Wärtsilä, Royal Caribbean Extend Partnership to 2028
Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. have extended their long-term service agreement to 2028, as the marine and cruise industry is moving more and more toward long-term partnerships.
Under the agreement, Wärtsilä is optimizing maintenance efficiency through improved turbocharger maintenance, providing OEM spare parts, workshop services and preferred technical assistance for 46 Royal Caribbean Cruises’ ships. The original agreement, signed in 2013, spanned 10 years.
The partnership is to complement the RCL Global Marine in-house expertise with continuous improvement via various technical innovations and direct access to Wärtsilä’s technical expertise with continuous focus on safety and life cycle cost.
The new agreement between RCL and Wärtsilä, signed in June 2018, covers a total of 196 engines installed in 46 cruise ships, the majority of which sail in the Caribbean and Europe. The largest portion of RCL fleet of vessels is equipped with Wärtsilä’s condition monitoring technology, which transmits real-time information about engine condition to a Wärtsilä Expertise Centre for analysis. This allows for predictive maintenance planning and optimization of operations.
Sean Carey, Service Unit Director North America, Wärtsilä Services, said, “When it comes to maintenance planning and operations, the marine and cruise industry is moving more and more toward long-term partnerships. This is a natural direction, as it enables a holistic approach to vessel maintenance. A partner that understands the installation and optimizes their condition throughout their lifecycle can help Royal Caribbean to enhance their business. Close cooperation is essential in such partnerships.”