino space on its vessels in the Pinnacle-class (Nieuw Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam) and Signature-class (Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam). Each of the enlarged gambling facilities now has 140 of the gaming industry's newest slot and video poker machines. In addition, a separate non-smoking area was added in the casinos of Nieuw Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam.

Celebrity Cruises drydock refurbishments

In July 2018, the company announced a USD 500 million fleet modernization (drydock refurbishment) program dubbed "Celebrity Revolution".

The 4-year fleet refurbishment project was conducted in the period February 2019-2023.

The next table lists all ship drydocks by the Celebrity Revolution project, as well as drydocking projects for regularly scheduled maintenance works.

Oceania Cruises drydock refurbishments

In August 2018, Oceania announced the company's OceaniaNEXT fleet renovation project budgeted USD 100 million. It includes drydock refurbishments of 4 R-Class liners (Regatta, Insignia, Sirena, Nautica).

As a result, the fleet was expanded with 1368 new staterooms (342 per boat), and all shipboard restaurants, bars, and lounges were redesigned and redecorated.

• New public spaces include redesigned Lobby with Reception Hall (lower level) and Upper Hall (2nd level) connected via Grand Staircase (decorated with railings and balustrades) and featuring a large crystal chandelier (with hanging pieces of hand-painted glass).
• Grand Dining Room (Deck 5 aft) received new premium furniture (leather chairs with metallic bronze threading) and new crystal chandeliers.
• Martinis (piano bar lounge on Deck 5) was redesigned, new silver-white marble bar top and walnut paneling were added.
• All staterooms were completely overhauled (redesigned and refurnished) and upgraded with custom-made furniture, polished wood, stone finishes, designer accessories, smart HDTVs, USB ports, LED lighting. All cabin bathrooms were overhauled and received new tiling, surfaces, fixtures, designer accessories, vanities glass shower enclosures. Penthouse-Vista-Owner suites' bathrooms were enlarged and upgraded with Carrara marble tops, onyx, polished granite.

Works on the fleetwide refurb project involved 1000+ artisans and craftsmen and resulted in 1368 new cabins, 8000 new light fixtures, 12000 new sofas and chairs.

Disney Cruise Line drydock refurbishments

Msc cruises ships lengthening and drydock refurbishments.

MSC Cruises announced in late December 2013 the start of the EUR 200 refurbishment program (named "renaissance") involving not only the revitalization of all Lirica-class vessels but also stretching all four of them in the period 2014-2016 (a total of 38 drydock weeks).

During drydocks in the period 2019-2024, MSC will install a fleetwide ZOE - in-cabin digital assistant developed by Samsung. ZOE is a voice-enabled artificial intelligence device available in all passenger staterooms. ZOE speaks 7 languages, answers cruise-related questions, provides info on shipboard services-activities-facilities, makes reservations-bookings.

Costa Cruises drydock refurbishments

Besides the ship's staff and crew, Costa cruise passengers are also served by Peper robots - the latest cyborg technology implemented fleetwide in 2016. These humanoid robots greet and guide passengers upon embarkation, and also assist them throughout the voyage with information and tips. Pepper robots are mobile and communicate in 3 languages (English, German, Italian).

TUI and AIDA Cruises drydock refurbishments

Besides the ship's staff and crew, AIDA passengers are also served by Peper robots - the latest cyborg technology implemented fleetwide in 2016. These humanoid robots greet and guide passengers upon embarkation, and also assist them throughout the voyage with information and tips. Pepper robots are mobile and communicate in 3 languages (English, German, Italian).

Windstar Cruises refurbishments

On November 15, 2018, Windstar announced the "Star Plus Initiative" - drydock fleet renovation program budgeted USD 250 million. The project includes enlarging (stretching) and engine changes for fleet's three Star-Class mega-yachts Star Breeze , Star Legend , Star Pride .

The project resulted in bigger passenger capacity, adding new staterooms, venues, public spaces, new and more efficient engines. Each ship's capacity was increased by 68% (from 212 to 312 passengers). The drydocks were scheduled for the period October 2019 through November 2020, at Fincantieri's shipyard in Palermo Sicily.

The Star Plus project increased Windstar fleet's capacity by 24%. Star Plus was partially financed through the Export Credit facility guaranteed by SACE Italy (financial and insurance products and services).

The drydock lengthening included cutting each vessel in two and installing a new/prefabricated midship section with length 25,6 m (84 ft). Vessel's LOA length was increased from 135 to 161 m (443 to 528 ft). The midship section has an additional elevator.

Following drydock, each ship now has 2x new dining venues, new shop, new retail space; enlarged Gym, new Spa, larger swimming pool, new tender loading area (midship), 2x new tender boats (90-seats each), expanded and upgraded staff-crew areas and cabins. The two new dining venues are an alternative Spanish specialty restaurant ("Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso") and a casual BBQ space (adjacent to Star Bar).

The old diesel engines (7 per ship) were replaced with 4 new engines running on ULSD (ultra-low sulfur diesel) fuel, thus reducing SO emissions. Each ship received 50 new cabins (to 156 total), which (based on the total investment) meant shipbuilding cost per berth USD 267,000. Among the new cabins are two larger Owner Suites. All existing staterooms were completely refurbished, including their bathrooms, balconies, sliding doors. The new public spaces and cabins were designed by the NYC-based "The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry".

Windstar sailships refurbishments 2024-2025-2026

On December 6, 2023, Windstar started a multi-million refurbishment project to extensively redesign and update the fleet's three sailing ships (Wind Star, Wind Spirit, Wind Surf). Each ship is refurbished in two phases, starting with Wind Star (2025 & 2026), follows Wind Spirit (2025/complete) and Wind Surf (2024 & 2026).

By this project will be fully redesigned all public areas and venues (changing layouts, furniture, wall coverings and flooring, lighting, artworks). All passenger staterooms will be fully refurbished (interiors, furniture, smart TVs).

Among the remodeled/redesinged areas are the Lobby (expanded reception area, more seating and retail space), Bar Lounge (furniture, finishes, lighting), updated evening entertainment), Wellness Complex (The World Spa by Windstar & Fitness Center/new color palettes, finishes, gym equipment), Pool Deck (expansion by removing the SkyLight, new swimming pool and Jacuzzi, larger Pool Bar, new poolside furniture/sofas, poufs, ottoman beds, deckchairs, outdoor lighting, speakers, greenery).

The sailships' technology updates/upgrades include larger smart TVs in all staterooms (with interactive content and on-demand movies) and new WiFi points (with access to Starlink Internet).

Small-ship and luxury cruise lines refurbishments

At the following tag-link can be found listed all CruiseMapper's news related to drydock refurbishments .

What Happens in a Cruise Ship Dry Dock?

This article is very different from all my ports guides and cruise tips as it is about a cruise ship dry dock.

This is an area that most cruise ship passengers do not know what really happens onboard.

As I was onboard the Emerald Princess for the dry dock, I can tell you all about what happens in a cruise ship dry dock.

If you didn’t get the chance to read why I was there you can recap here .

What is a Cruise Ship Dry Dock?

First of all, what is a cruise ship dry dock and why do cruise ships have them?

A dry dock is when the dock is emptied of all the water and the ship is completely exposed.

Every two years cruise ships normally go into dry dock, so maintenance and repairs can be carried out. 

When the ship is out of the water, maintenance can be done under the ship and the ship can be completely repainted. As this can be not be done when in service.

Do the Crew Stay Onboard in the Dry Dock?

Most of the crew stay onboard to help with the work being carried out and passengers are replaced with contractors that do the manual labour.

The ship is still running with 3 meals a day, coffee breaks and cabins being slept in.

The food and beverage team are still working just without the fancy food!

The housekeeping team are working as normal to, as cabins still need to be cleaned and sheets to be changed.

The laundry is washing, drying and pressing linen and uniforms/boiler suits.

The main difference between being in service and in dry dock is everything is covered in plastic to protect the fixtures, fittings and new carpets being laid.

You can smell welding throughout the ship and everywhere you turn there is a contractor doing something and the ship is out of the water.

What Happens Onboard in a Cruise Ship Dry Dock?

Before the ship enters the dock all the lifeboats are lowered into the water and taken off the ship.

When this is complete the cruise ship will enter the dock that will become the dry dock.

Once the ship is in position the dock wall will close behind the ship and the water will be drained out of the dock. This takes hours and hours.

The work inside the ship starts as soon as they can, the work under the ship starts when all the water is drained out of the dock.

When the dry dock comes to an end the dock is filled back up with water.

The ship moves out the dock, all the lifeboats are put back on the ship and the ship sails to the next embarkation port to start cruising again.

What Were The Main Changes on this Cruise Ship?

In this dry dock there where a lot of changes being made in all the food outlets on deck 15.

This included the buffet, burger bar, pizza bar, ice cream bar and drinks bar.

A new wiring system was being put in for the new internet system.

New TV screens were put in on the decks to show you where you are on the ship and ship advertisements.

The ship was repainted, and the Sea witch Princess Logo was painted on the front of the ship with the big Princess Cruises branding on each side of the ship.

New carpets were laid, chairs were recovered and wood fittings touched up.

The most important maintenance is on the engines and under the ship.

Of course lots of more maintenance that I do not know about as there is so much going on in a dry dock behind the scenes.   

Before & After Photos from the Dry Dock

The interesting part of a cruise ship dry dock are the before and after pictures, especially when there have been a lot of changes.

Buffet and New Speciality Restaurants

The buffet was completely ripped out and transformed into a bright, airy, modern, beautiful place to sit and eat.

I couldn’t believe we were on the same ship the transformation was so different to the previous buffet.

The end part of the buffet was changed into two fabulous speciality restaurants – Planks BBQ and Steamers Seafood.

The décor is a modern nautical theme, with red through Planks and blue through Steamers.

Pizza & Ice Cream Bar

The Pizza bar had been updated with modern wallpaper and a new menu and now is called Slices.

The ice cream bar is attached to the pizza bar and it is has changed into Coffee and Cones.

It now sells premium coffee and ice cream desserts. But don’t worry the free soft serve is still there! There is a larger menu and wallpaper is very modern.

The burger bar has changed the name to the Salty Dog Grill and has a new menu. It has all your normal favourites with a few new options added to the menu.

Drinks Bar 

This was the poolside bar and has changed its name to Mix and it looks very contemporary with black and white tiles and silver look.

Under the Ship

At the end of the dry dock I was lucky enough go down into the dock and walk under the ship from bow to stern.

This was a surreal experience as when can you do this normally? Never!

Walking under the ship you realise how small you really are and how big a cruise ship is.

The anchors are so much bigger than you think and the propellers are huge!

Seeing up close how the ship sits nicely on the blocks whilst in dry dock is fascinating.

It is amazing how a ship of this size is held in place by these blocks, without falling over.

What made my day was getting a photo in my hard hat and reflective vest with the anchor and propellers!

My Dry Dock Experience

This was not my first dry dock, but my first not working in one – which is much easier!

The dry dock is not such a pleasant place to be living in as it is like living on a building site.

There were blackouts, water off, sometimes just hot, sometimes cold or completely off.

The air conditioning was switched off at times. It might of been cool in Victoria, BC, Canada, but when you switch off the AC on a ship it soon gets warm.

The best part of a dry dock is when everything is finished and the results are amazing.

I was lucky I could get off the ship all day and explore Victoria , but this will hopefully be my last dry dock experience!

What to do in the Cruise Port of Victoria BC Canada

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Ship in Dry-Docks. What do crew members do?

• Scarlet Perez
• 29 May 2011

The same as your car needs to be checked on a regular basis, a ship needs to be checked so often in a pre-defined time.

For this reason ships go into Dry-Dock (older ships every 2 years, newer ships every 3 to 5 years). The ship is basically taken "out of the water" so all surfaces and external machinery can be viewed, worked on, repaired.

What does that mean to you, a crew member onboard?

If you have a position, where you main salary is paid by the tips/revenue generated by passengers onboard, most cruise lines will give you the option to leave the ship for the duration of the Dry-Dock, at your own expense. Most Dry-Docks last in average 2 weeks .

Staying on a ship in Dry-Dock

Crew members who decide to stay onboard will get a minimal salary and will have to do duties as assigned by the ship. Some of the duties can include Fire Patrol, running the bar for the contractors, cleaning teams etc.

While the ship is in Dry-Dock, depending on the work which is done, a horde of contractors will come onboard to carry out the various works. Restrictions will apply on where you can be onboard the ship, what duties you have, in which location you have your meals etc.

The duty, while the ship is in Dry-Dock is normally easier than when you have passengers onboard, but it requires a lot of flexibility and often "being on call".

Since there are a lot of workers onboard, more attention needs to be paid when wondering around the ship. There is welding going on here, electrical work there, sanding of the teak floors, repairs overhead, etc. This results in sparks flying, cables hanging from above, areas off limit...

Most cruise lines have briefings with the crew members before the Dry-Dock to point out those hazards, as well as giving guidelines and rules on how things work while the ship is in Dry-Dock.

Some cruise lines also offer "tours" for interested crew members to go down to the dock, to see how a ship looks like on the bottom, what works are planned to be carried out and what the "holes" and other things you see there are for.

Dry-Dock first feels a little bit like a mini-vacation and at the same time you wish to get back into your usual routine with guests onboard. It is a time to enjoy the change in daily routine.

Some cruise lines give the crew members the chance to stay off the ship (your expense) for 2 or 3 days. So you could book into a hotel and enjoy the beach - depending of course on the location of the Dry-Dock.

Want to see what happens to a ship while in dry dock?

The Sea Princess Drydock Journal features regular updates of the work in progress at BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair at Pier 70 in San Francisco.  The journal can be found on the Sea Princess page in the website’s “Ships” section, and it will be regularly updated throughout the ship’s two-week drydock.  The photos will also be posted to Princess’ Twitter feed, Facebook page and Flickr photostream.

“We’ve received great feedback from passengers who have enjoyed following along with these drydock journals, and have gained a new appreciation for the work that goes into maintaining our vessels,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.  “Viewers love watching how quickly ships are transformed when in drydock.”

When Sea Princess emerges from the drydock, the ship will feature the opportunity to get away from it all in the tranquility of The Sanctuary, Princess’ signature adults-only retreat featuring plush padded lounge chairs and the services of dedicated Serenity Stewards.  Visitors to this exclusive space can enjoy refreshing beverages and light snacks or listen to a relaxing playlist of music.

Other changes viewers will see throughout the drydock include a remodeled photo gallery area, the installation of new carpet and upholstery, plus a rare view of the bottom of the ship’s hull as it receives several new coats of silicone paint.

Once out of drydock, Sea Princess will transit the Panama Canal on her way to the Caribbean to begin a series of 14-day cruises from Barbados

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What are cruise ship pilots, and what do they do?

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If you’ve sailed on a cruise ship of any size, you’ve probably seen pilot boats pull alongside the vessel, and you might have watched curiously as one or two people climbed onto the ship via a rope ladder. Have you ever wondered who these people are and what they do once they’re on board?

They are marine or ship pilots, experts on the waterways and ports you are entering or leaving. They come aboard to safely guide your cruise ship into and out of the harbor.

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To learn more, TPG chatted with two experts in the industry. Clayton L. “Clay” Diamond is the executive director-general counsel of the American Pilots’ Association, whose pilots are responsible for handling over 90% of the larger ocean vessels (cruise ships and cargo vessels) in international waters. We also spoke with Edouard Petitson, Norwegian Cruise Line’s port captain director. Based at Norwegian’s Miami headquarters, Petitson is responsible for many port-related matters, including pilotage.

Diamond and Petitson gave us the inside scoop on what happens once a cruise ship pilot is on board and how they interact with the captain and crew to help them safely navigate the ship into or out of port.

What does a cruise ship pilot do?

In ports in the U.S. and around the world, a pilot boards the ship 10 to 20 miles offshore via a pilot boat, which can be anywhere from 65 to 100 feet long. While on board, the pilot gives orders to the captain or helmsman regarding the best way to steer the ship to navigate the offshore channels and waterways until the cruise ship docks.

Marine pilots also pilot vessels from the dock to a “pilot boarding area,” where they transfer to the pilot boat. The pilotage can be as short as two to three hours or as long as eight to 10 hours.

Alaska has a different situation since cruise ships sail so close to the shoreline and icebergs during nearly all their transit. Vessels sailing in these waters will typically be under pilotage the entire time by using two pilots. This type of piloting arrangement is typical in places like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve .

What qualifies a pilot over the ship’s captain to direct a ship into port?

“Marine pilots are the most highly trained mariners in the world,” says Diamond.

After many years of working in the maritime industry as a pilot apprentice and training in the waterways where they work, they are experts in their ports. Ship pilots must be able to chart the pilotage ground from memory, including the channel, landmarks, docks, buoys and any hazards to navigation.

“A pilot also has comprehensive knowledge of the local environments such as the hydrographic, wind and currents and tidal conditions,” Petitson adds.

Ship captains who sail into different ports around the world do not have the comprehensive knowledge and training that marine pilots do in one specific port. Essentially, marine pilots are maritime specialists in their port of expertise.

Related: How is cruise ship speed measured, and how fast is a knot in miles per hour?

Does every port have a pilot?

There are only a handful of ports in the world where pilotage isn’t mandatory. In Miami and all U.S. ports, pilotage is compulsory and provided by local pilots for all inbound and outbound ships.

A state regulatory board oversees the number of pilots needed in each port. The board determines the number based on the port’s shipping and cruise traffic. The goal is to have enough pilots working to avoid delays.

What happens in foreign ports? Do all pilots have to speak English?

All pilots around the world are required to speak English.

“In certain destinations where English is not the primary language,” Petitson explains, “the pilot can communicate in their native language with other ships in the channel, traffic control and other pilots to eliminate possible misunderstanding, especially in an emergency situation.”

Related: Boat vs. ship: What’s the difference? The annoying mistake some cruisers keep making

If the pilot and captain disagree, who has the final say?

The captain is always in charge of the vessel and the safety of the crew and passengers as the cruise ship is navigated into or out of port. If a disagreement arises, the captain will take over navigation until the situation is resolved.

Is the job dangerous?

If you’ve watched videos of pilots boarding ships by ladder, or have seen them jump from a moving ship to a pilot boat alongside, you’ve probably wondered how safe the process is.

Diamond tells us that the ladder has been deemed the safest way to board and disembark ships. The American Pilots’ Association focuses on safety and routinely works with the U.S. Coast Guard and the International Maritime Organization to improve and enhance the regulations for the ladders and pilot transfers. However, eight marine pilots have been killed since 2006.

Related: Are cruises safe? Here’s what you need to know about cruise ship security and safety

How do you become a cruise ship pilot?

Individuals interested in becoming a ship pilot, or a pilot candidate, typically attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, or one of the six state maritime academies in the U.S. After completing the program, a pilot candidate will spend anywhere from eight to 14 years on ships to gain firsthand experience at sea.

Once they have earned their master’s credential, they can “master” a ship or become a captain. It’s usually during this time when a candidate enters a pilot apprenticeship program, which can take up to seven years to complete. Becoming fully licensed, where an individual can pilot the world’s largest ships, can take an additional four to five years.

Are there many female marine pilots?

No. The number of female pilots with an unlimited tonnage master’s credential is .01% overall. The number of female pilots in the APA is 4%-5%. Diamond tells us that the number is considerably better than what you’ll find in most other countries, but the APA would like it to be higher.

Bottom line

When you see that small pilot boat pull next to one of those giant cruise ships, you now know that the person coming on board to guide that ship safely into port has spent decades in education and training — and most of their career has been spent learning to expertly navigate one specific port. You can feel safer knowing that your captain can rely on a local expert to help guide the ship into or out of port.

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