Barcelona, 7th July 2010 – ADELTE, the world leading designer and manufacturer of sophisticated Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBBs) for cruise and ferry terminals ships assisted the Port of Miami today in the inauguration of two PBBs and an elevated walkway especially designed to service the Norwegian Epic at the B & C Cruise Terminals. This is the first time cruise guests of the Norwegian Epic are able to board and disembark through the convenient shell doors on deck 6, located between the overhanging lifeboats of this new generation cruise liner.
Barcelona-based ADELTE won in February 2009 a contract with the Port of Miami to design, manufacture and deliver two PBBs and an elevated walkway for the refurbished B & C cruise terminals in the Port of Miami. These terminals are dedicated to the ships of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and the PBBs needed to be especially designed to service the current fleet but also the Norwegian Epic, the newest mega vessel of NCL which is as of today home-ported in the Port of Miami, the Cruise Capitol of the World.
ADELTE has designed the PBBs at its offices in Barcelona, manufactured the structures in its factory in Monzón (Huesca) and completely assembled the PBBs in the Port of Tarragona, from where they were shipped to the Port of Miami earlier this year.
The design process has been challenging as the main ship shell door entries of the Norwegian Epic are located between overhanging (from the ship hull) lifeboats, which requires meticulous calculations to create a sophisticated docking ramp that provides sufficient clearance. Dorian K. Valdes P.E., Assistant Director of Capitol Development at the Port of Miami says “ADELTE successfully designed a cabin with a telescopic boarding ramp for these boarding bridges that fits NCL’s Epic shell doors without obstructing the overhanging lifeboats of this ship. This is the result of close cooperation between the Port of Miami, NCL and ADELTE, including a visit to the ship when it was in construction at STX Europe in St. Nazaire, France”.
ADELTE´s Passenger Boarding Bridges are now the only systems in the Port of Miami capable of serving the new generation cruise ships with overhanging lifeboats (like the Norwegian Epic, the Oasis of the Seas or the Carnival Dream). These PBBs have the capability to move along the whole quay and are able to connect with cruise ship entry doors at various levels. The bridges consist of glass mounted tunnel sections and the cabins of the PBBs are equipped with a uniquely integrated telescopic docking ramp that, when attached to the side of a cruise ship automatically follows the vessel’s movements and will immediately undock in the event of an emergency. The clearance under the PBBs allow for continuous truck, equipment and supplies traffic on the quay. These PBBs are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), facilitate ease of access and regress for all passengers including persons with reduced mobility, and compliant with all up-to-date international safety and security standards.
