Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines‘ 1,350-guest flagship, Balmoral went through a dramatic ‘stretch’ by 30 metres at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany.
The incredible video footage was captured by production company MK Timelapse, and shows the long process of inserting the 3,500 tonnes, 30-metre mid-section — which took 70 days to complete — condensed into just minutes.
Originally named ‘Crown Odyssey’, the Balmoral was built in 1988 for Royal Cruise Line. She now weighs 43,537 GRT and is 218.18m in length. Fred Olsen purchased her in 2008, gave her a makeover and she now has 186 guest cabins, 53 crew cabins and 60 balconies.
The ship is cut in half then extended by inserting the new mid-section, which had to match the existing fabric of the ship to absolute precision.
Did you know that ‘stretching’ cruise ships like this is a common practice in the cruising industry?