Bolidt lands record cruise refits
50 days, 43 of them in drydock, to overhaul the Allure of the Seas (Source: Bolidt)
Dutch resin decking specialist Bolidt has logged its busiest nine-month spell yet, winning a surge of cruise-ship refurbishment work ahead of the 2025 Mediterranean season. Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International have all specified Bolideck systems for upcoming overhauls.
The headline project involved 150 Bolidt technicians renewing about 18,000m² across decks 5 to 17 of Royal Caribbean’s 5,496-passenger Allure of the Seas. Work lasting 43 days in drydock and seven at sea provided the time for a new Bolideck Future Teak on the 4,000-m² pool deck, a children’s splash zone in Bolideck Select, a refurbished 1,950-m² jogging track, an 800-m² sound-proofed solarium extension, and weight-saving milling on the 1,800-m² sun deck.
“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 seven 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.”
Since mid-2024, the company has refurbished eight other Royal Caribbean vessels and tackled decking projects on more than a dozen ships for Carnival, Norwegian, Marella and other brands. Bolidt says the momentum confirms Bolideck Future Teak’s status as a lightweight, durable alternative to traditional teak across the fleet today.
