Ritec Marine Services have recently been working on Valiant Lady, the second Virgin Voyages cruise ship to get ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean glass surface treatment.

Currently in Fincantieri Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy, and scheduled for service in November 2021, this ship will accommodate approximately 2,700 guests and 1,150 crew for seven-day Caribbean voyages. Valiant Lady is the second of four Virgin Voyages ships, the first being Scarlet Lady, the third Resilient Lady and the last one yet to be named.

The expertise of Ritec Marine Services, based in the Netherlands, was called upon to renovate and protect the glass using the ClearShield Eco-System® on-site. Specifically this involves removing any contamination on the glass, including films, glues and dirt and to ensure the glass is chemically clean. The second step is the application of award-winning durable ClearShield® glass surface protective treatment. This is proven over decades of track records on cruise ships to protect the glass from staining and discolouration and also to make the cleaning regime easier. ClearShield® protection significantly helps to ensure crew and passengers enjoy optimal visibility as ordinary unprotected glass can easily suffer corrosion from the hostile marine environment.

A total of 12,343m² of glass is currently being treated by a 12-strong team.

For more information about Ritec Marine Services, visit www.ritecservices.nl/marine-services.

Today we are celebrating the 25^th work anniversary of Mrs Laura Oomen of Ritec Services in the Netherlands!

Back in June 1996, Laura started out as Office Manager for what was then known as Ritec Holland BV. Her role was to ensure that all office tasks were carried out correctly, taking orders, works scheduling, administration and supporting the management team.

Over the years, through much dedication and hard work, she has worked her way up to Operations Manager for the company which, since 2009, has been renamed Ritec Services, a subsidiary of Ritec International Limited in the UK. Ritec International in North London is the home of the ClearShield Eco-System® for the renovation, ‘non-stick’ protection and maintenance of glass.

Laura’s role has developed into an integral one with greater responsibilities. She has become more and more involved in higher management decision-making on top of her office management role. But Laura is quick to point out it is not just about her: “We have a great team with lovely colleagues all dedicated to expanding the business, keeping quality and service as top priority.”

Laura comments: “I am always happy to be working, it’s part of my life, giving structure to my day. During the Covid period I worked some time from home but I really prefer the office. I am definitely a ‘people person’!”

Working alongside others has unquestionably been key to Laura’s job satisfaction at Ritec: “I have so many nice memories from working with great Marketing Partners throughout Europe and from colleagues I am working with now and used to work with in the past. Also, the international glass exhibitions are always a highlight because we see each other again in person.”

Her colleagues all agree that Laura is an absolute pleasure to work with and that she is responsible for keeping the company shipshape. Stefan Roelands, Ritec Services’ General Manager says: “Laura is the Godmother of the company.  And speaking on behalf of all my colleagues, I am 100% sure that without all of Laura’s excellent work, the company would not be in as good a position as it is today. She is a vital member of our team, plus she is always good for a laugh.”

Stefan continues: “Laura is full of energy and positivity and that significantly contributes to the ongoing success of Ritec Services. But she is more than just a colleague, she is also a trustworthy friend to everyone who knows her, and always ready to lend an ear.”

Congratulations Laura from everyone in the Ritec network for reaching this massive milestone!

Crystal Cruises’s latest ship being built is Crystal Endeavor, by MV Werften in Stralsund, Germany. With a length of 164 metres / 539 feet, she will be the world’s largest and most spacious luxury expedition yacht when launched later this year.

The ship had been under construction for the past three years but due to the Covid pandemic, inevitably work had stopped. Recently, with construction almost complete, an on-site application team from Ritec Marine Services based in the Netherlands, travelled to Stralsund to carry out work. The specialist team renovated and protected over 2,300m² (24,800ft²) of glass with the ClearShield Eco-System®.

The ClearShield Eco-System® is the perfect way to protect marine glass in particular. The first stage was to ensure the glass was chemically clean, so the on-site team removed all kinds of contamination from the surface such as glues, films, dirt and so on. The next stage was the application of award-winning ClearShield® ‘non-stick’, easy-clean glass surface protection, creating an invisible barrier that resists staining and discolouration. This is especially important for marine glass as the harsh sea environment can easily corrode ordinary, unprotected glass to spoil seaviews, a common cause of complaints from guests. Moreover, glass that is difficult to see out of can potentially affect safety if crew cannot see out of the bridge clearly, for example.

Glass protected with the ClearShield Eco-System® becomes ClearShield Eco-Glass® that is always easier to clean and keep clean. This means less manpower and effort is required to maintain the glass. The glass also looks like new for longer, helping to preserve the overall pristine look of the vessel.

For more information about Ritec Marine Services, visit www.ritecservices.nl/marine-services.

The International Commerce Centre (ICC) is Hong Kong’s tallest building with a height of 484 metres (1,588 feet). The tower was designed by the American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) in association with local architectural and engineering practice Wong & Ouyang. As well as the Elements shopping mall on the lower floors and offices and restaurants, the building also incorporates The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong hotel and an observation deck called Sky100.

The International Commerce Centre was completed in phases from 2007 to 2010. Factory-application of ClearShield® was specified beforehand to help protect the glass during the construction. This meant any concrete splatter, cement dust, building run-off and other harsh contaminants were not able to bond to the glass thanks to its ‘non-stick’, easy-clean properties.  Therefore ClearShield® helped to reduce potential costly delays during construction, providing a significantly lower-cost alternative to replacing the glass due to surface damage.

For more information about Ritec’s glass protection solutions, visit www.ritec.co.uk.