Erteline’s Cruise Furnishings

Charles Sciullo sales and service manager Norsk InovaIt’s been a busy four years for Erteline, with cabin furnishing contracts aboard all five of Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) Voyager-class ships at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, as well as on Costa Crociere’s Costa Atlantica and Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Pride.

Before being founded in 1998, the present Erteline facility served as Asko Furniture’s special product factory, itself boasting no shortage of cruise experience – providing furnishings for Carnival’s Fantasy class as well as several earlier RCI vessels, among other cruise and ferry clients.

According to Erteline Production Manager Jarkko Lautamatti, “A supplier cannot afford the slightest compromise in quality – therefore, the supplier has its own quality control system. Raw materials must fulfill high quality requirements, because it is not possible to manufacture high-quality products out of poor materials.”

Lautamatti also stressed: “In cruise fittings, the quality of the entire delivery is a major factor in winning a competitive bidding, however, I regard the suppliers’ reliability and promptness to be among the most important qualifications, as well as their flexibility in making changes.”

In addition to its cruise work, which comprises roughly half of Erteline’s production, the company also supplies hotels and other land-side clients. “The most significant differences between cruise and hotel fittings are their fire classification, endurance of humidity, and quality,” explained Lautamatti.

“Materials’ fire-resistant properties must be taken into account, and materials’ smoke-emitting properties also have specific standards to be followed.”

Climatic conditions must also be addressed, he explained. “The relative humidity of the air (during use) is higher than during any stage of the production process – so the main materials are always highly moisture-resistant.”

Another difference between cruise and hotel work, according to Lautamatti: “In cruise fittings, more details must be fit into a smaller space, and the weight of the fittings provides an extra challenge for their structural design. The fittings should be as light as possible without compromising anything from their structural strength.”

He continued, “The modem production of modular cabins, where fittings are fixed to the cabin walls, places special demands on the strength of the fittings. So combining all of this, we have a real jungle of requirements which the structural designers much manage.”

In the end, explained Lautamatti, “When designing cruise furniture, we must always remember that the vessel is constantly on the move, and that the carpenter must constantly learn to handle new materials and take their special properties into account.”

Schat-Harding’s Miami Center

Lifeboat specialist Schat-Harding opened a new service and sales center in Miami earlier this year, co-located with the office of Unitor Ships Services. Focused initially on improving service to the cruise industry, it will also coordinate sales and service for all ships using Florida’s port.

“We have 60 percent of the market share of lifeboats and davits for cruise ships,” explained Trygve Kjerpeseth, manager of the service department of Schat-Harding. “Miami and the Florida ports are at the core of the global cruise industry, so we need a team there to support our clients.

“We are developing more and more service contracts with cruise operators,” he explained. “That provides them with the maintenance, training and support they need to ensure their lifesaving equipment is always ready.”

The Miami facility includes a technical team to provide quick response to service needs, a spare parts depot and a sales coordination center.

NORSK INOVA

Norsk Inova has opened a new office in Fort Lauderdale to support cruise customers, where it will stock emergency parts for its incinerators, food-waste processing, and associated support systems, including glass crushers, compactors, densifiers, ash (vacuum) systems, and flue-gas cleaning systems. The new Fort Lauderdale office is run by Charles Sciullo, sales and service manager, who will oversee project upgrades, training, service agreements, emission certification, emergency spare parts, parts overhaul and exchange programs and will assist in warranty administration of new vessel deliveries in the Americas.

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