Galley space suppliers meet challenges of boutique dining

The popularity of boutique restaurants is increasing the demand for specialised galleys that meet the most exacting specifications without?compromising economy and efficiency.

by Wendy Laursen

Cruise liner owners are increasingly moving to boutique and ethnic-themed fusion dining experiences for their passengers, and galley manufacturers are responding with increased sophistication in their space, power and water saving designs. This increase in more specialised galleys, distributed around a ship, has led to the evolution of modular prefabricated production systems, such as that being used in the biggest cruise ship catering project undertaken to date.

Finland based Loipart has secured the contract to supply 12,000m2 of catering space for the Genesis project, the first of a new class of giant 220,000gt cruise vessels being constructed for Royal Caribbean International (RCI) at Aker Yards’ Turku complex. This will be able to accommodate the enormous number of 5,400 passengers – certainly a catering challenge. The first ship in the series is due for completion in 2009.

The catering space order includes 5,000m2 of galleys, 5,000m2 of cold rooms and freezers, and approximately 800m2 of modular pantries. Most of the galley space is located on a single deck and, according to Juha Jokinen, chief executive of Loipart’s Swedish subsidiary, the main challenge in the catering side of the project is the sheer volume of galley space?required.

Loipart has converted its production facilities in Finland so that the company can produce prefabricated galley and pantry modules that can be installed on board much like cabins. “We build the foundations, walls and ceilings, and also install and connect all the equipment into the modules so the customer can see his own galley or pantry areas more or less ready – just as they will be installed,” says Mr Jokinen.

The refurbished production facilities have better working and equipment testing conditions than usually found on board ships under construction, particularly in north European yards where the winters can be harsh. “The shipowner will secure higher quality, and the shipyard makes quite a lot of savings too as we are not consuming its electricity. Also, the logistics are much simpler for the shipyard as fewer crane lifts are required,” adds Mr Jokinen.

Each module has a central plug-in point for electricity, water, drainage, brine and steam facilities. The modules are lifted into position later in a building process than when the work is done in situ, resulting in an intensive finishing off period in the last few weeks of installation.

Loipart continues to be engaged in other cruise projects, including the provision of turnkey catering areas of around 5,000m2 in each of RCI’s new Freedom-class ships (4,375 passengers). In total, Loipart provides galleys for around 90% of Finnish newbuildings and now has the capacity to produce over 15,000m2 of galley space each year.
The company currently uses around 1,500 tonnes of stainless steel annually, and the effects of rising prices on longer fixed price contracts has presented the company with a tough challenge.

Loipart’s equipment sales centre in Sweden has also been busy providing galley equipment, such as thawing cabinets, which maintain the structural qualities of fresh meat and fish by controlling internal humidity continually during defrosting. Units that occupy only around one square metre of floor space have the same capacity as a 10m2 defrosting room, says Mr Jokinen, and thawing time can be reduced by 70%. The company delivers equipment for an average of two ship’s galleys a day, much of it to yards located in Asia.

Mr Jokinen is positive about the continuing role that European suppliers will play in the industry globally. “Shipbuilders in Asia are coming more and more into the picture all the time, and we are not too far from the time when some of the big owners will order the first cruise vessels from Korea or China,” he suggests. “When that happens, they will really need European suppliers' knowledge and support in the early stages.”

The multinational Almaco Group is also active in Asia and, having opened a new office in Shanghai last year, has signed a partnership agreement with China’s Yiu Lian Dockyards to offer a comprehensive galley modernisation management service in the Asian region. Sensitive to the latest dining trends, owners are updating many older vessels so they can compete with the cuisine offerings of newer cruise ships.

Almaco’s ‘Total Modernisation Management’ concept allows an owner to place a single order that covers all aspects of a project, from planning and engineering to the complete project delivery. The company guarantees owners straightforward communication and management as the project is handled by one group from planning to final execution and is supported by Almaco’s global organisation and worldwide supplier network.

In one particular key project within the cruise sector, Almaco will be supplying refrigeration systems for RCI’s Genesis project, in what is the company’s largest contract for cruise ship refrigeration machinery yet. The order includes three separate systems that will cool the frozen spaces, the chilled rooms and food handling equipment, also the ship’s ice rink.

Some 97 air coolers controlled by a cutting edge computer system will keep accurate temperatures in the provision stores. The order also includes the design and supply of all secondary equipment, such as pumps, tanks, valves and instrumentation for the refrigeration systems and the refrigerant recovery unit.

Almaco has also been contracted to provide food handling systems for four aida Cruises vessels being built in Germany at Meyer Werft, each of which can accommodate 2,050 passengers. This order includes the supply and installation of provision stores, galleys and pantries, which will be delivered as prefabricated modules already fitted with all food handling equipment and surrounds. Aidadiva was completed in 2007, Aidabella will be delivered during this coming spring and two more vessels will follow in 2009 and?2010.

These liners will have all buffet-style restaurants on board to suit their predominantly German customers. The amount of surface space allocated to the galley areas is a highly challenging constraint, Almaco points out. While the average space on a cruise liner is generally calculated at 1-1.2m2/person, the new AIDA ships have only 0.6m2/person. “These restrictions necessitated careful use of space, adaptation of each piece of equipment and usage of every corner and recess to its full capacity.

“We became involved in the detail design at a quite early stage, and the resulting layouts have been optimised to fulfil all requirements made by the owner as well as to fully comply with every United States Public Health regulation,” comments Joseph Kerebel, manager, design and systems.

Norwegian Cruise Line exemplifies the trend towards the boutique dining concept with its freestyle cruise vessels that have up to 13 restaurants. Meal times are flexible, there is no formal dress code and there is no requirement for guests to dine at the same table as other passengers, unless they choose to. Norwegian’s latest freestyle 2,400 passenger ship, Norwegian Gem, started operation in late 2007 and features 12 restaurants, including the Tequila Latin/Tapas Restaurant and an authentic Japanese barbecue teppanyaki room. Almaco provided the provision stores and refrigeration machinery, SeaKing supplied the galleys including those for teppanyaki food, and?Hobart Global Marine provided warewashing equipment.

Almaco is, in addition, involved in the Pearl Seas Cruises’ (American Cruise Lines) mini cruise liner project taking place in Halifax Shipyard in Canada. In this case, the scope of the work includes technical and interior design for the galley, the cold stores and the refrigeration machinery, full turnkey material and installation, as well as complete responsibility for project management. This contract will be completed later in 2008.

The company is not just delivering cruise galley spaces. In 2007, Almaco was awarded the US$20 million contract for refurbishment of Bibby Maritime’s 336-cabin accommodation vessel being undertaken at Yiu Lian Dockyards. The project involves widening the hull by approximately 5.5m, splitting the existing topside accommodation structure in half longitudinally and relocating one half further to the starboard side, over the extended hull section. Over 730 tonnes of extra steel will be installed during this demanding project, which also includes the internal fitting of rooms, public spaces including restaurant, mess room, bar and galley, along with several passenger-flow and ship-wide systems.

Almaco achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification for its offices in the USA, Finland and France after an audit by Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The certification is valid until the end of 2009 and Almaco believes it is the highest international standard for measuring a company's quality management principles.

Norwegian class society DNV is now marketing a range of consulting and certification services to cruise ship operators, with the aim of enabling them to meet international and national food safety standards. The classification society’s services include facilitating the development of procedures such as Hazard Analysis/Critical Control Point Analysis, establishing hygiene practices and quality systems, carrying out benchmarking quality assessments and assembling SWAT teams to assess a ship following a suspected disease outbreak.

DNV suggests incomplete procedures, training and control are the main hazards, but design is also an issue. “One typical example in a pantry would be an ice machine with its door, when open, located opposite a dish wash sink with a showerhead rinse,” says Atle Ellefsen, principal consultant for DNV Maritime Solutions. “By specification and design review in the newbuilding stage, such surprises may be avoided.”

One of the leading suppliers of equipment to passenger ship galleys is Meiko, which provides professional warewashing appliances, tray conveyors, sorting equipment and food waste systems designed to ensure that high levels of hygiene are economically achievable. “A ship has to be self-reliant, whether in mid-ocean or on a river. Even a small deficiency can soon become a disaster in such a microcosm,” says Jürgen-Iver Sell, marine sales manager for Meiko.

“Meiko provides individual customised solutions with a technology that delivers maximum effectiveness and hygiene in a minimum of space. This is why Meiko and its machines have achieved such a large market share – each machine forms part of a tailor-made solution.”

Meiko has nine wholly owned subsidiaries in Germany and manufacturing and sales facilities in The Netherlands, Austria, China, France, Switzerland, the UK, Italy and the USA. The Genesis liner is amongst its most recent projects, and the four Solstice-class Celebrity Cruises vessels from Meyer Werft in Germany are also being fitted with Meiko warewashers and food waste treatment?system.

The vacuum technology employed in Meiko’s food waste system, WasteStar, uses air ejectors to remove waste from a feeding station to the holding tanks, without allowing unpleasant odours to escape. Modular construction allows the system to be integrated into meal preparation and washing-up areas. Meiko’s EcoStar warewashers have an Eco Filter which keeps the wash water cleaner, reduces detergent consumption and limits the power required to maintain wash tank temperatures, while the company’s insulated double-skin aids heat retention inside the washers and keeps the outer surfaces cool to the touch.

Hobart Global Marine received a string of awards in 2007 recognising its latest innovation in warewashing efficiency – the Premax system. Its flight-type warewasher, Premax FTP, is said to use up to 50% less water than conventional machines of similar size and to exceed the hygiene requirements of DIN 10510. The water reduction results from a patented nozzle system which distributes the water more efficiently among the wash by spraying from the sides as well as the top and bottom.

The nozzle design means that less water has to be circulated and, as well as the water saving, energy and rinse agent consumption is reduced. The energy management system is said to reduce consumption by up to 30%, and the design also reduces detergent consumption by up to 80%.

Another leading product, the Taifun vacuum biowaste removal system from MariMatic, is designed to reduce the risk of contamination by ensuring that waste is kept separate from food. The company is now working on a new water ejector system, which will be available to cruise ships this year, that offers power and space savings over the original air ejector design.

“Taifun water ejectors are economical and environment friendly,” says Daniel Seere, president of MariMatic. “The energy consumption is around 20-30% less than in conventional air ejectors, and the compact size of a Taifun water ejector gives more flexibility in the layout and design of the?galley.”

The water ejector machinery consists of a centrifugal pump, a water container and the ejector unit. The pump circulates water through the ejector chamber and creates a powerful flow that leads to strong suction in the system. If the temperature in the ejector’s water container is kept below 40°C, the system consumes 150 litres of water hourly. Operation is quieter than the air ejector and exhaust air is reduced by 40%. The water ejectors are said to be almost maintenance free and the service interval of the centrifugal pumps can be as long as five?years.

DL Services has also created a niche in the market, distinguishing itself from both turnkey suppliers and equipment specialists. General manager Daniel Laine likens the company’s role to a team of in-house galley experts. “We offer owner and shipyard complete freedom,” says Mr Laine.

The comprehensive equipment lists on the company website allows owners to compare the offerings of different manufacturers and, as an independent designer, DL Services works for owners to prepare food flow concepts, layout designs, itemised equipment specifications and turnkey specifications. The activities undertaken include checking the final mock-up, checking equipment before delivery, checking installation, and assisting with equipment acceptance tests and compliance reviews.

The company handles both newbuildings and refits, and DL Sevices has recently undertaken equipment and technical specifications for the galley modernisation of Oceania Cruises’ Nautica, Regatta and Insignia, as well the design and specification of all catering areas for another of the same company’s newbuildings. Projects for Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, RCI, Saga, Seabourn and V Ships have also been undertaken in the recent past. CS