Supporting A Leading Cruise Line Group’s Time-Critical Dry Dock Project

A leading cruise line Group is a prominent player in the cruise, marine, and hospitality industry, operating on a project-based model.

Client Overview

A leading cruise line Group is a prominent player in the cruise, marine, and hospitality industry, operating on a project-based model. In April 2025, the group undertook a scheduled Dry Dock, a critical maintenance window lasting from April 5th to April 19th in Freeport, Bahamas, where they performed essential maintenance, mechanical upgrades, and aesthetic renovations.

Dry Dock Logistics requires specialized technology to manage these complex, time-sensitive projects efficiently with visibility end-end-end, and as a long-standing client of Crane Worldwide Logistics, they turned to Crane once again to manage the complexity of this essential operation.

Project Overview

Dry Docks are time-sensitive, high-stakes events in the cruise industry. For A leading cruise line Group, every day a ship is out of service represents approximately $1 million in lost revenue. The stakes were high, and precision logistics were non-negotiable.

Crane Worldwide’s Project Management team was tasked with orchestrating a complex, multi-modal supply chain involving:

123 global suppliers
290 managed purchase orders
165 TEUs
47 airfreight shipments totaling 52,143 kg & multiple landings

All shipments had to be delivered on time, in the correct sequence, and at the right place—requiring a blend of experience, agility, and relentless attention to detail.

The Challenge

A leading cruise line needed seamless coordination of cargo from multiple global origins, across various transport modes, and within tight deadlines. Missed deliveries or delayed shipments could have resulted in:

Postponed ship relaunch
Financial penalties, including lost revenue and fines
Disruption to scheduled cruises
Negative guest experiences

Our Solution

Crane Worldwide deployed a dedicated project management team led by Serge Elizee, supported by Liz Franco, Maxine Krajniak, and operational teams across Miami, Milan, AMS, and Shanghai where a buyers consolidation was coordinated based on vendor geographical mass.

We implemented:

Detailed PO tracking and reporting
Master cutoff scheduling to balance critical freight deadlines
Weekly progress updates and high-touch communication
Rapid response mechanisms
Consolidation strategies to obtain container optimizations and reduction in airfreight costs.

Our systems and people worked in harmony to deliver 94% on-time performance, despite global supply chain uncertainties and last-minute changes resolved by finding agile shipping alternatives.

Results & Impact

The project concluded successfully, delivering tangible benefits:

Zero missed orders
Significant cost savings through optimized consolidation
Increased shipment visibility and tracking accuracy
High client satisfaction due to responsiveness, flexibility, and subject matter expertise.

Client feedback highlighted our proactive communication, subject matter expertise, and unwavering availability throughout the engagement.

Key Takeaways

This project reinforced Crane Worldwide’s strength in managing high-pressure, time-critical logistics in the maritime sector. Our team’s ability to stay ahead of potential delays, maintain open lines of communication, and adapt quickly to changing conditions was crucial to the project’s success.

While Crane consistently demonstrates a commitment to precision, planning, and execution, this case highlights our deep expertise in both dry dock and cruise and marine hospitality solutions, as well as our global coordination capabilities across air, ocean, and inland transport.