By
Elly Yates-Roberts |
With the cruise industry having spent the last year or so on a hiatus due to Covid-19, many businesses have spent this time reorganising their business and preparing for what lies ahead. Refurbishment and interior outfitting firm MJM Marine is no exception to this.
“While the past 12 months have been challenging for both MJM and the industry as a whole, we have faced those challenges head on by continuing to invest in training and innovation,” says Gary Annett, CEO of MJM. “Amid the lockdown, we reshaped our organisation. We have been using the time to invest in the future by training staff and continuing to develop our enterprise resource planning system. The prolonged hiatus has given us time and an opportunity which we otherwise may not have had.
“We also created an innovation department to investigate trends in the market and this has helped accelerate partnerships. We are looking forward to showcasing these innovations soon.”
Collaboration between operators, destinations, shore excursion providers and outfitters have been integral to the success of the cruise industry for years and may be even more so following the pandemic. Recognising this, MJM has recently entered new partnerships that combine its interior expertise with hygiene-focused products that will be essential when cruising resumes.
“The first is with Vyv,” says Annett. “Its range of antimicrobial light solutions continuously clean the environment in which they are installed. They offer a sense of safety and security to customers and staff at a time when people demand higher environmental wellness standards.”
Vyv’s solutions use LED lighting to create environments that are inhospitable to bacteria, mould, fungi and yeast. The latest study confirms effectiveness against non-enveloped viruses, which are the most difficult class of virus to destroy.
“We also started working with Ilimex to use its UV-C Air Steriliser,” says Annett. “The device uses a combination of sterilisation technologies to eliminate 99.9 per cent of airborne pathogens, including coronavirus.
“These complementary technologies will assist in the overall protection of passengers. Although the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the marine industry, we believe that we are uniquely positioned to help our clients in the future delivery of both refurbishment and newbuild works.”
These partnerships are just one way that MJM has been doing its bit to help ship operators safely return to service. The business has also been involved in upgrading the clinical facilities onboard its customers’ ships.
“We have been working with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises to adapt their medical centres onboard Anthem of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Flora to have specific testing rooms and Covid-19-secure areas,” says Annett.
Despite being impacted significantly by the pandemic, the team at MJM has worked tirelessly to make the best of a bad situation.
“A number of our projects were put on hold and many cancelled,” says Annett. “We did however work on Silver Origin, an expedition vessel for Silversea and, despite needing to adapt daily to the changing Covid-19 restrictions, we safely delivered the project on time, having completed the outfitting of all suites and public spaces. This is a testament to our ‘can do’ attitude.”
Through MJM’s reputation, reliability and determination, it has secured a further set of new projects. The firm will help deliver a newbuild for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, which is scheduled for completion in 2021. MJM has been contracted to provide management support to the owner to oversee all outfitting.
“We are also proud to announce that we have secured a three-ship deal with Azamara to fit out areas onboard Azamara Pursuit, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest as they prepare to set sail under new owners,” says Annett. “In addition, work has been secured with Carnival Cruise Lines on new arcade venue The Warehouse onboard Carnival Legend, and we have been awarded all outfitting on Silversea’s Silver Wind as part of its ice class conversion.
“We have maintained client engagement throughout this difficult period and will continue to do so. The cruise and ferry refurbishment market has started to gather momentum, and as the industry picks up pace, MJM will build on our success and continue to adapt and grow, working with partners and owners, with innovation being key.”
This article was first published in the 2021 issue of Cruise & Ferry Interiors. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
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