TRIMLINE, the Southampton marine interior refit company, has signed a unique agreement with shipping giant Carnival UK to look after and maintain their fleet of luxury vessels. The deal will see Trimline support all ten ships, operated in Southampton by P&O Cruises and Cunard, by providing maintenance services to the interiors of the ships for up to three years.

In addition to this contract, Trimline is experiencing a busy start to this year’s refit season and is working on six other major refit projects worth in excess of £4m.

Under the Carnival UK contract, Trimline will provide everything from survey, design and manufacture of furnishings and fittings to installation in ports around the world or while in service “on-the-run”.

Trimline has previously been awarded the maintenance of five of the Carnival UK fleet, but the expansion to ten is a ground-breaking deal for both the company and the cruise industry. Mike Oliver, sales and marketing director at Trimline, said: “The contract between Carnival UK and Trimline highlights a real shift in the way that the cruise industry is currently operating and the way Trimline has responded to its customer’s changing needs'

“Trimline’s ‘Different Approach’ means a refit is no longer about simply completing a project on time, to budget and then walking away. “We are working hard to show that on-board refurbishment is about value for money and the cost of ownership, meaning we look after our clients well beyond the completion date of the project. In the year that Southampton port celebrates its 175th anniversary, it seems only fitting that Trimline is continuing to help attract work and contracts to Southampton from around the world. The last year has seen an enormous amount of growth for Trimline and we hope that this will continue to enable us, and the city, to thrive in the future.”

The ships which will be maintained under the agreement are: Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, Ventura, Azura, Aurora, Oriana, Oceana, Arcadia and Adonia.

William Whitehouse, senior superintendent facilities maintenance, at Carnival UK said: “This agreement is the next natural progression for Trimline and Carnival UK cementing a business relationship stretching back over 30 years. “Trimline have consistently demonstrated their expertise and commitment to maintaining interiors to the high standards our passengers expect.”

Maintenance on the six other vessels means Trimline will be working up to, and including, Christmas to finish the contracts, engaging more than 280 employees and sub-contractors across the various projects.

The projects will take place throughout the world, with Trimline staff travelling to Portugal, Spain and as far as the Caribbean to complete the jobs. Some of the works include creating bespoke furniture and fittings, which are all built at Trimline’s Southampton headquarters, and shipping the materials across the world.