Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2021

4 1 deck restaurant that can be transformed into an al fresco dining venue.” Finnish company Mäkinen was appointed as the interior contractor for all public spaces, guest and crew cabins. “We didn’t know if any China- based manufacturers would be able to provide us with high-quality soft furnishings, furniture, lighting and other decorative elements that would be equivalent to those you’d typically find on Europe-built cruise ships,” says Louis-Jacques. “Mäkinen has been in the cruise ship industry for many years and has partnerships with multiple Europe-based suppliers and equipment providers, so we knew we’d be able to meet SunStone Ships’ expectations with its help. “After lots of research, we were surprised that many of these partners were already manufacturing some of their products in China. Now we’ve built up an extensive database of China- based manufacturers that we know can provide us with excellent products for the remaining ships.” Completing an interior design project on the first China-built cruise ship has been challenging, according to Tillberg. “When we were working on the first ship, there was a lot of back and forth between our team and the shipyard before everything was finalised,” he says. “CMIH would send us a GA and we’d design interior spaces according to those specifications, and then we’d receive a new GA the following week with different measurements or information. We became an unofficial quality controller for the shipyard, ensuring that all processes were followed correctly and that we stayed on schedule. It didn’t take long for CMIH to familiarise itself with the processes and the first ship was delivered around three weeks ahead of schedule.” The project has continued to progress largely on schedule, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, only the delivery of the second ship, Ocean Victory, has been delayed. The vessel, which will sail for Albatros Expeditions in winter and Victory Cruise Lines in summer, was originally meant to debut in September 2020 but all parties agreed to postpone by a few months due to the shutdown of the global cruise industry. Instead, Ocean Victory was delivered alongside Vantage Travel’s Ocean Explorer in April 2021 and is expected to enter service later this year. Aurora Expeditions’ Sylvia Earle is also on track to begin operating in late 2021. These vessels will be followed by Vantage Travel’s Ocean Odyssey and Albatros Expeditions’ Ocean Albatros in 2022 and Ocean Discoverer (on charter to both Aurora Expeditions and Victory Cruise Lines) in 2023. “Covid-19 started in China, so everything shut down for around two months and we had no contact at all with the shipyard, but we were able to continue working on the drawings and design side of things in partnership with Mäkinen,” says Louis-Jacques. “By the time the pandemic fully hit Europe and the USA, businesses in China had already reopened and the shipyard was keen to keep to our original schedule where possible, so both our team and Mäkinen’s employees have continued working remotely.” Twice a week, Tomas Tillberg Design’s team hosts virtual meetings with the shipyard, Mäkinen and other contractors to enable all parties to share progress reports and updates. “It’s a great way to keep everyone connected in real time, even if we can’t be in the same physical location at the moment,” says Louis- Jacques. “People can highlight any issues and we can work collaboratively to find the perfect solutions to ensure that we produce high-quality vessels on time and within budget.” For many organisations, the rapid transition to a full-time remote working “ We’ve built up an extensive database of China-based manufacturers that can provide excellent products” Nedgé Louis-Jacques