Leading resin applications specialist Bolidt has supplied approximately 7,500 m2 of hardwearing and environmentally friendly outdoor decking for the latest Viking Cruises ship Viking Neptune, building on a 25-year relationship with the award-winning cruise operator.
Recently delivered to Viking Cruises, following construction at Fincantieri Ancona, Viking Neptune is an all-veranda small ship offering global ocean cruise capability in elegant onboard surroundings. With its diverse itineraries taking in everything from subarctic Scandinavia to the tropical waters of Southeast Asia and Latin America, the 227-metre newbuild will be face a wide range of temperatures and climates.
Viking Cruises therefore required an outdoor decking solution that could withstand near-freezing conditions as well as long exposure to direct sunlight, heat and humidity. Building on a relationship dating back to Viking’s foundation in 1997, the owner called on the expertise of resin applications specialist Bolidt, whose durable, weather-resistant decking systems feature on all of its river, ocean and expedition cruise vessels.
For Neptune, Viking chose the innovative Bolideck® Future Teak, which – in addition to offering hardwearing, non-slip properties – represents a lightweight and sustainable alternative to genuine teak, thereby meeting the cruise operator’s high environmental standards. With the flexible Bolideck® Select also featuring on board the ship, Bolidt installed approximately 7,500 m2 of decking in total, covering all outdoor areas including balconies, pool area, crew deck, Sports Deck and Aquavit Terrace.
Viking Neptune is built for global cruising, and its varied itineraries will take it to all four hemispheres, through a range of weather conditions and to some of the warmest and coolest waters worldwide. Hardwearing and UV-resistant decking is essential to meet such extremes. Further, Bolidt’s scope of supply for Viking Neptune also includes a built-in deck-heating system to prevent ice formation in the coldest environments, and additional sound insulation on certain areas of the vessel to help ensure the highest standards of guest comfort at all times.
“We have worked with Viking since its foundation in 1997, so we know exactly what is expected of us when supplying decking for one of its vessels – whether it be a river ship, an exploration vessel or an oceangoing cruise ship,” says Jacco van Overbeek, Director Maritime, Bolidt. “Viking places great emphasis on sustainable operations and favours simple, elegant design. Bolideck® Future Teak has the look and feel of real teak but is more resilient and far less harmful to the environment, making it the ideal solution for the passenger ship sector.”
Bolidt’s longstanding relationship with Viking covers both newbuilds and retrofits and has seen the companies collaborate at shipyards in Italy, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Egypt and the United States. With additional projects scheduled in China, Bolidt is set to finalise a further five Viking newbuild projects by the end of the year, including for Neptune’s sister ship, Viking Mars.
