Carnival is getting creative with planned dry dock repairs for Carnival Vista.
With the Grand Bahama yard still not an option after a shipyard accident earlier this year, the Vista will be repaired on the open water.
This is possible thanks to a Netherlands-based Boskalis which has developed a first-of-its-kind floating dry dock.
The Boka Vanguard dock arrives in the Bahamas Friday and works by conventional flotation methods.
Its ballasts are filled the water which takes the platform below the water line for the Vista to float upon.
When the ballasts are emptied the platform raises over the water as a floating dry dock.
It is capable of lifting a vessel of up to 117,000 tons.
Repairs to Vista’s azipod propulsion system are expected to take about two weeks.
It is ‘a revolutionary way to ensure Carnival Vista’s repairs are completed in a safe, timely and efficient manner,’ said Lars Ljoen, Carnival Cruise Line’s executive vice president of marine operations.
The Boka Vanguard will take the ship to the Grand Bahama shipyard to finish off repairs.
The disruption could cost the line as much as $50 million.
The July 6, July 13, and July 20 sailings out of Galveston have been cancelled, and the previous three cruises were all disrupted due to limited cruising speed with cancelled port calls.
