Royal Caribbean International has selected Norway’s Optimarin to supply ballast water treatment (BWT) systems for three of its cruise ships.

As part of the arrangement, Optimarin has already retrofitted its United States Coast Guard (USCG) compliant Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) on-board two of the Royal Caribbean ships, including Independence of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Optimarin is scheduled to retrofit the third vessel, Grandeur of the Seas, with its BWT system in the first quarter of next year.

Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen said: “The fact Optimarin has been selected provides not only an endorsement of our simple, reliable and market-proven UV-based technology, but also demonstrates that world leaders turn to us when it comes to ensuring total global compliance.

“We have always been a regulatory frontrunner since our very foundation in 1994, and were the first manufacturer to achieve full USCG approval in December 2016.”

“World leaders turn to us when it comes to ensuring total global compliance.”

The OBS features a modular nature and can be installed and retrofitted on any vessel type.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The system is designed to use a combination of automatic backflushing, self-cleaning filters and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to deactivate all potentially invasive species in the water.

Last month, Optimarin secured an order to provide seven OBSs to Canada-based ocean-going dry-bulk shipowning and chartering company Fednav.

Of the systems, five will be retrofitted on current vessels and the remaining two will be fitted on newbuilds.

Ship Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Ship Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
From automated chartering invoices to EU ETS and CII management, Ankeri Solutions’ maritime SaaS platform has earned three Ship Technology Excellence Awards for 2025. See how Ankeri is helping shipowners and charterers boost efficiency, cut emissions, and collaborate better across complex global fleets.

Discover the Impact