Never has the topic of passenger ship interiors been so dominant and innovative – driven by the largest cruise orderbook in history
There are 127 newbuilds on an orderbook worth US$68Bn that stretches to 2027. As Royal Caribbean hotel refurbishment consultant project manager Stephen Fryers says, “I have never seen an orderbook that looks so far into the future” (see pages 22-24).
These newbuilds are not only driving the upgrade of the current fleet – under pressure to look as up-to-date as the new influx of ships – but are helping to push the envelope on interior product design innovation. And the huge focus on sustainability and being environmentally friendly when specifying the technical solutions, design and construction of these ships has also been transferred to the interior design and materials used.
Sustainability is having a greater influence than ever on interiors, encompassing themes such as making materials as light and as sustainable as possible. This drive for sustainable materials has led to new, innovative products entering the marketplace, such as Dansk Wilton’s new environmentally sustainable carpet at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo in Miami in 2019. It will be in every state room in HAL’s newest ship, due to be delivered in 2021 (see pages 30-32).
Of course, there are challenges for new materials entering the passenger ship industry as they must meet stringent measures to become certified. However, cruise operators are working with new suppliers to help certify their products.
This is also seen in the ferry industry, and a great example is the e-ferry Ellen. The operator behind the all-electric ferry has applied its technical green features to the interiors with the outdoor deck furniture made out of recycled paper, a product never before used on a ferry (see pages 49-52).
And product innovation does not just apply to the sustainability theme: new interior solutions entering the passenger ship industry have risen sharply, with wellness an increasingly important concept. For example, antimicrobial threads can be added to textiles, as Princess Cruise Lines demonstrates (see pages 14-16).
Innovation can also be seen in the breathtaking features of new cruise ships, from the cruise industry’s first roller-coaster, to debut on Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras; to the first indoor trampoline park and challenge zone at sea, on Carnival Panorama, see pages 38-40.
These new and ‘wow’ features on the new fleet impact on the current cruise fleet as cruise operators strive to bring their current ships up to the same standard. This is creating a breeding ground of innovation, as our profiles in this supplement show, from Holland America Line, Princess Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Holdings’ fleet upgrades, to P&O Cruises’ refurbishments.
The increased focus on the cruise ship interior industry has been given a global platform with Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America and Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Europe. These are the only events to focus exclusively on cruise ship interiors, and Passenger Ship Interior & Refurbishment Review is proud to be their strategic partner and official publication (see pages 73-74).
These events will also serve to push further innovation within the cruise interiors sector.
P&O Australia head of design Petra Ryberg sums up the cruise interiors industry well (see pages 19-21), “I think the sky is the limit… the market is really stepping up the game when it comes to cruise ship design.”
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