Bolidt Selected as Cruise Refit Projects Surge

[By: Bolidt]

Bolidt, the resin-based decking and flooring specialist, has secured a record number of cruise refit projects in the past nine months as demand for its solutions ramps up ahead of a new cruise season.

Major operators including Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International have once again specified Bolidt’s industry-leading decking solutions and refit expertise as their vessels – some of the world’s largest – undergo preparations for the coming cruise season.

In one of the company’s most extensive-ever refit projects, Bolidt has renewed more than 30 indoor and outdoor spaces on board Royal Caribbean’s multi-award-winning Allure of the Seas. To prepare the 362-metre, 5,496-guest ship for its Mediterranean itineraries this year, a team of 150 Bolidt technicians carried out installations across decks 5 to 17, covering an area of around 18,000 m2.

On the 4,000-m2 pool deck, Bolidt installed its lightweight and hardwearing Bolideck® Future Teak, resurfacing existing installations, and fitting a new kids’ pool area with Bolideck® Select in various designs. It also repaired and re-sanded the 1,950-m2 jogging track, installing Bolideck® Future Teak and Select Soft on 115 balconies spanning 1,900 m2, and soundproofing a new 800-m2 extension to the solarium on Deck 15. In addition, ahead of installing Bolideck® Select across the 1,800-m2 sun deck, approx. 5mm of the existing surface was removed from the top layer using a diamond cutter to help with weight savings.

“While a typical refit takes two or three weeks to complete, this project was of such a scale that its duration amounted to 43 days in drydock, and a further 7 days at sea,” said Gerben Smit, Head of Operations, Global Maritime Division, Bolidt. “Yet thanks to close collaboration and a little over seven months of preparation, we brought the project to a successful conclusion.”

Allure of the Seas is one of nine Royal Caribbean ships Bolidt has refurbished since mid-2024 amid surging demand for the company’s solutions and refit expertise.

Meanwhile, the upgrade of 2975 m2 of decking on board Carnival Sunshine – one of five recent refit projects for Carnival – involved the challenge of removing all balcony teak to install an entirely new system, topped with Bolideck® Future Teak, from the steel up. The project commenced in voyage between Charleston and Marseille, and completed with full installation in drydock.

Bolidt recently completed refits aboard six Norwegian vessels – Bliss, Breakaway, Encore, Getaway, Star, and Sun – most notably renovating the Speedway go-kart tracks aboard Bliss and Encore with slip-resistant Boligrip® 1250, despite facing challenging weather conditions. For Marella Cruises’ Explorer and Discovery 2, the company refreshed a total of 6,500 m2 of decking, including the jogging track and sports court, with a combination of Bolideck® Future Teak, Select Hard, and Select Soft.

Bolidt has also refitted ships for AIDA Cruises, Celebrity Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, and TUI Cruises in recent months.

“Bolidt solutions are now ubiquitous in the cruise industry, with Bolideck® Future Teak an especially popular choice thanks to its weight and durability,” commented Smit. “Operators also appreciate our capacity to manage entire projects as a one-stop shop offering production, logistics, and application services under one roof.”