FERR • NOVEMBER 2015•NO.11 Y, R O-R O ANDCRUISEINF ORMA TION F OR PR OFESSIONAL SPIRIT OFTASMANIA CARONTE &TOURIST REFUGEE FERRIES S HÖEGH TARGET FERRY ONORDER PEN ARBED NOVA STAR

50 YEARS 1965 - 2015 Published by: Shippax AB P.O.Box 7067 SE-300 07 HALMSTAD Sweden Tel: +46 (0)35 218370 Fax: +46 (0)35 130129

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Publisher: Elizabeth Mandersson

Editor-in-chief: Mike Louagie, Shippax A brief call at the Westerplatte Terminal (Gdansk) E-mail: [email protected] allowed for a short meeting with the Polish Shippax correspondents, Jakub Bogucki (left) and Advertising: Göran Freiholtz, Shippax Piotr B. Starenczak. E-mail: [email protected]

Statistics: E-mail: [email protected]

Subscriptions and Accounts: E-mail: [email protected] GAs and Jails

Graphic production: Annika Kuitunen, Shippax Belgium, my native country, has been in a state of shock after a journalist found E-mail: [email protected] out that detailed general arrangement plans (GAs) of prisons were available online. Proofreading: Andreas Lundgren Yes, prisons!

Photographers: Mike Louagie In the meanwhile we were trying to convince ship owners and yards to provide us Frank Behling George Giannakis with GAs of new and newly-converted ferries and cruise ships for the annual Ship- Søren Lund Hviid Tom Gulbrandsen pax Designs 15. Jakub Bogucki

Contributing correspondents: It is frustrating to see that, while GAs of prisons are on the web, we have had Australia dale Crisp Benelux Philippe Holthof considerable difficulties in obtaining GAs of cruise ships. Take, for example, the Canada Aaron Saunders Croatia neven Jerkovic NORWEGIAN ESCAPE. (I know, it’s the naughty boy in me who, in the context of Finland Eero Mäkinen the Belgian prison GA debacle, found the ship’s name quite appropriate.) Obtaining France Philippe Brébant Nathalie Bureau du Colombier correct data is becoming increasingly difficult nowadays - a surprising fact in our Germany Frank Behling Christian Eckardt digital world, in which seemingly everybody believes everything is just a few clicks Kai Ortel Greece david Glass away. Italy Angelo Scorza Japan Tsuyoshi Ishiyama Poland Peter B. Starenczak It is the same with getting permission to take photos, or conducting interviews Portugal luís Miguel Correia Spain Mike Barker with executives (typically nowadays, before publication is accepted by shipping Alan Lam U.K. Russell Plummer companies’ ‘public relations’ agencies, these are stripped of any remotely interest- Bruce Peter Susan Parker ing information). USA Art Sbarsky

Founder: Recently some of our correspondents have been invited for a press event on a Arne Steving, in 1965 navy grey painted ro-ro ship, which was not a warship though even although coin- Printers: Åkessons Tryckeri, Emmaboda cidentally it had the suffix “TARGET” in the name. Although it was a media event

Contributing correspondents and news items do not they were not allowed to take photos inside, and they were not allowed to talk necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors. to most of the crew, because these persons “were not media-trained”, as if a leak Information believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed. could occur at any moment. Journalists are often pampered, but what the profes-

No reprint or further distribution without permission. sional shipping press really wants is accurate information.

SHIPPAXCFI is owned by Shippax AB, reg no 556937-9414. Our target at Shippax is to pamper you with information. Your help in gathering data, statistics, knowledge and intelligence is much appreciated. We believe that ISSN 1102-934X © SHIPPAXCFI releasing information, and not keeping it ‘behind bars’ is to the benefit of the whole passenger shipping industry.

Mike Louagie 14 October 2015

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 1

CONTENTS

17 10 54 4 48

PHOTOS: RICHARD SEVILLE, ALAN BLUNDEN, MIKE LOUAGIE, REDERIJ DOEKSEN, STENA RORO COVER: dale crisp 68

COMMENT 46 TECH TALK 01 Asking the right questions

COMPANY PROFILE INSIDE STORY 48 Rederij Doeksen 04 Brittany Ferries économie: Value price, Brittany 52 Interview with Paul Melles, CEO, Rederij Doeksen Ferries standards nytt JUST DELIVERED THEME 54 KAIARAHI 09 Good times ahead for Condor Ferries? 58 LOCH SEAFORTH 14 The most unusual ferries in the world, possibly

REGIONAL PROFILE MIDSHIPS 62 Albania, what is the country’s cruise and ferry 17 News potential? 37 Statistics 68 Ireland-France: Success ahead 41 Projects and conversions 42 Fleet changes FERRY TAIL 43 On order: high-speed 72 Asterix, Obelix and Vercoutre

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 3 NOVA’S FADING STAR TEXT: AARON SAUNDERS PHOTOS: MARKO STAMPEHL

n April 15, 2014, the 161-me- arrival of NOVA STAR was greeted with that LNG facilities do not exist in either tre long NOVA STAR sailed excitement and optimism. of the ship’s turnaround ports. Ointo the harbour at Yarmouth, Both would turn out to be short- On top of it all, the taxpayers of Nova Nova Scotia, Canada for the first time. lived. In her first two operating seasons, Scotia are footing the bill, with no clear Originally built in 2011 as NORMAN things haven’t gone well for Nova Star idea as to what they’re gaining from LEADER for France-based LD Lines, Cruises. Ridership numbers for 2015 their “investment.” her contract was cancelled before she have been substantially lower than could ever leave the shipyard. NORMAN forecasted. A much-publicised an- The Route LEADER sat idle at the Singapore nouncement in August that the NOVA Sailing from Yarmouth to Portland is Technologies Shipbuilding yards in STAR had secured winter work as a nothing new: CN Marine had been Singapore until 2014, when she sailed ferry between Ramsgate, England and operating services to the region for a for Canada as NOVA STAR, the flagship Boulogne, France collapsed when the few years in the 1970’s before scrap- for the newly-formed Nova Star Cruises. Isle of Thanet Gazette in the UK re- ping it entirely. In 1982, Prince of Fundy Her formal entry into service one ported that the venture hadn’t even Cruises was established to provide month later marked the first passenger received permission from UK officials service between the two cities using the ferry service between the American and would not go ahead. A plan was newly-christened SCOTIA PRINCE, state of Maine and the Province of Nova floated to spend CAD$8-million refitting the former STENA OLYMPICA. The Scotia since service was terminated in the NOVA STAR for Liquefied Natural 2009 due to rising subsidy costs. Sailing Gas (LNG) operations, despite the fact from Yarmouth to Portland, Maine, the

4 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 company was bought-out in 2000, international travel, which is required to mick designed to bolster NOVA STAR’s and SCOTIA PRINCE reflagged in the enter Canada by any mode of transpor- perceived role as a pleasure cruise Bahamas. Under the new Scotia Prince tation. between Canada and the United States. Cruises banner, the ship sailed on American vacation habits are also The trouble is that no one will mistake between Yarmouth and Portland until changing. Gone are the two-week NOVA STAR for a cruise ship. 2004, when asbestos was discovered holidays, replaced with short weekend Unlike operators in Scandinavia, in the terminal in Portland. Struggling getaways as people grapple a changing where ferries like VIKING GRACE tend financially, Scotia Prince Cruises can- culture that frowns on being away from to offer all the amenities and features celled their entire 2005 season. work for too long. The surge in low-cost, you’d expect from a small but modern The route sailed by NOVA STAR no-frills airlines in the United States like cruise ship, NOVA STAR’s primary is a seasonal one, operating this year Southwest and Spirit means that flying function is as a transportation vehicle. between June 1 and October 13. Each to some far-flung destination is now Per diems are relatively high for little morning, NOVA STAR departs Yar- within reach of even the most modestly- to no amenities (food, for example, is mouth at 9:30 a.m. Atlantic Time, budgeted vacationer. Simply put, Ameri- basic and comes at an additional cost), arriving in Portland at 6:30 p.m. East- cans are flying to places like Las Vegas and staterooms are small and meant ern Time. Remaining berthed for 90 for their weekend getaway instead of exclusively for overnight crossings, not minutes, she then sets sail at 8:00 p.m. taking a ferry up to Nova Scotia. multi-day sailings. EST for Yarmouth, where she arrives at In their August 2015 Monthly Activ- The Portland Press Herald seems approximately 8:00 a.m. Atlantic Time. ity Report, Nova Star Cruises notes that to be dialed in to this discrepancy. In a With a capacity for 1,215 passengers, overall Canadian ridership fell from September 2015 article, the Herald notes NOVA STAR features private accommo- 5,848 passengers in August 2014 to just that while Nova Star Cruises’ offers dations for 652 guests in 163 cabins. A 2,881 in August 2015, representing an an overnight sailing aboard the NOVA total of 263 vehicles of varying sizes can overall drop of 40 percent. American STAR for USD$380 for two people in an be accommodated on the Car Deck, and ridership – which is lumped in with all inside cabin excluding meals, Holland NOVA STAR also features three onboard international visitors in the Report – America Line offers a weeklong Canada restaurants. rose six percent to 31,150 passengers in and New England cruise from Mon- Mealtimes might get a bit com- August 2015, though it is not clear what treal to Boston aboard MAASDAM for petitive: seating in all three combined is percentage of ridership is international. USD$1391 for two people in an inside only available for 424 passengers That Judging by the fact that American and cabin – meals included. is, if the NOVA STAR were sailing full. international guests have been lumped If you do the math, the per diem It’s not. together in one category, it isn’t much of aboard MAASDAM (Holland America a stretch to imagine numbers for one of Line) is just under two hundred dollars The Changing Face of North the two are disappointing. It’s also a far per day – or slightly more than one hun- American Travel cry of the 100,000 annual ferry ridership dred dollars per person, per day. Pricing A number of unfortunate economic the company had been expecting before NOVA STAR above the per diem of an and behavioural factors are conspiring entry into service last year. upper premium cruise line with all the against Nova Star Cruises’ plans on the Either way you cut it, one thing expected bells-and-whistles does little Yarmouth-Portland run. seems clear: Canadians just aren’t to draw consumers to the product. Hit by a falling Canadian Dollar that interested in utilising the ferry service. With the rise in cruise passenger now puts the U.S. Dollar on-par with Promotional activities seem to be con- traffic around the world, travellers who the Euro, many Canadians have curbed centrated south of the border, with Nova once might have taken a ferry to visit their impulsive weekend jaunts south Star Cruises noting they plan to attend a particular destination are now doing of the border. Canadians in general are “a travel trade show hosted by Friend- so aboard a cruise ship. An excellent graced with more vacation time than ship Tours” of Bloomfield, Connecticut. example of this was noted on Canada’s their American counterparts and nearly Friendship Tours has six motorcoach West Coast, where Black Ball Ferry Line 60 percent of the population holds a trips arranged in conjunction with Nova noticed a 25 percent decline in ridership passport valid for international travel. Star Cruises, “and are looking to add aboard the COHO from 2002 on the While Canadians reel from their more”, the report says. line’s Victoria-Port Angeles run; a drop falling currency, a different set of fac- The report does not mention plans consistent with the rise in cruise ships tors are keeping Americans away from to attend any industry conferences calling on Victoria’s Ogden Point cruise Canada. The Canadian Dollar hit parity across Canada or the United States re- terminal every summer. Whereas travel- and skyrocketed above the U.S Dollar lated to tourism, ferries or cruise travel, lers might have visited Victoria for the back in 2007. The Great Recession wal- which is particularly notable given the day from Washington State, many trav- loped the travel industry in 2008, and marketing strategy that the company ellers are now opting to visit Victoria as American travellers simply assume that has decided upon: brand NOVA STAR as part of a larger cruise vacation to Alaska. the Canadian Dollar is still an expensive a cruise ship. Back on the East Coast, a similar proposition for them, when in fact the situation is present. Any cruise line opposite is true. Will The Real Cruise Please worth their salt offers seasonal Canada Compounding the problem is the Stand Up? &New England sailings that call on relatively low number of Americans that Nova Star Cruises’ website proudly ports in Nova Scotia and New Bruns- have passports. According to U.S. State exclaims that the NOVA STAR offers, wick, particularly during the months of Department statistics, just 46 percent of “The fun of a cruise…The convenience September and October, when the fall the population has a passport valid for of a ferry!” It’s a neat marketing gim- colours are at their most prominent. The

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 5 statistics don’t lie: in the past 15 years, rival in port, at 8 a.m., all passengers will cheaper alternative exists: Bay Ferries’ the number of passengers arriving at the be required to briefly disembark and FUNDY ROSE. historic Pier 21 cruise terminal in Hali- go through Canadian customs, before Sailing between Digby, Nova Scotia fax has risen from just 162,000 in the immediately returning to the ship for and St. John, New Brunswick, FUNDY year 2000, to over 300,000 last year. a 9:30 a.m. departure and the 10-hour ROSE began life as BLUE STAR ITH- How does Nova Star Cruises plan return voyage back to Portland.” AKI for Athens-based Blue Star Ferries. to entice travelers to sail with them? As It was a masterclass in poor mar- Built in 2000, she was purchased by the this article went to press, the company keting. As a result of the Groupon, the Government of Canada in October of was holding a Christmas Tree Festival CBC notes that Nova Star Cruises sold 2014 to replace Bay Ferries’ long-serv- onboard the ferry, when most people just 10 tickets. Sadly, in a shocking act ing PRINCESS OF ACADIA. Renamed would prefer to forget that Christmas is of enabling, the Mayor of Yarmouth FUNDY ROSE, she set sail on her first merely three months away. said “We’ll take the 90 minutes.” That two-and-a-half-hour crossing of the Other promotions demonstrated a pat-on-the-back was enough to prompt Bay of Fundy from Digby on July 28, similar lack of forethought. The line had Danny Morton, Director of Cruise 2015, and PRINCESS OF ACADIA was experimented with a somewhat disas- Marketing and Business Development withdrawn from service the following trous Groupon offer in June, advertising with NOVA STAR, to proclaim the event day. a roundtrip cruise to from Portland to a success, stating that passengers would St. John, New Brunswick is just Yarmouth aboard the NOVA STAR that get a more authentic Nova Scotia experi- under 500 kilometres from Portland, would give visitors just 90 minutes to ence onboard the NOVA STAR than they Maine, with an approximate driving see Nova Scotia – minus the 30 minutes would on land. “They’re actually going distance of four and a half hours. One- the company warns it could take to clear to see a whole lot more of Nova Scotia way passenger fares in peak season are Canadian customs. right on board, with all the Nova Scotia CAD$45 per person, and a standard car When the Groupon was announced products that we have.” costs CAD$90. Even though it involves in May, the Canadian Broadcasting more time on the road, the journey Company (CBC) noted that the dis- FUNDY ROSE: The Forgotten aboard FUNDY ROSE costs substan- claimed attached to the coupon, which Alternative tially less and takes less time to arrive in offered discounts of as much as 30 per- Compounding the issues facing Nova Portland than NOVA STAR’s nine-hour cent off published fares, stated, “On ar- Star Cruises is that another modern, daytime journey from Yarmouth, and substantially less than the 13-hour over- night return voyage from Portland.

Subsidize Me The most concerning aspect of Nova Star Cruises is that the company, which appears to be largely feeling their way through the dark with their cruise- ferry hybrid business model, managed to smoke through every last cent of the CDN$28.5-million subsidy from the province of Nova Scotia during their first year of operations, and had already used CDN$8.1-million of their CDN$13- million 2015 subsidy by the first week of June. While Nova Star CEO Mark Amund- sen remained optimistic at the time that the company would not need to dip into the remaining five million dollars of

6 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 their subsidy, other stakeholders weren’t four companies – including Nova Star ment, blame it on the moon – things as enamoured. Nova Scotia Transporta- Cruises – to submit proposals for opera- aren’t working. The company is plow- tion Minister Geoff MacLellan warned tion of the route between Yarmouth and ing through subsidies even as ridership that the 2016 season is “theirs to lose.” Portland. continues to plateau. Their sales and Spooked by the fact that Nova Star The Yarmouth County Vanguard marketing efforts have been misguided Cruises spent their entire 2014 subsidy reported on September 21 that the Gov- and ill-conceived. Positioning the vessel in one go and appears ready to do the ernment has mandated that any service as a proper cruise ship in a region that same with the latest round of funding, would have to operate from at least has no shortage of cruise ships isn’t fool- MacLellan announced in May that the June 1 to September 30, inclusive. The ing anyone. Government would begin approaching Government clearly also wants to avoid Perhaps the biggest warning sign can potential operators for NOVA STAR’s having to do this sort of thing again in be derived from history itself: as much 2016 season. the future, stating in the Request for as it is tinged with nostalgia, the SCO- That sparked a flurry of accusations Submissions (RFS) that it intends to TIA PRINCE was tainted with bad ideas in Nova Scotia politics, with Opposition execute a Funding Agreement with the towards the end of her career, including Leader Jamie Ballie remarking to the winning bid that would cover the 10- a brief flirtation with sending her on CBC that, “The fact that they’re a year year period from 2016 to 2025, effective Caribbean cruises to the Yucatan Pe- and a half in and still don’t know exactly as of October 31, 2015. It also stipulates ninsula from Tampa, Florida during the what they agreed to with Nova Star that any vessel placed on the run must winter of 2002-03. She was withdrawn [Cruises] worries me greatly.” be secured within 45 days of entering from service and the run was aban- On August 20, MacLellan stated that into an agreement with The Province. doned in 2004, after the City of Portland Nova Star Cruises had not provided That statement puts the future of Nova evicted Scotia Prince Cruises for cancel- updated financial information until Star Cruises – and the NOVA STAR ling the 2005 Yarmouth season without that week. As a result of those financial herself – into serious doubt unless they prior notice. statements, the Province found that win the bid for operations in 2016 and The attempt to re-start service the company needed another CAD$1.5- beyond. between Nova Scotia and Maine by Bay million to resolve “pressing payables.” Ferries was scrapped in 2009 after the The Government also determined that Sailing Into The Nova Scotia government subsidies needed to ensure in order for Nova Star Cruises to meet Sunset the run’s existence got out of control. their expected 80,000 passenger total, As of this writing, it’s difficult to predict A decade after SCOTIA PRINCE the line would have to carry 58,129 pas- where things will end up this time next stopped sailing between Maine and sengers in just two months. year. One thing is clear, however: in its Nova Scotia, and five years after Bay By mid-September, the Government current form, the Yarmouth-Portland Ferries’ failed crack at it, NOVA STAR of Nova Scotia had had enough. They route is simply not sustainable. Blame seems to be sailing toward a similarly set September 25 as the deadline for it on the ship, blame it on the manage- ignominious fate.

8 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 Theme SPIRITS UPLIFTED TEXT and interview: dale crisp photos: tt line and dale crisp

The refurbishment of the Bass Strait ferries SPIRIT OF TASMANIA I and II was a massive undertaking. The work on both vessels was conducted virtually simultaneously. And all by a designer and a turnkey contractor working on the ­opposite side of the world to their usual sphere of operations.

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 9 At the end of September SHIPPAX CFI sat down with TT Line’s marine project man- ager Massimo Soprano, Figura owner Richard Nilsson and Trimline CEO Andrew Richards to discuss the project and all its complexities.

TT Line’s marine project manager Massimo Soprano, Figura owner Richard Nilsson, Trimline CEO Andrew Richards and John Crossland, also Trimline.

his refurbishment seems to AR: We had worked with Richard where it was possible. As an example we have been accomplished on a in the past but this is a newer relation- did the cinemas before the main works, Tvery short timeline. ship. Richard was introduced to us on we did the recliner lounge, we did the MS: We’ve been working on this project this project by Massimo. This was the cabins, the deluxe cabins. So anything for about 18 months, starting from when first time working together on a project that was possible to do before the main we began looking at different refurbish- of this size. As a business Trimline has work was done … ment options and from that point we grown quite rapidly, in the last two years moved into working on the concept we’ve pretty much doubled turnover. Have you refitted a ship still in serv- design with the assistance of Richard, We’re used to running multiple projects; ice before? and then through the tender process se- we’re now up to about 115 people and AR: Not to the extent that we did in this lecting the turnkey contractor Trimline we’re capable of running between 8 and case. We do a lot of work on the run and finally the implementation stage in 12 concurrently. on a lot of smaller projects but this was the last six months. a LARGE project … I’m not aware of What we needed was very much What were the greatest challenges? anything that’s been done a similar way what the market wanted, so we based RN: Hardest challenge was to get an ul- in the past. our concept mainly on customer feed- timate solution with all the people in, to MS: We looked at the passenger back. Of course in a refurb scenario you fit in all the features such as The Pantry numbers for this particular time of the look at similar ships, so we looked at ex and Tasmanian Market Kitchen and still year and we came up with the solution Superfast class and some of the things have loads of space, with seating that is of running the second ship with just that had been done that worked well, flexible so you can use it all over the day freight for about three weeks. And by and some things that didn’t work. So a even if you are not eating … The other scheduling some additional day sailings combination of market feedback and compromising thing, how do you get the on the already-completed SPIRIT I we benchmarking other similar operations people up to Deck 10. effectively managed to minimise any ef- really helped us develop the final con- fect on the passenger service. cept designs. There were no structural changes, Obviously doing a ship while it was RN: We have worked for Stena since which was important because of the still in service means there was a lot of 1986 and we had done STENA SUPER- enormous challenge of doing two extra effort in starting and finishing the FAST VII, VIII and X so we had some ships simultaneously. project every day but that’s what you experience of what might be done with MS: The decision was made that the two have to do … every morning and every the SPIRITs. When we met Massimo ships would be completed back-to-back. evening you have to wheel everything and Nick [Harriamn, TT Line GM retail Of course there was a drydock already on and off again! It was challenging but & hospitality] on board VII and VIII planned so logically the ship that was I think Trimline did extremely well in they could see what might be a common going to drydock was going to complete terms of getting into that sort of routine, experience, because Stena Line and we the refurb then, but then we had to in getting SPIRIT I ready for work and had done more or less what TT Line come up with a solution for completing then ready for sailing every day, prior wanted to do, to create a continuous ex- the second one. We looked at a couple to drydock, so that was like a drill that perience on board rather than separate of options that ended up working pretty Trimline carried on to be ready for areas, a whole harmonious walk through well for us and Trimline. One was to SPIRIT 2. It was quite an amazing thing the ship. Everything happened from use the time pre-drydock to take any to see. there. With input from marketing and opportunity to complete work ahead, Massimo we did the concept design. so we looked at all the areas of the ship Were the staff and contractors stay-

10 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 ing onboard SPIRIT 2 while it was you have done? from Stena Line: every seat is a commer- travelling backwards and forwards? AR: Because we were on board for a cial seat. You should never do something AR: The majority of the workforce longer period relationships were made, that is not commercial. stayed on board. Some of the local friendships were made, everyone was So that is what we always try to do. Tasmanian contractors came on board wanting the project to succeed. Often, if And in this case what was really nice whenever the ship was in Devonport … it’s a cruise ship it’s a much larger crew was the local touch. Earlier we went so they worked every other day. so you don’t make those relationships; if with international trends, you know, MS: Yes, galleys kept running … obvi- it’s a ferry more often that’s done in dry- what is fashionable in the city, coffee ously there were challenges with a large dock and a lot of the crew, especially the shops, things like that. But the Tas- number of contractors staying on board, hospitality staff, don’t remain on board. manian Market Kitchen (TMK) was a with Deck 7 completely refurbishing, so So this was fairly unique – but it has also really nice thing to do because it has to there were a number of onboard logis- helped us in planning for future refits. do with local feeling. tics issues to be addressed as well. MS: The key to the concept was that AR: Teamwork was the key, all Richard, there are themes running we are the ambassador of Tasmania the way through the project, with the through your previous work: what is and so the moment that you walk on principal contractor but also with the the same and what is different here? board the ship you start to experience crew on board, with the TT manage- RN: We always try to do things like they Tasmania. That’s something we’ve been ment team. The ships’ crew have been are a whole. We don’t like people walk- working towards for a number of years fantastic in feeding everyone, in organis- ing around going into one sack, going and this was really the opportunity to ing the cabins and keeping everything out again, into another sack getting highlight that even more. The TMK is running and that can’t be underesti- food. They should walk around, experi- probably the best example in terms of mated how important that relationship ence everything, there’s always some- showcasing Tasmanian products: during was throughout this project. An army thing around the corner that could be the concept we looked at things like marches on its stomach and this army interesting too. So people move around [Hobart’s famous] Salamanca Market to was particularly well fed! … once people move they are potential get the feel of things. So the TMK has customers for something; if they sit, that sort of feel, not only fresh but that How does that compare with others they’re not. This is what we’ve learnt Tasmanian feel, not only in the menu

“Once people move they are potential customers for something; if they sit, they’re not” Richard Nilsson

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 11 to not only travel on Deck 7 but go on and explore the decks above. RN: It is also very hard for ferries in that you have low season with few passengers, high season with many pas- sengers – so when you work with open spaces you have to have the areas nice even if you have just 30 people in the restaurant or 300. MS: The options for dining on board now probably address some of the issues in terms of expectations [which dif- fer for southbound tourist and north- bound commuters]. Now you can have a number of choices for you meal at the TMK: you can have a really high quality meal with main courses and all that, or you just grab a sandwich or a salad in The Pantry, or you can go and get a but in the actual look, the artwork, eve- you have to make the right decisions! pizza on Deck 9. rything that is Tasmanian. What we have achieved is we have AR: I think they have been very RN: Also we tried to integrate some opened up the space, and if you compare clever in the designs and in the service things that are Tasmanian, so all the to some of the other SUPERFASTs still levels that are offered. Not only have carpet has some kind of Tasmanian pat- in service in Europe the SPIRITs are they addressed it through the refurbs to tern in it, and the signage, and so on … very spacious inside. You find a lot ships the deluxe cabins which appeal to cer- you might not recognise it at once but with the centre casing, like these ones, tain people but also the recliner lounge it’s there. have a lot of problems of not having a has been completely re-modelled so that One of the things I like about the lot of open space. But I think we have it works for smaller groups of people, ferry business is that you have very maximised the opportunity for open- rather than a larger group where you’re short time to decide, very short time to ing up Deck 7 in particular, and we have sitting maybe eight across; now there decide great concepts of design because opened up 9 and 10. are smaller zones, and I think that helps nowadays owners are very late to make address it; also there are now two cine- their decisions but this is a very big fi- Deck 9 and 10 were just wastelands. mas, there’s the investment in Wi-Fi and nancial thing. You have a short time and MS: Absolutely. It really was the concept streaming and things like that on board

12 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 that appeal to northbound passengers something to now to capture their atten- a great testament, and to the teamwork: that need to be on board, for business tion and their interest for a day sailing, the marketing that has gone on around or whatever, rather than the tourists. I which really wasn’t there before. the re-launch has created a fair bit of think that addresses it very well. MS: It’s very early days to assess excitement here in Melbourne and in RN: And also the seating and the how these decks are working. We have Devonport as well: it’s been a real com- different styles. What you want is a only had a few day sailings so far – it is munity approach. comfortable seat and a comfortable ride, the first time we have ever included day to be able to do what you want to do – sailings in September [which is still low What were the biggest challenges it’s different if you want to eat, or want season] – but some of those have been from Trimline’s point of view? to read a book or magazine somewhere pretty busy in terms of numbers. It’s AR: It goes in stages. We talked about else. So we have different kinds of seat- been generally positive. the tender process; although we knew ing. AR: If you talk to the crew certainly the project was coming up and we’d met MS: We really touch every aspect people are distributing themselves Massimo at various events and times of the passenger experience. Accom- around the whole of the passenger space the actual bid process – the pre-qualifi- modation, dining, everything has been whereas before they very much clus- cation questionnaire through to tender really refreshed. Nothing has been left tered around the main Deck 7 bar and documents through to survey and then original. We felt it was necessary to go I’m sure as the season comes in we’ll submission was quite a compact period, through the entire ship to ensure the see that more and more. People find less than a month I think. We had to mo- entire product was improved. their zones and their spaces. As Richard bilise in a very short time, bring people mentioned earlier, the idea of people down for the surveying, go back and Even the Greek safety messages have moving through and keeping them mov- do the quote, so that was testing. Then finally been changed! ing has been well addressed very well. there’s the period where your tender is AR: One of the briefs that have been Everyone’s got a space. The crossings evaluated, so you have the concern over addressed really well was Decks 9 and I’ve done, it’s been nice to see people whether the bid is going to win or not; 10, which weren’t in a particularly good exploring, finding, enjoying the facilities we were very fortunate to be awarded in state. The refresh up there has made a that TT Line has provided. early February. huge difference. But also it’s the desire MS: The bookings are extremely So then we had to kick our plans off; to have more day sailings, to give people strong. certainly some of the items were quite more things to do, to address the whole AR: Those first day sailings which long lead-time items like some of the family from the teenagers to the adults had never been done in September recliner seats, the carpets, decisions to the young children: they’ve all got before were very well booked, which is needed to be made very quickly. Mas-

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 13 simo and Richard were very helpful, travelling to our site in Southampton, spending time with our project manag- ers and our supply chain staff to start that selection process, confirming things as we went into the drawing cycle. Then it moves into the waves of the logistics of manufacturing and sourcing the product, doing the technical surveys and drawings. The logistics of this was probably the biggest challenge. The physical side of it, although they’re large ships and there’s two of them, nothing was actu- ally that complex. There wasn’t a lot of steel work, more interior work but the scale and the distance and that the fact that we were being asked to do one of the vessels on the run, which certainly Bar 7 added new challenges! In our knowledge of Tasmania, we have in the business people who’ve lived Reading Room down here locally, I’ve done business down in Tasmania before, we knew how important the local element was. We opened an office down here very quickly, we had someone on-site within 2-3 weeks of project award, looking at how we interact with the local commu- nity. All part of the challenge but also part of the opportunity. We’ve come away having met some wonderful partners; we’ve put in a whole new supply chain down here in terms of capabilities; a lot of those we hope we’ll work with in the future but also they’re now on-site to be able to support TT Line going forward, which is great.

Did everything run to timetable in the end? AR: We’d like to do five ships! Because the first one is always more challenging, TMK or Tasmanian Market Kitchen the second one becomes easier, so if we did three or four we’d be on a roll. The first one we finished to schedule, the second we actually finished three days early, which was fantastic. Everything is always tight on time and this was no dif- ferent! Especially when you are building some of the items that we couldn’t get in Tasmania, and shipping them in from Britain or the States, and there you are looking at a six-weeks lead time, just for shipping. We used sea freight, air freight, a mixture of everything – I think some things were even hand-carried in. We employed a dedicated logistician for this project, which we haven’t done in the past, and he’s stayed with us and will help us with future refits because we’ve learnt a lot through the complex-

14 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15

ity of this that we’ll use going forward. way things fit with the normal day-to- of the compressed timeline. That’s a MS: It is useful to acknowledge how day operations of the ship. good reason why it has been so suc- the logistics were delivered and how AR: It was all about de-risking the cessful, we have been able to help each well Devonport worked as a base for process. Although we’ve done work in other, save time, share information, Trimline. It was extremely well organ- Australia before they’ve tended to be always teamwork. ised, our terminal site was re-arranged shorter duration refits where we haven’t AR: One thing that stands this out to accommodate this project and it had to have the same requirements. On from several: we say we are a turn- worked extremely well. A lot of people an international seagoing ship, our peo- key contractor and TT Line has really were working in the background on our ple may be on for a week. Here we have embraced that whole principle and that side to support the project, the logis- had people on site for several months: did help to de-risk the project in that it tics side: the terminal services, people different things had to be understood was very clear who was responsible for helped us the in the freight department. about tax, visas, all those sort of things, what, who was doing that. One point It was quite impressive to find out, ex- which added to the complexity but also of contact with Massimo as the clear cellent! It just happened, we didn’t have the interest of the whole project. project manager led to quick decision- to ask. Trimline articulated their plan to RN: This project has been the most making, clear lines of communication. If use Devonport as the logistics base very communicative between us and a con- things weren’t going well we could have well, and it was very well delivered the tractor that we have ever had, because a discussion; if they were going well we

“The journey starts when you say ‘yes’ on the website” Richard Nilsson

Deck 10, Top Deck Lounge

Deck 9 Reception

16 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 knew all the time what was happening. the time passengers get on board until local community. Sometimes when people don’t embrace they go to bed, and very little time the It’s an island state: they have an in- that on turnkey it becomes very compli- next morning. So you need to package vestment in that ferry line as part of the cated and messy. It was very clear we something that is deliverable in that service and part of the state. Everyone were responsible for delivering the refit period of time, and it has to be good. I has pride in where they are and where and it was our opportunity to sink or think now that the ships provide that they’re working – that was accentuated swim doing it. sort of environment. From our side, now this time by the locality; can’t not be in I came back out towards the end of we are fine-tuning the operations, the Devonport … when a SPIRIT vessel is the second refit and expected it to be all delivery of the service, making adjust- moored up it’s such a dominant part of hands to the pumps, so to speak, with a ments when they are needed. the local community. week to go but it was all very relaxed, a RN: It’s very hard to come into peo- credit to our project management team One of the biggest challenges of ferry ple’s home and say ‘that has to go here, and our contractors. We could concen- operation like this is the embarkation that has to go over there’. So they (the trate on the fine finishing, the detail and disembarkation process, and how crew) have to be involved. work, deliver a really good job on these to integrate the unavoidable logistics MS: Certainly the project was em- two ships. of boarding cars and passengers with braced by a lot of people internally. We the on-board experience. spent a lot of time talking to people on Typically with a project like this, RN: The journey starts when you say board about the changes. There must do you each in your own roles re- ‘yes’ on the website, I think. So it’s very be some sense of ownership, a great visit from time-to-time to see what’s important that all the way through, all involvement from everyone. The overall working and what’s not, or wait for the chains, are addressed from a design structure of the ship works very well feedback from the client? point of view and a management point now in terms of service delivery. RN: If it’s possible we do – maybe not if of view, to make the most of the trip. it’s in the Galapagos! But the feedback The experience of the whole things is What’s next? from the client and contractor is so important. RN: We do both land-based and marine important, because then we learn some- AR: It is very unusual for a ferry business, like 50:50. Land is really hot thing for next time. line to do its whole fleet in one go. This right now but we’re doing a couple AR: For us this is a part of it: we’re was as much a part of a relaunch of the of small projects for Stena Line and a back almost a month after the last SPIR- whole service, not just the ships. New secret big project! IT was finished to see how it’s settling uniforms for the crew, new food, new AR: From our side it never stops. in. We’ve obviously got a commitment website, new presentation – and it re- While this has been going on we’ve to see that it work through a guarantee ally was unusual: normally it would be completed a couple of military projects, period but we also want the relation- staged over several years if the fleet’s we’ve done three small refits on explor- ship with TT Lines, and that has been so bigger, certainly maybe one one year er cruise ships, and we’re just entering good with Massimo, to continue. and the other the next year. It’s a big the main refit season with Disney, Aza- We need to learn, we’re evolving, undertaking and in some ways a big risk, mara, Thomson, some large contracts nothing stays still. We learned from putting all the eggs in one basket. and we’re also quoting on some quite Masimo that we could have done better, MS: We saw a lot of bad examples large ferry contracts as well. there’s advice we get that helps us learn. of ships that were refurbished just in Also while this is a relatively small mar- certain areas and you really see the In some respects it’s unfortunate that ket place you need those good customer difference … I don’t think it’s a great this would seem to have been a tre- relations, you need the good clients, experience. Unless things are planned mendously successful project but it is you need the referrals. We don’t know properly and you have a plan to refur- on the wrong side of the world. What where will be working next. bish over a set period of time … we saw else is there down here to do? ships where some parts just weren’t RN: You have New Zealand … Do you both like doing ferries and touched. It doesn’t look right, it doesn’t AR: On the ferry side it’s a relatively cruise ships? feel right. That’s why we wanted to small market, but there’s cruise, there’s RN: I think ferries are the most chal- touch the whole product: you walk the military, cruising in the Australasian lenging. For example on the Irish Sea on board and it’s a refreshed product region is becoming more and more im- you have two million people traveling everywhere. portant and will continue to grow. per year; cruise ships you have 1,200 or AR: The crew really embraced the RN: Stena Line did the refurbish- 3,000 people captured for a week and whole process, not only the refit but ment of STENA ALEGRA (KAIARAHI) they can’t move. On a ferry they might the investment that’s gone back into in Singapore, for chartering. Stena Line be there for one, two hours and then their brand, their business. A different has many ships .. we did a couple of pro- they go … the challenge is to make them approach to customer service, differ- posals last year for people who would want to go back, when they get off the ent food, different facilities, and they’ve charter them, this could be interesting ship to say “I liked the journey”. been fantastic. The vast majority of the for Trimline too. MS: You don’t have a great deal of crew come from the northern part of AR: We are a global contractor. We time to deliver the experience. So I Tasmania. So there is definitely a brand are currently running projects in Spain, guess now we have created the condi- ownership, a community spirit and an the UK, small ones out here still, the tions for that experience to be delivered, interest that flows through, and also so Bahamas, you have to be prepared to or to be improved from where it was many of the people we had working on operate where the customer will take before. You’ve got only a few hours from the ship during the refit came from the you.

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 17 +46 31 3362770 www.figura.com [email protected]

spirit of tasmania I & II 2015 conversion of two passenger ferries 3 decks all new design

YOUR PARTNER IN SUCCESSFUL DESIGNS! “PROBABLY THE BEST RO-PAXES IN THE WORLD NOW” INTERVIEW WITH TT LINE’S CEO BERNARD DWYER text: DALE CRISP

hen Tasmania’s TT Line The renamed SPIRT OF TASMA- heavily weighted in favour of Tasmania’s bought the Attica Group ro- NIA II and SPIRIT OF TASMANIA burgeoning tourism while northbound Wpaxes SUPERFAST III and I, respectively, also play a vital role in the service plays a commuter role for SUPERFAST IV in 2002 it was a game- the island’s freight sector, offering the residents travelling to mainland Austral- changer for Australia’s island state. latest departures and earliest arrivals in ia. The expectations of the two sets of For the first time the state gov- a market also contested by the freight- customers can be completely different. ernment-owned company could offer only Toll and SeaRoad groups. And while TT Line (originally overnight Bass Strait crossings each way But while TT Line has the Bass Strait derived from Transport Tasmania) oper- between Devonport and Melbourne 365 sea passenger business to itself it also ates on a fully commercial basis and at days of the year, with additional day has to deal with contrasting require- arm’s length from its sole shareholder it sailings during peak periods. ments: the southbound market is very is nevertheless subject to the whims and policies of the state government of the day, often driven by election-focussed politics that can provide unwarranted distraction. Nevertheless, on 2 December last year the current Liberal government approved the TT Line board’s business plan for a $31.8 million total refurbish- ment of the passenger decks of the two SPIRITs, which had remained largely unchanged since their Mediterranean e cr is p

l days. a At the same time – with the refits of both vessels taking place virtually con- : d photo currently, on one vessel during routine SPIRIT OF TASMANIA I and II drydocking while on the other while still in (reduced) service – TT Line has Before the conversion After the conversion taken the opportunity to relaunch and Deck 7 Deck 7 refresh the SPIRIT OF TASMANIA One cinema Two professional standard cinemas brand, in a co-ordinated campaign that Captain’s Table cafeteria style restaurant Tasmanian Market Kitchen self-service signature dishes dovetails explicitly with the Tasmanian Leatherwood a-la-carte restaurant The Pantry snacks, supplies and Tasmanian products Government’s push to increase visitor Tasmania at Sea souvenir shop The Reading Room Reception/Purser’s Desk/staff offices Reception/Purse’s Desk/staff offices (re-located) numbers to the state by almost half. Children’s Playroom Bar 7 A record 988,000 people visited Tas- Star Club gaming lounge/bar Admirals Gaming Lounge mania for the financial year to end-June Tourism on Board Tourism Hub (re-located) 2015, with international tourists up 22% Lavender Café Flavours of Tassie sampling station and the local market growing 13%. But Horizon Bar in a state that has traditionally lagged

Deck 8 Deck 8 behind the rest of the nation in employ- Ocean Recliners New Ocean Recliners (and reconfigured lay-out) ment and business activity, at least in part thanks to its relative isolation, tourism is Deck 9 Deck 9 seen as the way of the future and the gov- Deck 9 bar and kiosk Terrace Lounge Bar – live acoustic entertainment ernment has set an ambitious target of Games arcade Games Zone attracting 1.5 million visitors per annum, Deck 10 Deck 10 drawn by Tasmania’s natural beauty and Due South bar & kiosk Top Deck Lounge & Bar, with activities and performers clean green reputation, by 2020. Children’s Play Area The massive task of achieving the Gaming Station rebirth of the SPIRITs and realising TT Line’s role in accomplishing the gov-

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 19 ernment’s aims falls to the company’s TT Line’s strategy for the SPIRITs is to executive team, led by chief executive offer more daytime crossings, all year officer Bernard Dwyer. round. Mr Dwyer took up his new role “This refit is all about carrying the last November, having previously been same number on board, but with more director of tourism at Tasmania’s Fed- day sailings we will carry more over 12 eral Group, the state’s leading operator months than we’ve ever been able to of hotel-casinos, resorts and boutique do,” Mr Dwyer said. “That was the only accommodation. Before that he was a area for growth available: We couldn’t management consultant with KPMG put on any more evening sailings, we’re and PricewaterhouseCoopers. flat-out all year. In the winter months In his Federal capacity Mr Dwyer it’s always tougher to fill of course, and for many years had also been a non- we sell out car spaces before we fill with executive director of the TT Line board, passengers. a position he relinquished when taking “So, for example, the recliner lounge over as CEO. His appointment, several area is really nice now and we’re making months after the departure to a toll- sure they’re available all year round so road company of previous chief Charles that provides a boost to numbers. The e cr is p l Griplas, was widely welcomed by the vehicle decks’ passenger/freight mix is a tourism sector. 60/40 and has been for a few years now:

SHIPPAX CFI spoke to Bernard Dw- the additional day sailings will in effect : d photo yer on board the transformed SPIRIT give us more passenger car/caravan/mo- Bernard Dwyer OF TASMANIA I. bile homes capability, because not a lot of freight will travel on the day sailings. A TASMANIAN SHOWCASE There will be 105 day sailings this year. in passengers, unfortunately, so it’s re- With limited ability to increase capacity “We need to be really careful be- ally lumpy. That’s why we’ve previously on and frequency of night-time sailings cause the service we offer, particularly done day sailings in the high season, for perishable freight from Tasmania, is to make sure we take every passenger based on us being last to leave Devon- we possibly can. Sometimes not all the port and first to arrive in Melbourne freight can get on – not only with our- (and vice versa). That enables us to get selves but also Toll and Searoad – but freight from the south of the state to the normally by the end of the week freight north of the state on any day and then is cleared out of Tasmania.” onboard for that all-important early Despite the increased emphasis on Melbourne arrival. As I understand the tourists, the government has asked TT new SeaRoad vessel [now under con- Line not to reduce the amount of freight struction at Flensburg and due for deliv- - but nor have they asked the company ery in late 2016] will still not be as fast to increase the freight, either. as the SPIRIT vessels so we still need to “They want us to maintain the fill that need in the freight market,” Mr current split, without change of that em- Dwyer said. phasis – but they do want us to be much “The high season in freight is the more of a tourist entity. This one-and- high season in passengers, and the low a-half million people into Tasmania by season in freight is also the low season 2020 is sacrosanct for the government.

The Pantry Tourism Hub

20 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 It’s not only us driving that, it’s the rather than they come once and then the way they’ve gone about it over the Tourism Council, T21 [a government/in- go some other place. There was a lot last three weeks in particular is astound- dustry partnership that has prepared the of discussion over many, many months ing, it’s just fantastic. We’ve improved Tasmanian Visitor Economy Strategy over how it should look, what are the their home: new uniforms, refurbished 2015-2020), other bodies, who recognise facilities we need to improve, what more crew cabins, a whole new work en- that we need to set a new visitor base for can we offer. vironment. They have contributed a the state. “Once the government approved the tremendous amount of input. Certainly “We’re so proud of turning the business case things moved very quickly. from an operational perspective: they’ve whole ship(s) into a Tasmanian show- We were really raring to go: if they said “Have you thought about this, you case. You’ve got nine hours or three wanted us to do it, if they allowed us to should be doing that” … the buy-in has hours [‘active time’ on board during day do it, we needed to have this ready to been tremendous. And we listened to and night crossings, respectively] … for go so we could have it completed before them.” Sometimes you have to set the people travelling to Tasmania this is the the high season. We knew roughly what plan and get on with it, nevertheless, Mr start of their holiday. It doesn’t really the costs were going to be and we’ve Dwyer said. start when the get to Tasmania, it starts been pleasantly surprised that it’s come We’re well aware that we might not as soon as they board our ship. “It’s a in on time and on budget. get this right in the first three or four bit different for Tasmanians coming to “This is probably the best ro-pax in sailings, this may take time. But let me Victoria, because it’s a way for them to the world now, from a passenger com- give you an example: I was involved in get off the island. fort point-of-view. setting up Saffire [Saffire Freycinet five- “But their early reaction has been The inevitably legacy of buying sec- star resort, a winner of multiple national great. People love the open spaces, ond-hand vessels is that there are carry- and international awards, located on they’re loving the fact that we’ve im- over aspects of their previous life. But Tasmania’s East Coast] and I reckon we proved the food content, especially. The now TT Line has ‘created its own ships’. changed the breakfast menu and service new food offering really caters for the The transformation is stunning and the five times until we got it right. And full gamut of passenger requirements attention to detail is very impressive. that’s what I’ve said to the guys here: at and we’ll fine-tune it over time … I think “And there is still more to go. I come first you mightn’t get it right, you might you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” out of a background of running hotels need to change things. But let’s do it. How did TT Line set a budget for and you’ve got to have your eye on the “Let’s change things based on the this? Did it create a wish list and then go detail, absolutely. Going forward it will customer feedback, and we’re putting to the market to see what it would cost be more of a hotel operation … this is the mechanisms in for that right now. and what was achievable? about the customer experience, the We’re investigating putting in a system “We did the research on what cus- guest experience, and showcasing Tas- I’ve used before, where rather than hop- tomers actually wanted on a service like mania at every opportunity. ing you might fill out some form we’ll be ours. We matched that with our ideas “It’s a very functional transforma- sending out instant emails saying ‘here’s on how we could improve that service tion, though, that hasn’t required any all the information, please let us know’. to attract more visitation to Tasmania,” increase in human resources in terms In some cases you’ll actually receive that he said. “Our people have been looking of hospitality staff; we’ve just moved email even before you get off the vessel. at this over a couple of years, looking in people around so that the focus has That’s what you’ve got to do, if you’re Europe at similar operations, to under- shifted from all on Deck 7 to Decks 9 going to take feedback seriously and stand what the overall business case and 10 which, I agree, were previously honour it.” might be and then to formulate the right wastelands. mix. “There’s a spring in the step of our THE CEO AS A CUSTOMER “This is all about getting people to crew, who have been just fantastic. The Mr Dwyer is intent on sifting through travel a second, third and fourth time, amount of work that they’ve done and every part of the customer experience to

Left and right: Tasmanian Market Kitchen (TMK)

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 21 Atlantic extra high back with leg rest and reading light.

improve it. “I live in Hobart and I work in “It’s a daunting task to take your car on a vessel Devonport and Melbourne. So I drive if you’ve never done it before” to Devonport on Monday, and I usually Bernard Dwyer cross to Melbourne on the ferries on the Monday or Tuesday night and reverse the journey later in the week. So I’m don’t worry about that, these are the has already improved the experience sampling the product all the time. reasons”. enormously. Not only are we confiscat- “I’ve been able to give feedback to “It’s a daunting task to take your car ing a lot more material than was ever the leadership team: I sit in the queue, on a vessel if you’ve never done it before. taken in Tasmania but the experience in in the car, like everyone else. Why am I There is so much happening around Devonport is now that you’re just about not getting practical boarding informa- you that you can easily be bewildered. straight off and away: there’s no hold-up tion? You say it’s on the ticket, it’s all People don’t know what a quarantine for your holiday. “And that’s the way it there, but I don’t hear that from custom- inspection is, how it happens or why. It should be.” ers … what’s wrong with getting the guy can be intimidating. We’re starting to go At the time of this interview day sail- that actually puts you in the queue from through all those things. ings bookings were already up 127% on saying “Oh, by the way, this queue may “Moving the quarantine proce- the same time last year, partly, of course, board at a different time than that one, dures from Devonport to Melbourne because of the additional voyages on

22 SHIPPAXCFI – NOV 15 offer – but the company has never had state? What about the strict commercial “The only direction I’ve been given people book so far in advance at this reality of running two 29-knot vessels by the government is, we need to in- time of the year. flat-out across an often-unforgiving Bass crease our passenger numbers to assist “I can’t say that it’s all of our market- Strait each-way twice a day – not exactly with that 1.5 million goal, and we don’t ing and all of our messages in the market a cheap operation? expect you to carry any less freight that have generated this, to be honest, “If you’re putting an extra 33 day than you’re carrying now. We’ve also because Tassie is on a bit of a tourism sailings on per year you’re wearing the said we’ll reduce fares by 14.8% over resurgence, there’s no doubt about that. vessels out that much faster, so we will four years and we’re on track for that What we’re aiming to do is facilitate that be increasing our preventative main- now. and contribute as much as we can. tenance to ensure these vessels can do “Am I confident that’s sustainable? “But the marketing campaign around that for the longer term. There’s no It has to be. It will be a combination of the refurbishment has been remark- impediment in the government’s mind increasing the utilisation of our vessel able for its success, especially on social as to how we operate the business, Mr and increasing our ‘share of wallet’ of media. The first video we put out had Dwyer stressed. our passengers. It really is a numbers something like 40,000 hits in two If your profits decline because of game.” weeks, absolutely unheard of for any- the way you’re operating the vessels, As for TT Line’s most obvious com- thing we normally put out. And that’s but you passenger numbers increase, is petition, Mr Dwyer believes the airlines kept going as people have followed our that an acceptable result for the govern- are really in a different market. “From progress. ment? time-to-time they flood with $49 fares “Part of our branding effort is to “It probably is an acceptable result and that makes a bit of difference at the increase our customers’ knowledge of for the government but it’s not accept- margins but we market ourselves as a what we do and how we do things. It’s able to me or my executive team. We different product: you take your vehicle the social media equivalent of getting pride ourselves on running a profitable and you travel around at your conven- that guy in the queue to tell you more, so business. We need to know we’re run- ience in your time, not just fly-in fly-out. you’ve got the knowledge. ning it in a way that generates the capi- “It’s far more romantic here now, Is TT Line going to be judged solely tal to [eventually] replace these vessels. the whole sea thing – just look around on passenger numbers it brings into the I can’t do that if we’re making losses. you!”

DeLuxe Suite

NOV 15 – SHIPPAXCFI 23