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Finland's Wärtsilä has announced that it has signed a major long-term maintenance support agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The deal is the single largest maintenance agreement ever to be signed between Wärtsilä and a marine customer, covering some 1400 MW. It will aim to enhance the optimized planning of overhauls and spare parts logistics, focusing on improved fuel economy and the predictability of the customer's operational costs.

The five year maintenance support agreement is a joint co-operation between Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and its operating companies Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises.

The tie-up contains a wide range of services, including maintenance planning, spare parts logistics optimization, the development and testing of engine components, fuel consumption optimization, as well as an advisory service for overhauls and workshop services. In addition, the agreement incorporates the development and implementation of future remote engine monitoring systems and associated software.

"This maintenance support agreement provides the superior predictability and innovation level we seek. In addition, it serves as the benchmark for other service agreements and an outstanding model for joint technical co-operation. It is truly evolutionary for the industry," said Captain William S. Wright, Senior Vice President Marine Operations, Royal Caribbean International.

The agreement covers 29 vessels with an option to add more vessels in the future. A total of 118 Wärtsilä engines comprising the Wärtsilä 46, Wärtsilä 38B, Wärtsilä 32LN and Wärtsilä Vasa 32 types, with an aggregated output of approximately 1400 MW, make this the single largest maintenance agreement to be signed between Wärtsilä and a marine customer. The maintenance support agreement will enhance the optimized planning of overhauls and spare parts logistics, focusing on improved fuel economy and the predictability of operational costs.

Improved fuel economy translates to lower emissions, and the lean spare part logistics planning, which focuses on low environmental impact, contributes to an imporoved environmental performance.

"Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. benefits in many ways, including the latest advances in remote monitoring technology, and we are looking at a set-up that will optimize the operational availability and maximize engine efficiency," said Gregory M. Purdy, Vice President Marine Operations for Celebrity Cruises.

Wärtsilä has been developing long-term efficiency increasing strategies to help reduce customers' operational expenses, increase energy efficiency, and optimize environmental performance. "This is a new type of agreement, a joint co-operation where we, together with the customer, have constructed each element of it. This agreement combines the knowledge from the customer's side, with our knowledge and experience in providing services and support for a wide variety of installations," said Leif Rönnskog, Vice President, Strategic Account Management, Wärtsilä North America.