L-73 members are building this new luxury cruise ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Vessel will be first cruise ship constructed in Canada since 1930s
BOILERMAKERS AT LOCAL 73 (Halifax, Nova Scotia) will soon begin work on a new cruise ship — a project some say has not been undertaken in Canada since the 1930s.
Irving Shipbuilding Inc., which builds and maintains tugs and offshore supply ships at the Halifax Shipyard, has the contract. The new cruise liner will be small by today’s standards, measuring just 88 meters (about 290 feet) in length, with a capacity for 165 passengers. Pearl Seas Cruises LLC of Guildford, Conn., an affiliate of American Cruise Lines, will own and operate the new ship. Pearl Seas says it is building a brand new fleet of high-end luxury cruise ships that are smaller, faster, and offer the latest technology.
The first of these ships is scheduled to be completed in May 2008. Irving Shipbuilding has an option for a second vessel.
Jean-Ives Poirier, BM-ST for Local 73, says approximately 30 Boilermakers will be involved in constructing the above-deck portion of the ship, performing steel fabrication and erection. An estimated 20,000 man hours of work will be required.
“We are excited about this contract, because of its historical nature,” he said, “especially since there has not been a cruise ship built in Canada in some 70 years. We are also hopeful that this is only the first of many such smaller cruise ships to be built by Irving. We understand that there is substantial interest in this market.”
Local 73 is a construction and shop lodge chartered in 1973.
