KEYNOTE A shipbuilding and refit masterclass Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings acquired Independent Maritime Advisors in April 2024. Marco Pastorino, former founder and managing director, shares shipbuilding and refitting memories and perspectives with Jon Ingleton Marco Pastorino was recruited by Oceania Cruises in 2007 as an independent newbuilding consultant to manage the delivery of Marina, the company’s first newbuild ship. He formed Independent Maritime Advisors (IMA) in 2010 while working on Marina and Riviera, and projects for Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises soon followed. IMA moved to London in 2015 and the company quickly grew into one of the most highly regarded newbuild and refurbishment teams in the industry. Norwegian’s acquisition of IMA in April 2024 feels like the end of an era. “Everyone in the market has known about a possible sale for some time, which is strange because for so long the company almost operated under the radar,” says Pastorino. “In our early years there was perhaps just one article about us in a local newspaper in Italy.” IMA was a low-key undertaking which nonetheless took on a huge responsibility in its role with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) and its brands. “It was funny reading so much about other newbuilding and refit teams in the industry press over the last 15 years, but nothing really about us,” says Pastorino. “But we weren’t looking for the exposure, we were very happy hidden from the camera directing our own business. I sincerely believe that NCLH has acquired the best team in the industry, and maybe now it will get the external recognition that it deserves.” After graduating as a naval architect and marine engineering in Genova, Italy, Pastorino worked for shipbuilder T. Mariotti, beginning with Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper and Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager. He then became a consultant working for a large cruise group that had just started building ships in Italy. As a naval architect whose past studies included lots of challenging mathematics, logic and physics, Pastorino was well suited to the complex projects and processes involved in building ships. “I noticed that there might be a lot of opportunity in the field because lots of ship projects were being managed by people with onboard experience rather than project management experience,” he says. “When I looked at the way things were managed, I saw a chance to make the process work more effectively and efficiently, for both the companies and employees. So I made the difficult decision to stop working for a big company and started working for myself.” A meeting with executive vice president of vessel operations Robin Lindsay and later with Frank Del Rio, then chief executive of Prestige Cruise Holdings, was a turning point for Pastorino. “I was fortunate to meet Robin and Frank in 2007 when they were planning on growing the Oceania fleet, and from that meeting I started working with Prestige Cruise Holdings,” says Pastorino. “Then when Norwegian bought Prestige in 2014 and Frank became the president and CEO in 2015, IMA took responsibility for all of the group’s newbuilding.” The one client approach proved to be an effective strategy for the success of IMA. “For me, it was important that we committed to dedicating our time to a client that trusted us to do a great job for them,” says Pastorino. “We were personally very invested in the relationship, with Frank, Robin and the rest of the group. We knew that if we continued to deliver great results, we’d be able to grow with them.” 10
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