Products & services

NIT Naval Interior Team announces changes in the management and ownership

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 15 May 2025 15 May 2025

Oy NIT Naval Interior Team Ltd.’s ownership base has been expanded. The new shareholder, Roni Nuttunen, who is the company’s long-term project manager, will strengthen the company with his extensive project management skills and expertise. Sebastian Lagerlöf, Jari Suominen, Ilkka Hiekkanen and Juhani Määttänen will continue as shareholders of the company.

Roni Nuttunen will join the company’s Board of Directors and Management team. The new board held its first official meeting on May 9th, 2025. The Board of Directors consists of Chairman Kari Pöri and members Jyrki Heinimaa, Ilkka Hiekkanen, Sebastian Lagerlöf, Juhani Määttänen, Roni Nuttunen and Jari Suominen.

The Board of Directors of Oy NIT Naval Interior Team Ltd has decided at its meeting on May 9th, 2025 to change the company’s Managing Director. The company’s shareholder and board member, Ilkka Hiekkanen, has been appointed as the company’s new Managing Director. He will start his position immediately. Hiekkanen will continue to be strongly involved in Turku projects, as he has been until now. Nuttunen will maintain his role as project manager for the public areas of Turku projects.

At the same time, the Managing Director of NIT Naval Interior Team GmbH will also change. The company’s shareholder and board member Juhani Määttänen has been appointed as the new Managing Director. He will start his position immediately.

The outgoing Managing Director, Sebastian Lagerlöf, will continue in the company’s Management team as Sales Director, on the Board of Directors and as a shareholder.

NIT is a Finnish turnkey shipbuilding company, delivering full-service solutions from concept to construction for any type of vessels.

V.Ships Leisure launches dedicated service offering for large yachts

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 09 May 2025 09 May 2025

V.Ships Leisure, part of V.Group has launched V.Yachts to provide bespoke management, crewing and consultancy services to the yacht sector, the company announced recently. This dedicated offering will provide yacht owners with access to in-depth industry expertise, as well as allow them to take advantage of V.’s global scale and reach, to help enhance safety, compliance and efficiency.

V.Yachts will be based in Monaco and will provide an integrated offering of professional services for large yachts, primarily in private use. With an emphasis on collaborative partnerships, the team at V.Yachts will work with yacht owners to deliver solutions spanning technical management, International Safety Management Code compliance, new build and refit project management, crewing, crew travel, digital payment solutions and insurance.

Having managed yachts for a number of years, the creation of V.Yachts is a natural evolution for V.Ships Leisure and comes in response to growing interest in the yacht sector, involving a rise in operational and maintenance costs, safety concerns, regulatory compliance, crew recruitment and retention challenges as well as demand for a more curated experience.

Speaking on the launch of V.Yachts, Per Bjørnsen, CEO of V.Ships Leisure, said: “The yachting sector has not been immune to wider changes in the marine space, from evolving regulations and safety standards to global logistics challenges. In light of these developments, we’ve seen a real demand for professional services to help owners manage this complexity.

“Our solution for the sector will allow owners to benefit from the best of both our local presence and our global footprint. We’re laser-focused on offering yacht owners what we already do best as a group: operational excellence, backed by decades of experience, international scale and a robust safety culture.”

Bureau Veritas presents MSC World America with Platinum Pearl Award for Commitment to Safety and Sustainability

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 14 April 2025 14 April 2025

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) presented MSC Cruises’ latest flagship, MSC World America, with the Platinum Pearl Award at its naming ceremony yesterday, in recognition of the company’s 20 years of dedication to improving health, safety, and environmental protection across its fleet.

The Platinum Pearl Award highlights MSC Cruises’ commitment to maintaining the highest international standards, reinforced by its integrated voluntary certification scheme. This comprehensive approach helps ensure compliance with some of the most stringent global benchmarks, including marine environment (ISO 21070), health and safety (ISO 45001), food safety (ISO 22000), and energy efficiency (ISO 50001).

In addition, MSC Cruises has obtained BV’s Cleanship notation, demonstrating its proactive efforts to prevent air and water pollution while minimizing waste. The company has also secured additional class notations that target the management and mitigation of acoustic impacts on marine fauna, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable cruising.

MSC World America has been designed for high energy efficiency, exceeding all requirements under the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). Its latest-generation engines run on LNG, enabling a direct transition towards drop-in bio and synthetic renewable fuels. The ship is also equipped with shore power to allow the engines to be switched off while in connected ports. The vessel also features an advanced wastewater treatment system and an onboard recycling management plant to support waste reduction efforts.

Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: “For two decades, MSC Cruises has demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting and exceeding international standards in health, safety, and environmental protection. The Platinum Pearl Award for MSC World America is a testament to their dedication to continuous improvement and sustainable operations. BV is proud to support MSC Cruises in advancing safe, sustainable and efficient shipping.”

Emilio La Scala, President and Managing Director of MSC Cruise Management, said: “We are very proud to receive this award in recognition of the commitment the whole company has made and continues to make in these incredibly important areas. This is a reflection of the hard work and personal commitment of all the crew and landside teams.”

Smiths Detection secures deal to supply SDX 6040 systems to major cruise lines

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 20 April 2025 20 April 2025

Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, and a business of Smiths Group plc, recently announces it is to supply SDX 6040 X-ray inspection systems to a number of major cruise lines.

With thousands of people and large quantities of cargo coming onboard, screening systems are vital in helping detect weapons, explosives, drugs, and other prohibited items hidden in luggage or supplies. The SDX 6040 offers the best image quality on the market, with unmatched clarity in detection that enables operators to quickly screen bags, ensuring that boarding the ship is safe and seamless for passengers.

The SDX 6040’s portable and flexible design makes it the perfect solution for cruise line operators seeking a mobile X-ray inspection system that delivers high protection and operational efficiency. Its compact footprint means it can be easily manoeuvred onboard and conveniently stored within the vessel. It can also fit through a standard door, eliminating the need for complicated installations and concerns about fitting into tight spaces.

The system’s smart image display features, including organic stripping and enhancement modes, provide superior discrimination between organic and inorganic materials, critical for the precise detection of explosives, drugs, and other contraband -- while its high throughput capability ensures that large volumes of luggage can be screened quickly and efficiently, minimizing delays and maintaining smooth operations.

The SDX 6040’s advanced detection system provides a complete 100% view of every item, eliminating blind spots and significantly enhancing security. Additionally, the scanner integrates seamlessly with iCMORE AI technology, offering automated threat detection for a wide array of prohibited items, including currency, weapons, lithium batteries, and other hazardous goods. The system's algorithms can be updated as new threats emerge, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of the cruise industry.

Matthias Springer, VP of Sales at Smiths Detection Inc., said of the sales: “At Smiths Detection, we serve customers in a wide range of market sectors, with a significant focus on cruise lines. The SDX 6040 is revolutionizing maritime security, providing our customers with the highest levels of safety and assurance while maintaining efficient throughput of passengers. With superior image quality, portability, and flexibility, it is an ideal solution for the dynamic environments of cruise ships.”

WMS partners with Verizon to launch $20 Cruise Daily Pass

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 08 April 2025 08 April 2025

WMS, the leading global provider of cruise wireless connectivity, in collaboration with Verizon, announces the enhancement of Verizon Cruise Daily Pass. Now available on more than 200 cruise ships across more than 25 cruise lines, Cruise Daily Pass offers passengers even more value.

With Cruise Daily Pass, Verizon customers now get unlimited data (0.5GB of high-speed data then unlimited data at 3G speeds), unlimited calls to the US, and unlimited texts, for $20/line per day when using their mobile device at sea. Cruise Daily Pass provides seamless connectivity and complements Verizon’s suite of international travel plans in more than 210 countries and destinations.

“Verizon’s Cruise Daily Pass was the first product of its kind in the cruise industry and has been a big step towards providing a predictable experience for cellular users, ushering in a new standard in connectivity and value at sea,” said Pramod Arora, President and CEO, WMS. “We look forward to growing this partnership and continuing to enrich cruise passengers’ mobile experience in the coming years.”

As the cruise industry continues to grow – projected to reach nearly 40 million passengers by 2027 according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – WMS and Verizon remain committed to enhancing the traveler onboard experience.

For travelers planning their next cruise vacation, WMS suggests strategies to ensure a successful, connected voyage, including:
– Begin planning your cruise connectivity two weeks before your voyage.
– Keep Airplane Mode off so cellular connectivity can be enabled.
– Turn on International Roaming before setting sail.
– Close out apps, and turn off app auto-updates, location services, and auto fetch on email.

Verizon customers can add Cruise Daily Pass to their line by texting CRUISE to 4004 or via the Verizon Trip Planner. For more information visit Verizon.com/cruise.