Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Turnaround Operations: Managing Simultaneous Operations in Port

In a single turnaround day, disembarkation, cleaning, resupply, bunkering and new embarkation all converge: a delay in just one of these activities compresses the time available for the others, up to the point of threatening the departure itself.

turnaround SIMOPS simultaneous operations risk management

## Operational Explanation

A cruise ship's turnaround day concentrates within the same timeframe activities that are potentially in conflict with one another: disembarkation of passengers from the previous cruise, cleaning and refitting of cabins, delivery of provisions and consumables, bunkering, partial crew change, and embarkation of new passengers. When two or more potentially conflicting activities are carried out in the same place and at the same time, this is referred to as SIMOPS (Simultaneous Operations): a risk management concept borrowed from the offshore/oil&gas sector and increasingly applied to the port management of passenger ships.

Effective SIMOPS management requires clear communication channels between onboard staff, shore staff and every contractor involved; a toolbox talk before starting simultaneous operations, to ensure all personnel understand the risks and control measures; and typically the designation of a Simultaneous Operations Leader (SOL), responsible for coordination and for promptly identifying any impact of one activity on the others. The goal is to reduce the overall risk of simultaneous operations to the ALARP level (As Low As Reasonably Practicable).

## Regulatory Reference

There is no single IMO regulation dedicated to passenger ship turnaround: the SIMOPS (Simultaneous Operations) discipline is a risk management framework, referenced by industry guidelines (including IMCA and ABS Group for the maritime/offshore sector) and integrated into the Safety Management System (SMS) required by the ISM Code for managing multiple, potentially conflicting activities in the same place and time.

## Scope of Application

Every passenger ship during the turnaround day in port, when disembarkation, cleaning, resupply, bunkering, crew change and embarkation of new passengers overlap within the same timeframe.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Identify in advance all activities planned for the turnaround day and the potential interferences between them (e.g. bunkering and passenger embarkation at the same time).
2. Designate a Simultaneous Operations Leader (SOL) responsible for coordination between onboard departments, shore staff and the contractors involved.
3. Conduct a toolbox talk before starting simultaneous operations, ensuring all personnel involved understand the risks and control measures.
4. Maintain clear, continuous communication channels between all parties involved for the entire duration of the turnaround.
5. Assess the impact of any delay in a single activity on the overall sequence, with time margins that account for interdependencies between operations.

## Practical Example

Example: during the turnaround day, the designated Simultaneous Operations Leader identifies that the scheduled bunkering overlaps with the start of passenger embarkation operations on the same side of the ship, and reorganises the sequence of activities to eliminate the physical interference between the two operations before authorising them.

## Real Cases

Analysis of AIS data on the vulnerability of scheduled turnarounds in cruise ports quantitatively confirms an operational intuition long known to crews: the compression of time available for subsequent activities, when a single turnaround operation is delayed, is one of the most concrete risk factors for on-time departure and, consequently, for the entire downstream itinerary.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
Turnaround activities planned without explicitly identifying potential mutual interferences | Operational conflicts discovered only when they occur, not at the planning stage | Explicitly map potential interferences between turnaround activities before the day itself
No Simultaneous Operations Leader designated to coordinate conflicting activities | Diffuse, unclear coordination responsibility, with impacts not managed promptly | Always designate an SOL with explicit authority and responsibility for coordinating the turnaround
Delay in an initial turnaround activity not communicated promptly to those responsible for subsequent activities | Cascading effect on the sequence of the entire day, up to the risk of a delayed departure | Communicate every delay detected along the turnaround chain promptly, not only after the fact

## PSC Observations

Turnaround itself is not typically subject to direct PSC verification, but SIMOPS risk management, if integrated into the Safety Management System, may be verified indirectly within the scope of ISM audits.

## Operational Tips

- Map potential interferences between turnaround activities before the day itself, not during operations.
- Always designate a Simultaneous Operations Leader with clear authority, not a diffuse and implicit responsibility.
- Communicate every delay along the turnaround chain immediately: the cascading effect on a compressed day is faster than it seems.

## Checklist

- Turnaround activities and potential mutual interferences identified in advance
- Simultaneous Operations Leader (SOL) designated with clear authority and responsibility
- Toolbox talk conducted before starting simultaneous operations
- Communication channels between ship, shore and contractors active for the entire turnaround
- Overall risk of simultaneous operations assessed and reduced to the ALARP level

## FAQ

What is meant by SIMOPS (Simultaneous Operations)?
The management of two or more potentially conflicting activities carried out in the same place and at the same time, a risk management concept borrowed from the offshore/oil&gas sector and applied to passenger ship turnaround.
Who coordinates simultaneous operations during turnaround?
Typically a Simultaneous Operations Leader (SOL), responsible for coordination and for promptly identifying any impact of one activity on the others.
Why is a delay in a single turnaround activity particularly risky?
Because it compresses the time available for subsequent activities on the same day, with a cascading effect that can extend to the departure itself being delayed.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Gangway Operations: Safety of the Accommodation Ladder Passenger Musters at Embarkation

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