Cruise lines are keeping their ships in operational mode or entering hot lay ups, according to Andreas Ullrich, global market leader passenger ships and ferries at Bureau Veritas (BV).

“A hot lay up is normally done for a short period of time,” he said, noting he was working from home in Germany as BV has taken precautions to safe guard its employees. “When you have a hot lay up you can reactivate the ship in a short period of time, less than a week, maybe even in two days.”

By all accounts, many ships are still in full operational mode if they are at anchorage with full crew and going back and forth to provision.

BV is working closely to support its clients, using technology for remote surveys, for example.

 “We can deliver classification service without being physically present,” Ullrich explained. “The crew onboard can use connected devices to show the ship’s condition in real time to a remote surveyor… we are flexible in finding solutions for our clients.

“Our goal is to support them in everything they do so when the time comes they can start operations quickly.”

For hot lay ups, logistical needs can pose the biggest challenge with a ship at a pier needing water, fuel and garbage services.

“Hot lay ups are one of the choices at the moment,” Ullrich continued.

Cold lay ups are another option, but are only recommend for ships out of service for a longer period of time, 12 months for example, he said. That would also mean more time, up to three weeks potentially, to get the vessel ready to re-enter operations.