32 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
include elegant sophisticated cruising,
cultural pursuits cruising, river cruising,
scenic cruising or just plain having a
good time cruising, but there are only
marginal differences between the ves-
sels within which these products are
delivered whether mass market or niche
market. Interior decor varies from the
glitzy 'Las Vegas' look to calmer more
contemporary environments. But the
opportunity to push the bounds of con-
ventional cruise ship design in architec-
tural terms seems to have been ignored
,which is sad as the global thirst for fab-
ulous iconic structures and never to be
forgotten experiences has become
almost insatiable. Recent trends indi-
cate a reluctance to break the mold
despite the introduction of atria,
columnless show lounges, all balcony
cabins, etc, in the larger scheme of
things these are only cosmetic touches
that in no way change the fundamental
structure of the cruise ship as a floating
hotel.
A relatively recent innovation is idea
of the cruise ship being a holiday desti-
nation in itself. This is a fine aspiration,
but there is little evidence that it is being
translated into new ship concepts.
Europeans tend to baulk at some of the
excesses of North American products
aimed at the younger market but it can-
not be denied that here is an attempt to
drop the traditional rituals associated
with cruising and provide a zany, fun
experience en-route to your destination -
Carnival Cruises having championed
this approach. Not everybody's cup of
tea to be sure, but nonetheless a suc-
cessful attempt at defining one particu-
lar cruising product.
Perhaps now could be the time to dis-
engage the design of future cruise ships
from the liners of the past and reinvent
them to provide a genuine response to
the requirements of cruise passengers.
For example, with the importance of
tenders for land-based tours being such
an important part of some cruise lines
itineraries, it is surprising how little con-
sideration is given to a suitably sized
and designed holding area for passen-
gers disembarking and embarking. At
present passengers are scattered around
the public rooms causing logistical
problems getting them to the tenders,
and interrupting the experience of those
who choose to remain on board. Land
based destinations of the 21st century
are employing global named architects
to create 'empires in the sun' and
younger more robust holiday entrepre-
neurs are commissioning new iconic
structures to attract an ever more savvy
holiday maker to sample the delights of
exotic locations, Dubai being a classic
example of this.
It would be impossible and negligent
to write an article about passenger ships
in the year 2005 without mentioning the
QM2. We started back in 1939 and
sixty-five years later we come full circle
- almost. QM2 is an extraordinary ves-
sel for a variety of reasons, not least of
which is the creation of such a gargantu-
an themed product so long after the
demise of the era upon which her name-
sake Queen Mary herself had flourished.
As with many other marketable prod-
ucts from 'Theme Park UK' there is
more myth than substance in her bones,
but there is no denying her presence as a
man-made structure more complex than
anything which preceded her. The tan-
dem crossing of the Atlantic in March
2004 with her 'little' sister the QE2 was
a master stroke in marketing terms and
her arrival in New York, New York a
special moment in maritime history.
Trends for the future would suggest
that we are going in two opposite direc-
tions. On the one hand ships are getting
bigger and bigger with QM2 a good
example: on the other becoming smaller
and more intimate with products such as
Silversea. It is a trend mirrored by the
airline industry with America's Boeing
Dreamliner shaping up to do battle with
the European behemoth Airbus A380.
Both of these concepts were driven by
extensive market research, but this
delivered completely different 'possible'
futures. As I said earlier, the future is
not a singularity more a composite of
lots of possible futures.
Interestingly, outside of the mass mar-
ket where economies of scale are maxi-
mized, a new trend is appearing and
developing in a similar way to how it
happened in the hotel market when the
'boutique' hotels were introduced. A
smaller, more intimate product, more
focused on its market and not necessari-
ly totally exclusive or based on price.
For me this new leisure psychology is
the most interesting because it is the
most challenging. The global village is
here. The world has changed and there
is no going back. Increasingly, motiva-
tion is based on values rather than cash,
and cost driven differentiators may well
be replaced by added value or benefits
driven enhancers where cruise guests
are satisfied with higher value intellec-
tually and experientially instead of
greater value financially.
Our own thinking at SPACE has
moved towards a redefinition of the
cruise experience and how people will
use cruise ships in the future - and
indeed how operators will use them to
generate revenue. For us the biggest
challenge facing tomorrow's cruise
operators and the designers who create
them will be distinctiveness. To para-
phrase Tom Peters, if they do not
achieve distinction they may face
extinction as mass market economics
carries its own sell by date.
If there is a future for the cruise indus-
try then it has to be experience led.
Two-dimensional products will be left
on the shelf as traditional cruiseaholics
switch allegiance to more memorable
solutions to vacation time. Cruise prod-
ucts will also focus more on what
women want - and that story will proba-
bly cause more change than any other
factor in the history of the holiday.
About the Author
Mark Hilferty is owner and manag-
ing director of SPACE the design prac-
tice, a consultancy renowned for inno-
vation in marine and other leisure, trans-
port and workplace projects. Trained as
a designer, Mark is a frequent contribu-
tor to marine and other business sector
events and publications, and a keen
advocate of new thinking and technolo-
gy in the design of work and leisure
experiences and spaces.s
Cruise History
The atrium is from Celebrity's Century and shows one of the earlier examples of atria used on ships.
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