Ritz Carlton enters cruise industry with vessel it calls the “anti-cruise ship”

ABB will provide the power and propulsion for the first in a series of ground-breaking vessels that mark Ritz Carlton’s first foray into the cruise sector.

The 190-meter long vessel has been dubbed the “anti-cruise ship” because it can accommodate just 298 passengers and is aimed at providing a more bespoke service than larger cruise ships.

The pioneering nature of the project is matched by ABB’s solutions that will optimize energy efficiency and allow the vessel to be remotely monitored from shore.

Two Azipod D propulsors will enable the ship to manoeuvre efficiently and effectively whilst the Remote Diagnostics Service will empower a smarter approach to maintenance.

The Azipod D is ideal for smaller vessels because of its lower installed power. Azipod propulsion has gained its strong position in the passenger segment by making it possible to do away with bulky traditional shaft line systems, with the electric motor installed in a pod outside the hull, freeing up space for more cabins.

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The system also produces considerably lower levels of vibration, benefiting the passenger experience. The thrusters’ ability to turn in all directions increases ships access to ports without tug assistance, with the vessel in this case operating in New England, Caribbean and Mediterranean waters.

Since its first installation more than 25 years ago, Azipod propulsion has clocked up over 13 million running hours with an availability of 99.8%.

“When we set out to design and build an ultra-luxury cruise yacht for the Ritz Carlton brand, we wanted to select the critical systems and equipment from among the most experienced suppliers known for their reliability and quality,” said Captain Erik Bredhe, Marine Operations Director at The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

“The obvious choice for power and propulsion was ABB, and we expect them to meet and exceed our quality standards as partners for many years.”

The ship will be built at H.J. Astilleros Barreras (HJB) in Spain and is scheduled to set sail in 2019. Alfonso López Loureiro, Sales Director at HJB said, “This is a very exciting concept and we are delighted to have ABB as partners, which has a proven record of delivering systems on many similar, and larger passenger vessels.”