Highlights of the year 2021

2021 was a huge success for us at Merima. With the global pandemic causing widespread disruption in 2020, the shipbuilding industry saw a significant uptick in orders again in 2021. In fact, demand for newbuilds was so great that many shipyards found it increasingly difficult to accommodate new orders. Shipping analysts also predict that 2022 will again see high levels of orders.

We successfully completed many projects at different shipyards, building more than 27,000 m² of ship interiors. Even with the ongoing challenges and restrictions from the global pandemic, our team ensured every project was completed on time and with no compromises in quality. Our world-class team, robust project management processes, and strong collaborative spirit overcame every hurdle and strove to make it as effortless as possible for our clients.

Here are our top highlights from 2021.

Odyssey Of the Seas℠, Royal Caribbean, Meyer Werft, Papenburg

Odyssey of the Seas℠ is Royal Caribbean’s fifth Quantum Class cruise ship and the first Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship to sail in the U.S.

The ships are designed for cruising in cooler climates and pioneer several new innovations in the cruise line. This 1,138-feet cruise ship with 16 decks accommodates up to 5,510 passengers at full capacity and a crew of 1,663.

We had the privilege to build two areas, Via Vista and Windjammer, for this beautiful ship. Both continued our excellent cooperation with Meyer Werft for the same areas in the previous Quantum-class cruise ships.

The Via Vista on deck five is a 1,300 m² area including an Italian restaurant, a retail store, NextCruise area, a wine bar, and a smaller atrium named Via Vista. The scope of our work included all the interior outfitting.

In the Windjammer area, our scope was a total of 3,500 m², including interior installations for the food market area, the famous Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant, and the Coastal Kitchen restaurant. Despite the complexity of the materials and size of the area, we still managed to fulfil the Owner’s vision and deliver the area successfully.

Odyssey of the Seas℠ was delivered to Royal Caribbean in March 2021, and she was the first Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship to sail from Europe and North America. Today she sails both the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea.

AIDAcosma, Carnival Corporation, Meyer Werft, Papenburg

AIDAcosma is an impressive, state-of-the-art LNG-powered ocean liner, measuring 337 meters in length and rising 20 decks into the skies. Weighing 183,900 gross tons and a capacity of 5,200 guests, AIDAcosma is the largest cruise ship in the AIDA Cruises fleet.

Merima’s task was to deliver out deck and restaurant areas for AIDAcosma. The areas were delivered to the customer at the end of 2021. Currently, AIDAcosma sails in the Mediterranean and offers spectacular experiences to her passengers.

The out deck area was 7,500 m² and included several outside areas: the Calypso bar on deck 7, the Lanai deck 8, pool decks from deck 16-19, a sun deck, and large pool areas with waterslides. These areas are extremely diverse in their make-up, meaning we needed to work hard to find solutions and satisfy our client.

In the restaurant area, our scope included the outfitting of several restaurants on deck 6, such as the Teppanyaki restaurant that serves sushi and the most luxurious restaurant onboard – Italian Rossini. There were many exclusive materials, shapes, and color themes that created several challenges during the project.

But our world-class experts and proven project management processes meant that we could find solutions agilely and to a high degree of quality.

Crystal Endeavor, MV Werften, Stralsund

Crystal Endeavor is a megayacht built for Crystal Cruises. She is the world’s largest ice-class expedition yacht and is the world’s first purpose-built “Polar Code” compliant yacht which enables it to cruise in polar regions (Arctic and Antarctica) during summer and autumn months in medium ice conditions (first-year ice packs).

In addition to the luxurious passenger accommodation and entertainment areas, the ship is outfitted with a broad range of expedition amenities, including zodiac crafts, kayaks, a passenger submarine, and an uncrewed drone with a remote gimbal camera system.

Merima was responsible for the public interior areas, including staircases and the wheelhouse in Crystal Endeavor. The ship, though relatively small, had beautiful architecture and was designed and built with luxurious materials. The scope also included all background installations (electrical, HVAC, piping, insulation). The total sizes of the delivery were 4,190 m² of interior areas and 2,638 m² of outside areas.

Crystal Endeavor was delivered to the Owner in the fall of 2021. Her exotic route focuses on Arctic voyages to Iceland, along with Antarctic voyages within the Antarctic Peninsula, without forgetting her capacity for tropical cruising.

Aurora Botnia, Wasaline, Rauma Marine Constructions, Rauma

Aurora Botnia is a modern ferry with two cargo decks. It accommodates around 800 passengers and has a freight capacity of 1,500 lane meters for trucks and cars. The vessel is designed to be environmentally friendly, often dubbed as “the most environmentally friendly passenger vessel on earth,” with machinery running on a dual fuel and battery solution. The main source of fuel is liquefied natural gas, LNG, with the possibility of utilizing biogas.

In the first cooperation between Merima and RMC since the shipyard was newly established, Merima had the great honor of being responsible for the 6,000 m² public interior areas. The scope of this mega turnkey supply also included:

• Background installations.
• All cabins and cabin areas.
• Wheelhouse and engine control room.

This was the first time that Merima built and installed all cabins. The cabin modules were assembled in a warehouse near the shipyard’s premises. The public interiors included areas such as a pub, bar, buffet restaurant, kids’ area, shop, café, and several lounges and staircases. We are very proud of the outcome and demonstrating the capabilities of our craftsmanship and project management.

Aurora Botnia was delivered to the customer in fall 2021. She cruises in the Gulf of Bothnia between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden several times a day.

Aurora Botnia was awarded The RoPax Ferry of The Year 2021 award at The European Ferry Shipping Summit. The ferry has also received the Clean Design certification as the world’s first car and passenger ferry.

Costa Toscana, Meyer Turku, Turku

Costa Toscana is one of the world’s biggest ocean liners, measuring 337m long and 42m wide. The design of the ship is inspired by Italian art, culture, and landscapes. The ship houses premium sports facilities, entertainment, and spa treatments.

Merima had the pleasure of delivering two areas on the Costa Toscana. The Lanai deck and Poltrona Frau arena followed the design and scope of her sister ship from the year 2019, Costa Smeralda.

The Lanai deck area included 3,400 m² of outside areas on deck 8. Merima was also responsible for the teak installations on the deck, all background installations, and the normal outfitting, including furniture installations.

Merima also had the privilege of outfitting the main show lounge, Poltrona Frau arena, including the electrical installations in the background. Merima is widely known for building great theatres, and this project again perfectly demonstrated our excellence. The installations were completed with excellent quality and in due time.

Costa Toscana was delivered to the Owner at the end of 2021. She cruises mainly in the Mediterranean Sea, with a maximum of 6,600 passengers and 1,678 crew members on board.

SH Minerva, Swan Hellenic, Helsinki Shipyard, Helsinki

SH Minerva is the first of three new-generation vessels operating in the polar regions, all designed for the global cruise market, emphasizing high latitudes. The 113-meter, 10,500-ton ship is designed to explore arctic waters. The 5-star elegant Scandinavian design boutique ship accommodates 152 guests in 76 cabins and suites. The platform is operated by a crew of 120.

As the first cooperation with the newly established Helsinki Shipyard, Merima was awarded the scope of outfitting all public interior areas, totaling 1,990 m². We built areas such as the mud room, library, laboratory, hair salon, hospital, staircases, main restaurant, observation lounge, club, gym, treatment room, spa, and sauna. In addition, the scope included all background installations. The project was a perfect fit for our strategic ambitions, as it contained various areas, all with their own tweaks and differences.

SH Minerva was completed in autumn 2021. Today she operates mainly in Antarctica, giving her passengers unforgettable experiences in the wilderness of icebergs and penguins.

Merima showed dedication and seamless cooperation with the client and its partners to finalize the project on time and with the best quality standard possible. We are proud to have been a part of this amazing project.