Navy eyes cruise line practices to tackle maintenance delays, says Admiral Caudle

President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Daryl Caudle, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US Navy is looking to the cruise industry for solutions to its ongoing ship maintenance issues.

Speaking at his confirmation hearing, Caudle said the Navy must fix the way it manages shipyard work and suggested that cruise lines offer valuable examples. “Learning from the best in the world certainly should be on the table,” he said, referencing discussions with executives from Norwegian and Carnival Cruise Line during Miami Fleet Week.

It is not the first time Caudle has made the comparison, having previously remarked that the Navy was "looking across industries like shipping and cruise lines for ideas and best practices to improve maintenance and modernisation by the professionals that are financially motivated for their business survival."

Caudle acknowledged that while military vessels differ in complexity and mission, there are still lessons to be learned in planning, scheduling, and predictability. Cruise ships, he noted, undergo strict, time-bound refits, unlike Navy vessels which often face delays due to backlogs, labour shortages, and changing deployment needs.

He also called for more flexibility and training to allow sailors to carry out essential repairs at sea without depending on outside contractors. His remarks come as the Navy seeks to raise surge-readiness levels and address mounting concerns over ship availability amid tensions in the Indo-Pacific and challenges with new ship construction timelines.