Catalyst, enabler and Finnish ‘glue’ – those are some of the many roles Harri Kulovaara takes on at RCCL, heading a team that is constantly pioneering cruise ship design.
As the world’s largest cruise ship, brand new Independence of the Seas, is busy in Oslo harbour impressing the locals with its sheer size and brilliant white magnificence, the man who led the team responsible for bringing those 160,000 tonnes to life, so to speak, is already two steps ahead. Harri Kulovaara, executive vice president, maritime of Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD (RCCL) has a hectic schedule of meetings with DNV at its headquarters in Oslo concerning the next generation of cruise ships.
As giant as Independence is, the coming Genesis series – the first of which will be delivered by Aker Yards in Turku next year – will be an awe-inspiring 50% bigger. It will be the 9th generation of RCCL cruise ships, with room for 5,400 passengers and almost as many crew members.
For Mr Kulovaara, the RCCL ships represent both tradition, years of evolution and cutting-edge technology. RCCL has come up with such new and innovative ship designs that DNV has had to change its methods to keep up with the constantly changing technology.
“Every ten years the size of the ships has been approximately doubled,” says Mr Kulovaara. He has been at RCCL since 1995. Today he lives in Miami, but spends half his time in Europe.
“The ships today are the result of continual evolution. It’s a wonderful story – it tells about us,” says Mr Kulovaara.
40 years together
RCCL placed its first order for a 700-passenger cruise ship (Song of Norway) in 1968 – the starting point for the warm-weather cruise business. Even then, the project was a collaboration between RCCL and DNV. “Our bonding with DNV is exceptionally important,” he says. “Class can provide help, not only with compliance, but also in fulfilling design visions. DNV is a partner in developing projects. I’m pretty passionate about this.”
The process of shipbuilding has been revolutionised in the last 10 to 20 years, and RCCL has been at the forefront. “The biggest thing that has happened is the use of technology in the overall design process. It’s an enabler. We can handle safety aspects better. We can handle new challenges and calculate new structures. We can build larger ships and know how to operate them,” says Mr Kulovaara.
Today’s ships also have improved environmental standards in many ways. One example is the use of fluid dynamic calculation models that helped perfect the hull. “With 2% improvement here and 3% there, it adds up to a 30% improvement, all translating to lower carbon footprints. It’s actually amazing how much can be accomplished,” he says.
Video renderings
“Twenty years ago it was much more experimental. Designers were still using pens, pencils and models. Now we use video renderings, and we can walk in and see and feel the rooms. Even the ambiences – already at the design phase we know what the outcome will be.”
Another very important change is customer centricity. “We are really designing cruise ships based on guest experience, based on what they prefer,” he says.
During the 18-month design phase, the key players – including CEO Richard Fain and the top designers – will get together every month for sessions that last one or two days. Every aspect of the design, down to the smallest detail, will be scrutinised by the team.
Mr Kulovaara speaks enthusiastically about brainstorming – throwing the best minds together in a creative spar. Groups can spend three or four days together to discuss just one topic, making mock-ups of the best ideas. “The way we interact, we’re able to pick up the best ideas,” he says.
It’s important to have an open mind, that is if you’re going to come up with ideas that will ‘wow’ the public, such as the towering rock climbing wall on Independence of the Seas.
“I got that idea from a restaurant in Åre,” says Mr Kulovaara, readily admitting that the Swedish concept of combining climbers and diners appealed to his taste. In the cruise business, you have to think big – even beyond tonnes.
CEO on Teflon
“We had the idea of having a Teflon skating rink, and we tried it out. Our chairman skated on Teflon. But then we thought, ‘Why not real ice?’ We spoke to people who do the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.”
And so it came to be that Independence of the Seas was outfitted with a skating rink – with real ice. The Genesis series, of course, will outdo that. One of the main features of the ship will be a ‘Central Park’ in the very centre of the ship – five decks high with open sky above.
“The idea of opening up the ship even further has been in my head since the early 1990s,” says Mr Kulovaara, who gets inspiration from vacations with his wife in Provence, where he loves the ambience, colours, food, smells, and the slow pace of life.
Life on the Genesis ships will perhaps have a different pace. The atrium in Central Park will feature a living green wall, lush gardens, real trees, plants and bushes, and fashionable shops and restaurants. The ‘Rising Tide’ bar will have a mechanism that slowly moves the entire locale up and down between three different decks. Certainly Provence has a hard time matching that.
Clear vision for all
How does Mr Kulovaara manage to inspire his team, get the best from them, and get everything done?
“I understand that with my own two hands I cannot build a ship. It’s a tremendous team effort,” he says, listing the endless categories of people involved – from engineers to specialists in sound and lighting. Today’s ships bring in components from suppliers all over the world. “We have more than 100 architects and 200-300 technical designers. My job involves making sure that people have a clear vision of what we’re trying to accomplish so mistakes are not made, so it all happens in synch in the right time and place. If it takes 5,000-6,000 people one year to build a ship – it would take me 5000 years!” he says with a smile.
“My role is to try to be a catalyst, to think outside the box. I’m glue – trying to glue together various pieces of the puzzle.”
Asked if he has a message for the industry, he immediately focuses on the economy, and how it has affected the industry.
“We’ve had a record five years. Shipowners worldwide have 8,000 ships on order. There are 40 cruise ships on order. There are backlogs. The market is exceptionally overheated. All the various segments in shipbuilding have been peaking at the same time. There is a shortage of materials, and of design engineers. We are experiencing some delays in production, and in getting components.
“It’s important for us all that while we experience this overheated situation, we still maintain quality, live up to expectations, and make sure contracts are fulfilled. It’s challenging,” he says, admitting that if anything makes him uneasy, it is this.
“I think we’ll see the industry is going to cool down a little bit, and adapt to normalcy,” he continues.
What does he see in the crystal ball, looking beyond the Genesis series?
“I believe we are currently building tomorrow’s ships. Those ships will be 225,000 tonnes – 50% larger than today’s. I have a hard time thinking beyond this.”
Date: 12 June 2008