HANSA 06-2019

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology
The Italian way for cuise interior logistics
To guarantee efficient shipbuilding at cruise shipyards, logistics for interior design is key.
Fincantieri group relies on its own production affiliate and combines land-based and
maritime transport, writes Michael Meyer
The 100% subsidiary »Marine Interiors«
was established in 2014 to enable
the group, whose cruise ship newbuilding
facilities are located predominantly
in Italy and through its subsidiary Vard
in Norway, to integrate cabin design and
production into its design and construction
flow.
German competitor Meyer Werft is
well-known for its »blockbuilding construction«
with prefabricated hull sections
as well as for its longstanding and
deep cooperation with a huge number of
regional suppliers. The shipyard group
MV Werften which is also located in Germany
has gone its own way, too, when
setting up a cabin production facility in
2016. As completely pre-assembled modules,
the cabins are delivered to the yards
and installed there.
At Fincantieri, Marine Interiors focuses
on designing, refitting and delivering
turnkey cabins, in the fields of both newbuilding
and refurbishment. The factory
for interiors is located in Pordenone between
the shipyards in Monfalcone and
Marghera.
In February, Fincantieri delivered the
first vessels designed especially for the
Asian market, the »Costa Venezia«
Logistical mix
Speaking to HANSA, Gabriele Cafaro,
CEO of Marine Interiors, calls the
business structure a »mix« of own production
and the integration of suppliers
in the supply chain. »In our four
years period, we have changed and increased
the product portfolio. We started
from the cabins, building bulk heads
and ceilings, and from the wet units.
Since 2016 we are also taking care of
the public areas, meaning restaurants,
theatres, atriums, spa, fairs.« Eventually,
Fincantieri set up a new company
with private shareholders for industrial
kitchens. Especially for the expedition
cruise vessels being built in Norway,
the team takes care of the entire
accommodation. When it comes to aspects
like glazing, catering, laundry
and provisions, Marine Interiors is
kind of an intermediate coordinating
the supply chain between the suppliers
and shipyards.
In the cabin segment, kits are sent
to the yards where they are prefabricated
and put inside the vessels. The
bathroom modules are already prefabricated
at the MI-factory. However, it
is completely different for the »public
areas«, as Cafaro explains: »We do not
have our own production. We have a
system of subcontractors for furniture,
lighting and other decorative elements
that are changing a lot. This choice
has been done for the scale, because as
much as you have an industrial product
such as cabins and bathroom, it is
more convenient to establish a factory
and send as much as you can prefabricated
on the yard.« Because public are-
Focus on China
The Italian shipyard group Fincantieri is further expanding its presence in
China. A cruise hub is to be built in the Baoshan district of Shanghai. A
corresponding contract has been signed. Already in 2017, Fincantieri, the
state-owned Chinese shipbuilding group CSSC and the US cruise group
Carnival agreed to build the first two cruise ships built in China for the
domestic market. The new hub in Shanghai is to serve as a central industrial
area in the future in order to attract suppliers. The Baoshan district
wants to offer foreign companies tax relief in addition to land and financing.
Fincantieri says it is involved in building the supply chain and recruiting
small and medium-sized companies.
© Costa
30 HANSA International Maritime Journal 06 | 2019