Business Type: Global Cruise Operator

Location: Eastern Europe

Key Stakeholders: Group Human Resources team

Faststream Consultants Involved: Chris Bramley, CFO; Sebastian Zuliani, Director; and Ellie Evans, Team Leader

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A global cruise operator required support to resource dry dock inspectors for a multi-year refit programme in Eastern Europe. Alongside sourcing specialist talent, the client needed a fully compliant Employer of Record (EOR) solution to engage and manage personnel within a complex regulatory environment.

Through Faststream’s Experts on Demand model, we delivered a combined recruitment and EOR solution, enabling compliant deployment of specialist inspectors aligned to project timelines.

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The Challenge

The client required a partner who could:

• Source experienced dry dock inspectors capable of operating within active shipyard environments

• Provide a robust, compliant EOR solution covering employment, payroll and local regulatory requirements

• Navigate heightened scrutiny around legal structure, risk and compliance

• Support an ongoing, project-based requirement rather than a single hire

• Deliver a solution that could scale in line with a longer-term refit programme

This required more than recruitment alone. The client needed a partner capable of taking end-to-end responsibility for compliant employment.

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Our Solution

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1. Specialist Recruitment Delivery

We identified and deployed inspectors with:

• Direct experience in cruise dry dock and refit programmes

• Strong technical capability across inspection, QA/QC and shipyard coordination

• The ability to operate effectively within international project environments

To date, three inspectors have been successfully placed, with further support aligned to ongoing project phases.

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2. Fully Managed EOR Solution

A central component of the solution was implementing a compliant EOR framework, enabling the client to engage personnel without establishing a local entity.

This included:

• Employment contracts aligned to local labour laws and statutory requirements

• Management of payroll, tax, and social security obligations

• Ongoing oversight of compliance and employment risk

• Support with onboarding and worker lifecycle management

This approach provided the client with confidence that all employment obligations were being managed appropriately, within a complex jurisdiction.

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3. Bespoke Delivery Model

Given the nature of the programme, a tailored delivery and commercial approach was implemented to align with the long-term, project-based requirements. This ensured flexibility while maintaining consistency of service and compliance.

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4. Mobilisation and Ongoing Support

We managed the end-to-end process, including:

• Onboarding and engagement setup

• Coordination with the client’s operational teams

• Ongoing support to ensure continuity and compliance throughout the assignment

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Outcomes

The engagement has enabled the client to:

• Secure specialist dry dock inspection expertise for a key phase of their refit programme

• Implement a fully compliant employment solution in a complex operating environment

• Reduce exposure to employment, tax and regulatory risk

• Access a scalable model aligned to ongoing project requirements

The initial engagement is structured over 12 months, with potential extensions aligned to a wider multi-year programme.

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The Value of Experts on Demand

This engagement demonstrates how Experts on Demand supports clients by:

• Combining specialist recruitment with fully managed EOR solutions

• Enabling compliant workforce deployment in complex or high-risk jurisdictions

• Providing flexibility for project-based and long-term programmes

• Acting as a single partner responsible for both talent delivery and employment compliance

The client was able to access the required expertise, deployed compliantly and efficiently, without taking on the burden of local employment complexity.

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​Specialist talent. Compliant deployment. One trusted partner.

For complex projects, securing the right expertise is only part of the challenge. Organisations also need confidence that specialist personnel can be engaged, employed and deployed compliantly wherever the work takes place.

Through Experts on Demand, Faststream brings together specialist recruitment expertise and fully managed Employer of Record solutions, giving clients a flexible way to access critical skills while reducing the administrative, regulatory and employment burden of operating across different jurisdictions.

Whether you need to source hard-to-find project specialists, engage talent in a country where you do not have a local entity, or require an integrated recruitment and EOR solution, we can build a model around your project requirements.

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Need specialist talent or a compliant EOR solution?

Talk to Faststream about your workforce requirements.

From sourcing specialist expertise to managing compliant employment and deployment, our team can help you build the right workforce solution for your project.

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Speak to our team