NQEA riding crest of wave

Queensland ship building and engineering company NQEA has won two engineering excellence awards for its construction of a luxury expedition cruise vessel for Cairns-based operator Coral Princess Cruises.

Construction of the vessel gave a significant boost to the Far North Queensland ship building industry. The vessel, Oceanic Princess is the largest passenger vessel built in Australia for an Australian operator, since the Empress of Australia in the 1960s.

NQEA won the $25 million Oceanic Princess contract after an extensive tendering process. “Ship building is a very competitive market in Australia,” NQEA?s Mark Fry said. “We were up against international and domestic competition, but we have a good relationship with Coral Princess Cruises. This is actually the second boat that NQEA has built for Coral Princess Cruises, and all of their vessels are maintained here at our slipway facility in Cairns.”

NQEA delivered the newbuilding in March this year. “It accommodates 76 passengers and 20 crew members. The layout includes 39 cabins over 4 decks – the main deck lounge and dining room, a promenade deck with full walk around, a bridge deck lounge and bar, and a sun deck with a spa,” Fry said. Sixty-five metres long and 13 metres wide, the vessel has a full displacement of 1,300 tonnes. It is capable of cruising at 14 knots, and is powered by two 1,100 kW Caterpillar engines.

The cruise ship is one of eight vessels constructed during the past 24 months in NQEA?s ship building facility in Cairns. “It?s a medium to large job for NQEA,” Fry said. “In excess of 100 skilled tradespersons were engaged on this vessel for the majority of the construction period.”