Southampton: Trimline prepares cruise ships for 2010

Southampton-based marine outfitters Trimline played a key role in preparing two major UK cruise ships for the 2010 season following refits in Germany.

P&O Cruises’ 115,000 tons Aurora spent two weeks in Bremerhaven during which time a team of some 60 Trimline personnel laid some 13,000 square metres of carpet in passenger lounges and alleyways.

There was also a considerable upholstery task with more than 600 units of chairs and banquet seating being refurbished in the ship’s major bar, nightclub and restaurant areas.

Saga Cruises’ Saga Ruby, which has capacity for some 650 passengers, has also undergone a refit in Germany which saw Trimline play a leading role. The biggest task involved the main dining room, which underwent a major redecoration, including bulkheads and deckheads being covered with specialist hand woven paper. Extensive joinery repairs were carried out on two large feature cherry wine racks, while more than 600 cherry timber dining room chairs were refurbished.

Timber fittings in the library and South Cape bar were refurbished, along with banquet seating in the main bar, nightclub and restaurant areas. The Trimline workforce of nearly 30 personnel also redecorated the main ballroom, with the dance floor being stripped, re-sealed and polished.

Saga Ruby further benefited from replacing some 2,000 square metres of carpet in the ballroom, dining room, shops and bars during her three-week stay in dock in Hamburg. Completing the task was removal and replacement of the spiral staircase deckheads, fitted with new lighting arrangements.

The impressive performance on Saga Ruby has led to Trimline securing a further refurbishment project on the Saga Pearl II, formerly the Astoria. She is being refitted in Swansea and will be introduced to the Saga Cruises fleet this spring.

Trimline sales and marketing director, Mike Oliver, said: “Aurora and Saga Ruby were both demanding schedules, but our experience in deploying men and materials overseas came to the fore in these two projects.”