Naval architects and designers have always played a strategic role in the cruise industry, but never more so than now. New markets, new technologies, new ship design concepts are appearing at a dizzying speed. Working alongide technicians, marketers, engineers and consultants of all kinds, we are called on to produce ever-more impressive visions of the ships of the future.
The real challenge is to interpret complex and diverse projects – like those of our main client, MSC Cruises – in a way that is both innovative but reliable. Efficency, experience and professionalism have never been so important, because deadlines are tighter, standards are higher and passenger expectations are changing fast. Ships are larger and more complex, engines more efficient, on-board spaces more daring and spectacular. This inevitably poses greater technical challenges, but ones that are exciting to solve.
A recent trend is to blow up the traditional closed box shape that previously dominated cruise ship design. The idea is achieve a better relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces and help passengers rediscover the pleasures of fresh air and the sea. New forms of ships have emerged, characterised by a kind of steel explosion in the ship volume. For engineers, this is a challenge in terms of structure and stability, but for interior designers and architects, the extra space offers endless possibilities for different configurations and more dynamic flows. Wider public spaces – because width is more important than length – help designers maximise comfort and offer better services and entertainment.
Achieiving maximum comfort, which on ships equates to luxury, is a design mantra. However, the concept of comfort varies according to different people, nationalities and generations. Market analysts try their best to guess what future passengers will expect in terms of atmosphere and style. In truth, between the initial concept and the final delivery of the ship, preferences may change many times and in unpredictable ways. We live in the “instant” age of images and social media, when a particular style element is “liked”, spreads like wildfire over social networks and then quickly goes out of fashion. Our challenge is to focus on timeless design that survives changing moods and keeps passengers engaged day after day, year after year.
Looking ahead, I expect to see more demand for themed ships dedicated to specific experiences. Right now, the largest cruise ships are packed with a huge variety of experiences: spas, casinos, water-based activities, gourmet restaurants, wine tasting, playgrounds for children, teenage areas, shopping centres and so on – all competing for attention on the same massive ship. But when you try to satisfy all possibles desires of all types of passenger, you don’t fully satisfy anyone or anything.
In the future, therefore, there may be demand for shorter and more specialised cruises. Perhaps a casino and retail ship in Asia, a Disney-style theme park ship for families, a gourmet ship offering itineraries around Italy and France, a floating spa... If this prediction comes true, it will be mostly appreciated by millennials and growing markets like China rather than the current generation of traditional cruise passengers or niche markets like expeditions. And if it comes true, it will lead to a revolution in ship design and great innovation in shipbuilding concepts.
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