Jan Kees Pilaar shares the secrets of Blohm+Voss’ success in the repair and refit market
By
Rebecca Gibson |
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2016 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Cruise ship refit and repair orders reached a record high at Germany-based Blohm+Voss Repair in 2015. While all of the renovated ships were delivered in time and within budget, one particular highlight was the refurbishment of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2. The ship arrived at the yard in mid-April and returned to service at the end of the month.
“The most challenging part of this project was that we worked for two separate clients – Hapag-Lloyd, who wanted to upgrade the ship, and the French newbuilding yard, which wanted us to complete guarantee works,” says Jan Kees Pilaar, the yard’s managing director. “Our top-notch project management skills ensured that we were able to complete the work on time and meet the wishes of both parties.”
Exceeding customer expectations is something Pilaar is keen to repeat in 2016. “The cruise ship refit and repair market remains important for us,” he says. “We’ve established a strong reputation in the segment and we want to do everything we can to maintain this good name and increase our order book.”
Blohm+Voss’s reputation has already earned it four cruise vessel refit orders for 2016. This summer, for example, the yard will carry out a month-long refurbishment on Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2 (QM2).
“The QM2 refit is already in full swing and we’ve set up a team to carry out detailed preparation work and coordinate the project with Cunard,” comments Pilaar, adding that the company will be working on all areas of the ship, completing steel and mechanical tasks, as well as interior upgrades. “Our team will join the ship on her final voyage to carry out inspections and prefabrication work so we can start the refit as soon as she arrives at our yard. We can’t allow the project to go over schedule as Cunard has passengers booked onto QM2’s voyages immediately after the drydock.”
Pilaar adds that Blohm+Voss’s large premises will also help to keep the refit on track. “We can store equipment that will be used during projects, and we have the resources to ensure that it can all be transferred to the ship according to the various contractors’ schedules,” he explains.
These facilities, combined with his team’s skills and the company’s high satisfaction rates, convince Pilaar that Blohm+Voss is one of the best yards for cruise ship repair and refit projects.
“Former customers are returning to us and we’ve even been in talks to arrange drydocks and refurbishments in 2017,” he says. “This shows that our customers trust that we have the knowledge, technical skills and extensive experience necessary to safely refit and repair cruise ships to a high standard.
“Several shipowners have even written to us to share how happy they are with the work we carried out, particularly because they were able to resume service without any disruption,” he adds. “I am extremely proud of this as it means that we’re satisfying our customers, which is our main priority on any project. Knowing that we continue to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations is always the true highlight for me.”