Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2020

9 1 Marine Interiors built custom cabins onboard Ponant’s Le Lapérouse and the Sun Deck on Seabourn’s Seabourn Encore and ensure this process is completed successfully, the shipowner, yard and contracted design department must work in complete cooperation. There are several ways that shipowners can reduce costs when it comes to construction and furnishing. For example, different room types will require different budgets; a 100-square-metre suite has very greater requirements to a standard inside cabin. There are also great cost- saving opportunities to be found in standardisation – with fewer types of chairs, curtains and wet units needed onboard, there is less time and money spent on the design, production and installation of each different style of item. Efficiency is a cross-industry buzzword, but for good reason. In the manufacturing and construction of cabins, efficiency can improve operations and reduce costs for all parties involved. In the past two years, Marine Interiors has reached its historical peak efficiency in terms of volume of walls panels produced per year. While standardisation and prefabrication have already helped us to improve operations significantly, there are other initiatives that could drive this further, for example in logistics. More intelligent tracking systems could further reduce costs and improve quality. We have already invested heavily in this type of solution, but optimised IT systems and automation would help us achieve true efficiency. Five years ago, we started exploring new ways to store the components we manufacture to make our warehouse operations more efficient. In the coming years, we hope to implement a tracking and automation solution that will further modernise our warehouse facilities. We have learnt a few things in our years of striving to optimise our own operations and the execution of interiors projects for ship operators worldwide. When considering how to approach cabin and wet room planning, design and construction, the most important thing is to involve your contractors from the beginning. For example, you need to know the builder’s point of view before the mock-up stage in order to balance your architectural and marketing needs with construction efficiency, and they need to understand your vision in order to successfully create the space. CFI Gabriele Cafaro is the CEO of Marine Interiors