Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has been evaluating several
bids from shipyards for repairs to the S/S Norway. The company announced
today it would lay up the S/S Norway at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven
Germany, until a final decision has been made on which yard will be
appointed.
The detailed bids from shipyards are largely in line with the
preliminary indications given, but with one major and critical
exception. Although all of the work around the damaged boiler can be
completed within the time frame first envisaged, the delivery timeframe
for the new replacement boiler itself is estimated to be between seven
to 12 months, a timeframe that is significantly longer than first
indicated to NCL. Marine boilers are manufactured by specialized
companies and then delivered to a shipyard for installation. The
detailed specification and bidding process has revealed that no boiler
maker is able to meet the ambitious repair deadline initially indicated
to NCL by the shipyards. NCL now estimates that the earliest the ship
could return to service is spring of 2004; however it is not yet
possible to be certain of this timeframe.
In June, with the information available at the time, NCL announced the ship would return for the October 5th sailing after more than four months out of service. Travel agents and consumers have naturally been requesting
definitive information regarding that return
date in order that both marketing and vacation plans can be made with
complete certainty.