Horizons #7: Custom-made balconies for cruise ships conversion projects

Somec has made the first steps in renovating balconies back in 2006, and since then continued year by year on different ships of various brands: Royal Caribbean, Costa, Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, MSC, etc.
During the last 12 months Somec has  already accomplished noteworthy projects like the replacement of balconies  on Costa Atlantica and Carnival Spirit respectively in Shanghai (PRC) and Singapore, as well as the addition of new balconies on 4 MSC ships under the "Renaissance Programme" in Palermo (Italy).

Costa Atlantica and Carnival Spirit
Costa Atlantica was drydocked last January at HRDD shipyard in Shanghai where in less than 20 days Somec replaced more than 150 balconies. The same job was carried out last month in Singapore on the Carnival Spirit. For both these ships Somec designed and supplied new aluminium balconies to replace the existing ones.

MSC Armonia, Sinfonia, Opera and Lirica
Within the Renaissance Programme of four MSC ships, Somec has been involved in the extension operations by providing in total more than 300 new balconies. MSC Armonia was completed end of last year, MSC Sinfonia was delivered last March and MSC Opera last summer, while MSC Lirica is just now in progress.

Somec’s balconies are custom designed by the internal R&D department to fit each project specific requirements and are manufactured at Somec’s production facilities located in San Vendemiano near Venice (Italy) with a complete in-house cycle of production. The balcony floor plates are realised with aluminium extruded profiles and adequately insulated in order to prevent galvanic corrosion. Balconies are finished with a flooring and drain system, as well as decorated with a frontal aesthetic profile.