Shorter drydockings and refurbishment while the ship is at sea are becoming ever more frequent when it comes to passenger ship interior refits, while the use of lighting and other interior design elements to create atmosphere and enforce branding is gaining ever greater momentum.
Cruise ship operators recognise that ship interiors are critical. Ferry operators, though, have been slow to follow suit, according to some experts. Design director of Australia-based interior design company Limecut Design Sheila Sparks told Passenger Ship Technology that too few ferry operators understand the importance of hiring an interior designer. “Not enough ferry operators see the value of using interior designers. I know that it is a difficult economic climate, but that is when you need to innovate. The trend is for ferry operators to use marine architects for interiors, but I strongly feel interior designers should be used too, as we understand the behaviour of people. We spend a lot of time listening. We focus on how the passengers feel and how they react to colour in order to create the right atmosphere in every environment – for example, by making it relaxing or upbeat.”
Ms Sparks explained how the use of colours and patterns had a psychological effect, and that uninformed use of colour or lighting could contribute to feelings of seasickness. She felt that signage was among the other areas that interior designers would improve in ferries: “The clever use of colour can help people find their way more easily.”
“Shortsea ferries take people from A to B, but why can’t operators make the trip a memorable one?” asked Ms Sparks. “Interior design can help make money for ferry operators and owners. It will enhance their brand and the brand identity – the connection people make with the brand.” She added: “Ferry operators want to be able to grab someone and get them onto the ferry, and then meet people’s needs by, for example, entertaining them or helping them relax. Interior designers are very good in these areas.”
Ms Sparks has just worked on the refit of Australian Reef Pilots’ Underwater Explorer, a vessel that takes visitors out to the Coral Reef. A colour theme of lime, charcoal and orange was used to bring a contemporary look to the vessel. To accommodate passengers in wetsuits, Ms Sparks chose a Solas-compliant waterproof vinyl for the seating.
In the passenger ship sector, the importance of lighting has increasingly been recognised. Chelsom Lighting director Will Chelsom said: “Lighting can make or break an interior. It is all very well having colour schemes, but if the lighting is too harsh or too low, it will not accentuate the colours enough.” Highlighting how passenger ship operators are coming to understand the importance of lighting, he said: “It is at the forefront of their minds. There is rarely a project where there is not a lighting designer aboard.”
Mr Chelsom said that recent projects saw cruise ship light designers trying to create a more residential and domestic look in public areas and cabins. “In the past, cruise lighting was very functional, but now the emphasis is on decorative finishes. For example, you will see greater use of decorative shades and table lamps to give a warm and welcoming feel,” he said.
LEDs are at the forefront of lighting use on cruise ships, Mr Chelsom said, due to their energy saving qualities as well as their aesthetic effects, such as colour and the possibility of dimming. A recent example of Chelsom Lighting’s use of LEDs is on Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2. One of the highlights was the lighting the company created in the bar area, where LEDs were shone through acrylic tubes. “This created a very good directional light, and the use of acrylic made the light warmer and more decorative,” Mr Chelsom explained.
Another example of the LED theme is Seattle-based Windstar Cruises’ refurbishment of its WindSurf, WindSpirit and WindStar vessels. Chelsom provided the lighting. “They wanted a five-star feel, so we used rich textures, such as silk shades and glass table lamps, which give much more ambience,” Mr Chelsom explained.
Chelsom Lighting provided the large reception pendant light for WindStar, which consisted of a model of an aquarium, with glass spiralling bubbles, seaweed and fish, where colour-changing LEDs were used. “The reception area is the central focal area of the ship, so they wanted something to stand out. Colour changing was used to reflect different times and moods, for example blue for the day. The colour change transforms the entire feeling in a room,” explained Mr Chelsom.
A luxury feel was also a prime consideration when Almaco refurbished Star Cruises’ Pisces, Aquarius and Libra cruise ships. Almaco accommodations division deputy general manager Kaj Casén said: “All architectural design was done by Almaco. We incorporated gold and red colours together with dark walnut laminate that casino ships have integrated into their décor recently. There is meaning and purpose in these choices: red is used and understood to bring good luck to the players, and gold brings the luxury factor into the areas. This trend has been applied to the entire Star Cruises’ fleet.”
Almaco’s work for Star Cruises highlighted another passenger ship interior refit trend: the carrying out of refurbishment during short drydock periods. “Owners tend to push contractors more and more towards a shorter drydock period. They want contractors to deliver a few days in advance of when the ship is scheduled to return to service, in order to shorten the time the vessel is out of service as much as possible,” said Mr Casén. In order to meet this challenge, Almaco prefabricated as much furniture and as many fittings as possible at the factories, so as to cut down installation time.
Meanwhile, Trimline Interiors’ recent upgrade of Thomson Celebration highlighted another growing trend: that of carrying out the refit while the vessel is at sea. The company upgraded the vessel to Thomson Cruises’ Platinum collection in a six-month project that involved refurbishing 624 cabins. Most of the work was undertaken at sea. Pointing out the benefits of what he dubbed a “drydock at sea,” Trimline project manager Chris Neale commented: “If you did a job like that in drydock, you could probably have twice the amount of men and it would take twice the amount of time.”
Trimline had a tight schedule: it had to complete 30 to 40 cabins a week. An important factor in the successful completion of the project was that the 45 workers brought on board to carry out the refit became “part of the ship’s crew”. “This collaborative approach saw us working together to make sure the project was a success,” said Mr Neale.
The refurbishment highlighted another interiors trend: the need to maximise limited space. Trimline installed sofa beds in the deluxe cabins in order to make the most of small spaces. Cabin upgrades included new carpets, curtains, bedding and the installation of new televisions and kettle facilities. A total of 624 bathrooms were upgraded with new tiling, fixtures and fittings from Grohe, along with Italian stone-topped vanity units. PST
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