Broad experience in newbuilding and repair translates into customer success

As the leading Italian private player in the shipyard industry, Genova Industrie Navali Group (GIN) offers a wide range of services in both new construction and repair in the cruise sector.

Since its founding in 2008, the GIN group has expanded its shipyard business, adding Chantier Naval de Marseille, which has the largest dock in the Mediterranean; and establishing Piombino Industrie Marittime with Fratelli Neri in the Port of Piombino, province of Livorno. To support the American cruise market, GIN also founded Florida Marine Industries in Miami.

GIN’s Gerolamo Scorza SpA based in Campo Ligure, Genoa province, specialises in outfitting and refurbishment and is well known for its centuries-old expertise in the cruise market and luxury yacht sectors.

Early 2021, Seabourn Venture, an ultra-luxury expedition passenger vessel being built to a new innovative design, will be berthed at T Mariotti shipyard for the building phase. Designed and built to PC6 Polar Class standards, Seabourn Venture and its sister vessel will have indoor and outdoor guest areas developed by hospitality designer Adam D Tihany. Each ship will have 132 luxurious oceanfront veranda suites.

Oceania Cruises’ Nautica, Regent’s Seven Seas and NCL’s Norwegian Breakway and Norwegian Getaway are among the cruise ships that have undergone refurbishment of decks, cabins and technical maintenance at the shipyard.

Gerolamo Scorza is currently involved in a “very challenging” refurbishment project for NCL converting cabins into intensive care units (ICUs) on several cruise ships that will call at ports in Europe. “This is concrete proof the Covid-19 pandemic is somehow inspiring great cruise companies in reviewing their standards for passengers’ caring,” says a GIN spokesperson in a statement.

Overall, the pandemic has forced cruise ship operators to re-examine their plans. “The refurbishment season had to be somehow re-thought, due to the Covid-19 outbreak,” says the company. GIN has met this “tough situation giving our contribution with high-quality standards, in line with customers’ expectations and keeping our fruitful co-operation with our long-standing suppliers, who are able to provide us with the ad hoc materials and also take care of all of the logistics management.”

Both selection and use of innovative materials and products that must comply with the precautionary and safety measures put in place against Covid-19 “represent the hardest match to play in major refurbishment and newbuilding projects,” says GIN, adding “We have to redesign spaces thinking about the elements’ versatility in terms of both luxury and functionality: this is a key factor, since the cruise ship world won’t look the same anymore.”