MS Bolette - A Critical Upgrade Delivered with Precision

When Høglund was awarded the contract to replace the Integrated Automation System (IAS) onboard Bolette, it became one of the largest and most time-critical projects in our history.

The vessel was scheduled for a transatlantic cruise with passengers from Liverpool to the Caribbean and back. The deadline was absolute. The ship had to sail on time.

There was no room for delay.

A Tight Window

The project ran from January 5^th  to February 2^nd, with the main execution phase in Fallmonth dry dock, starting January 19th. In reality, we had just about three weeks from docking to completed I/O testing, undocking, and preparing for passengers, to complete a full IAS replacement.

Onboard, 19 Høglund engineers worked around the clock.

The scope was significant:

• Replacement of an obsolete ABB AC450 system with S100 I/O
• Approximately 5,400 of 7,000 I/O signals to disconnect, reconnect, configure, and test
• Full system commissioning before sea trial

Everything had to be removed. Everything had to be reconnected. Everything had to be verified.

A True Partnership

The owner, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, and their crew understood the seriousness of the task.

They did everything they could to support us. They gave us the space and calm needed to focus. They took care of our team onboard.

It was clear that they recognized both the time pressure and the precision this work required.

As our Project Manager, Lene Ulseth-Rivelsrud, puts it:

“This has been one of the most demanding and rewarding projects we have delivered. The time frame was extremely tight, and the complexity was high. What made the difference was the collaboration. Fred. Olsen and the crew did everything they could to support us and give us the conditions we needed to succeed. They understood how critical this was – and they stood with us all the way.”

This strong sense of collaboration is shared by the customer. Vidar Karstensen, Superintendent at Fred.Olsen, adds:

“The Bolette project was more complex than the vessel we previously upgraded, but the professionalism and planning from Høglund made the project possible to be completed in the time we had out of service.

With several projects running in parallel, close cooperations between Høglund and other suppliers was essential. We also had very good cooperation with Høglund's project team and supported them where we could."

New Technology Giving New Insights

As soon as Høglund Playback was installed and activated, it immediately provided valuable insight into the system, giving the crew clearer visibility and a stronger foundation for further optimization. The system was not simply replaced — it was enhanced beyond the original scope.

Ready to Sail

Immediately after the sea trial, the vessel uploaded passengers and sailed from Liverpool across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back.

The vessel left on schedule.

For Høglund, this project stands as a milestone. Large in scope. Short in time. Zero room for error. Delivered.