By
Richard Humphreys |
Turnkey interior outfitting company Aros Marine has completed refurbishment work on Hurtigruten Norway’s passenger ship, Trollfjord. The project was carried out at the Remontowa shipyard on the northern coast of Poland near Gdańsk.
Aros Marine received a Cruise Ship Interiors award for ‘Refurbishment of the Year’ in 2022. Armed with more recognition and trust, the company strengthened its position in the refit market with larger-scale projects. Over 45,000 working hours were spent onboard Trollfjord in the first six weeks of the refurbishment, which began on 3 April and was completed on 16 May 2023.
It is one of the largest refit projects that Aros Marine has ever done, carried out by around 150 workers working full time. Engineering and design works were handled by an in-house team, which worked closely with Hurtigruten to find alternative, cost-efficient materials and solutions.
During the project, Aros Marine refurbished 235 staterooms, 23 suites and all the related corridors. The firm’s ‘lean train’ method was one of the key factors in ensuring this work was completed to a high standard within a short time frame. For the ‘lean train’ method, Aros Marine had a consulting partner, Daniela Herget.
She said: “Giedrius Valainis, Aros Marine’s CEO, contacted me about three years ago as he and the team were eager to learn about lean interior outfitting on cruise ships and the ‘lean train’, which I have been developing for over 10 years for Royal Caribbean Group to improve quality, cut costs and provide reliable deadlines, as well as enhance the service and create a transparent process for customers. During training and the successful implementation of best practices at Aros, I got to know a very curious, persistent and dedicated team with great individuals and professional leaders. Continuous improvement is Aros Marine’s credo and it will ensure that it doesn’t stand behind its competitors. Every new session of operational excellence, lean planning or project management training is a pleasure for me and a great success for Aros! It’s great to see a consistent team developing and still being hungry for more information and innovation! They know that standing out in our industry is not easy but it is possible if you work hard enough.”
This is the third time that Aros Marine has successfully used the lean train method when working in cabins, with the first time being on another Hurtigruten vessel and the second on Club Med 2.
As part of the total refurbishment of the interiors, Aros Marine has also renovated over 2,500 square metres of public zones, including the Panorama Lounge, à la carte restaurant, brasserie seating area and the main dining area. Aros Marine’s work in the Panorama Bar included reupholstering chairs and sofas, as well as preserving the existing tiling in the area.
In addition, Aros Marine worked on electrics, plumbing, ventilation, wall preparation and top coverings, flooring, carpet replacements and furniture maintenance. It also produced and installed custom-made furniture, ship equipment and a bar.
Although Trollfjord is the fourteenth project that Aros Marine and Hurtigruten have worked on together, the scale, time frame and budget created some added complexity for Aros Marine this time. One of the biggest challenges for Aros Marine was to fulfil Hurtigruten’s request of having a project of this scale and marrying it with the budget. With this in mind, Aros Marine put a lot of work into serious value engineering. The company also had to deal with the added pressure of Trollfjord preparing to start two new routes in Hurtigruten’s 130th anniversary year, a huge event for the company.
Trollfjord will embark on the ‘Svalbard Express’ and the ‘North Cape Express’ sailings in Norway, in June.
This article was first published in the 2023 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe to Cruise & Ferry Interiors for FREE here to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox or your door.