V.Ships Leisure has taken over technical management of the former Seabourn Odyssey as it is now the Mitsu Ocean Fuji, said Per Bjornsen, CEO, adding that planning had been in progress for more than a year to decouple the ship from its previous owner.

Takeover

“We bring in a lot of cruise ships to our management every year using the same processes. It is complex but we have simplified it by replicating the processes and engaging with both the seller and buyer,” said Bjornsen.

V.Ships Leisure has taken over numerous Carnival Corporation ships for new owners, and probably has done more than any other management company, Bjornsen said.

For Mitsui, V.Ships Leisure is the technical manager and is providing itinerary planning support and support to Mitsui Ocean Cruises’ own hotel operation through its sister company, Oceanic Leisure.

“That includes all deck and engine recruitment, maintenance, planning of drydocks and wetdocks, implementing systems, compliance, safety management and additional operating platforms including our ShipSure system for planned maintenance.”

Bjornsen said the takeover planning of the ship was broken down by department, with the company implementing a project management tool to track progress and milestones. There are also big-picture governance meetings, he said.

“What is special and different about this, is that before we signed the contract, we went out to Japan with a team. We spent more time than we usually do with the senior management. We sailed on their Japanese-flagged cruise ship, Nippon Maru with them, and built the relationship. It has made it much easier to work together.”

Every Aspect

Large cruise companies often have long-term contracts for various services, ranging from engine maintenance to software systems. V.Ships Leisure plays a crucial role in evaluating these arrangements.

“We analyze what is in place and what we recommend. It is a combination of reset and taking over some aspects. In certain areas we can offer value with the scale we have,” Bjornsen said.

V.Ships Leisure was able to put some of its crew aboard the ship prior to the handover.

“And a number of the existing crew will stay on to help our crew familiarize themselves with the ship,” Bjornsen explained.

V.Ships Leisure is overseeing a wetdock for Mitsui ahead of the ship entering service later this year.

“We don’t expect many unknowns with good planning. We have spent a lot of time getting familiarized with the vessel and our new partner.”