Harland & Wolff has won its largest cruise ship revitalisation investment at the Belfast yard since it was acquired by Navantia, with Margaritaville at Sea’s flagship 'Beachcomber' scheduled for an extensive upgrade.

The contract follows the successful 2024 revitalisation of ‘Islander’, further underlining Belfast's growing stature as a centre for cruise ship repair, refurbishment and revitalisation.

The multi‑million‑pound programme is expected to deliver approximately £40 million of economic benefit to the Belfast region through the utilisation of Harland & Wolff’s facilities and skilled workforce.

Local contractors MJM, Mivan and Madden Marine will undertake significant elements of the work to realise the vessel’s reimagining, showcasing the depth of expertise within Northern Ireland’s maritime supply chain and reinforcing Belfast’s international credentials for complex cruise ship projects. Graham Couser, Director of Ship Repair, Navantia UK, said: "This project is another major vote of confidence in our Belfast yard’s growing reputation as a destination for world-class cruise ship repair, refurbishment and revitalisation. Being selected for a second major vessel from the Margaritaville at Sea fleet demonstrates the trust that international cruise operators have in our facilities, our people and our ability to deliver complex projects to demanding schedules.

"Belfast has all the ingredients to become one of Europe’s leading cruise refit hubs, buoyed by Navantia UK’s acquisition last year. Our unique dry dock capacity, deep-water access and heavy engineering capability, combined with Navantia’s extensive global experience in cruise ship repair, provide operators with a compelling option in Western Europe. We are investing heavily in our facilities and transferring proven expertise from across the wider Navantia Group to build a long-term centre of excellence for ship repair in the UK."