When ALE's client embarked on a project of revitalisation of their luxury cruise ships, they approached ALE to assist with the lengthening of M/S Enchantment of the Seas.
M/S Enchantment of the Seas was the first cruise ship in this fleet to be lengthened. A new mid-body section of 22.2 metres was to increase the total length of the ship to 301.8 metres. The mid-section was transported from Finland, where it was built, to Rotterdam where the lengthening operation was executed. This involved loading it onto a barge by means of special heavy-duty, computer-controlled platform trailers. After loading the barge on deck the midsection was towed over 1,252nm to The Netherlands.
ALE lifted the midsection from the barge using eight hydraulic jacking towers, and then lowered it onto a hydraulic compensating skid system installed at dock-floor level. The ship itself was docked on a specially developed skidding system on which the bow of the ship was moved forward. The mid section was then accurately aligned between each end of the ship and inserted using the hydraulic skidding system.
