Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2018)

Greg Trauthwein “Here in China we saw an unbelievable opportunity; it is a country that has the intention, the interest and the re-

The largest cruise lines are expanding in Asia, and there is a sources to develop its market for passenger vessels. need for cruise ship building, ship repair and refurbishment in China.” – Carlos H. Reyes, Tillberg & Reyes Group Co., Ltd.

Chinese shipbuilders recognize the to have engineering from Europe which resources that make this possible.” in a signing ceremony during the 4th need to acquire the experience, and are relates to the engineering relative to a Another point made crystal clear at Annual China Maritime Finance Forum investing to do so. Reyes cited ? ve keys passenger vessel,” something they do the Tianjin Summit was China’s plan to to develop, design and build an 80,000- for success in building cruise ships in not have at a Chinese shipyard … yet, intensify penetration into global ship ? - ton passenger ship in his Tianjin, China

China: said Reyes. nance, ? lling a void left when traditional shipyard that will be intent on delivering • Adequate facilities to build a spe- lenders in Europe tightened access to to that speci? cation.

ci? c ship. capital in the wake of the global ? nan- According to Reyes, it is simply not Show me the money • Engineering capabilities to design While bringing together the requisite cial recession. Finance leaders reiter- practical or cost effective to take an and ful? ll to an owner’s guidelines engineering and hotel out? tting tal- ated throughout the summit the lack of existing ship designed and built for the and regulation. ent was necessary, in China Tillberg & expertise in the ? eld and the desire to Caribbean market and to turn it into • Expert architecture and design for Reyes Group Co., Ltd. aims to be a one- gain intelligence, experience and share something that is broadly appealing to all hotel aspects of the ship. stop-shop with ? nance assistance, too. of market. the Chinese cruise consumer. To do so • Experienced project management “The ? nance channels in China were “Something I ? nd interesting is that would mean completely recon? guring and seamless communication with not geared for cruise ships – they have usually, when you are talking to a top the ship, adding volumes to the shopping the owner, shipyard, designers and not done cruise ship (? nance deals),” leader, they would never tell you what and casino spaces.

suppliers. said Reyes. “So as we started talking to they don’t know,” said Reyes. In China “How do I change that in a ship?,” • Experienced interior out? tters. many different groups for the SunStone he has found the opposite. “I have found Reyes asks rhetorically. “The space and

Reyes and his team were involved in project, and for another possible project here that when you are talking to the power is already allocated; it’s very dif- two of the ? rst cruise ship construction that we have right now, we realized how highest level and most expert person in ? cult to double or triple the size of the contracts in China: the frame contract to dif? cult (it is) in the ? nance: dif? culties whatever ? eld, they have no problem casino; the cost would be astronomical. build 10 expedition vessels for Sunstone that have been clearly identi? ed,” during telling you, ‘I don’t know or we don’t As much as we can adjust an existing at China Merchants Heavy Industry; and the 4th Annual China Maritime Finance know.’ That’s great because it opens a vessel and make it as comfortable as the contract for a 218-m, 63,000-grt, Forum. door for cooperation.” possible for the Chinese market, there 2,800-passenger RoRo ferry at Xiamen To ? ll the gap Tillberg-Reyes Leas- are fundamental things in the design that

Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. ing Company was formed, a leasing Understanding the Chinese Cruise we just cannot change.” “We signed the ? rst project with Sun- company specializing in ? nancing pas- Passenger So the best option is designing and

Stone, which is a framework agreement senger vessel projects. “I like to think While cruise vessel construction in building from the ground up catered to for 10 ships to be built at China Mer- of ourselves as we are ‘integrators’ of China is starting for international mar- the Chinese cruise consumer needs and chant Heavy Industries in Haimen, Chi- highly experienced resources that work kets, catering to the tremendously large tastes.

na. China Merchants was very support- very well together, that make possible potential home market will be key to fu- “They spend money, they go shop- ive, doing all that they could to make the the construction of passenger vessels. eling future growth. ping. The way the cabins are designed, project happen,” said Reyes. Tillberg So we integrate the brokers part of it, we According to Hu Xiang, Chairman of the size, the colors they like, the tex- & Reyes Group Co., Ltd. were the bro- integrate with the ? nance part of it, we Tianjin Xingang Shipbuilding Heavy In- tures they like, the feeling inside the kers for the project, and it also helped in bring the engineering that is necessary dustry Co., Ltd., cruise vessels built for cabin. You can redecorate the cabin, but developing the ? nancial structure. “The to the project, we integrate the out? tters the Chinese market must have character- it doesn’t do much. So for that reason, owner is a very experienced owner in the that are necessary to the project, we inte- istics – including décor, food, shopping many investment groups have recog- expedition vessel segment, so they knew grate our own designs and project man- and gambling facilities – that are appeal- nized that they should build a ship for exactly what they wanted. We needed agement. So it’s an integration of expert ing to the China market. He took part the Chinese market.” 42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JUNE 2018

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