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Interior design


caveat or two. As McCarthy clarifies, it’s not that the design process hasn’t changed at all: “You do see more barriers and screens, and, obviously, a lot more signage. Also, brands [have gone about] utilising technology like they’ve never done before,” he explains. Previously at Carnival UK where he worked on vessels for Cunard and P&O, including the Queen Elizabeth and Britannia, McCarthy has spent 27 years in the cruise industry, working his way up from junior assistant purser for P&O, a position he started after seeing an advert in the local paper.


It was a formative experience: working aboard those vessels for months at a time instilled in him an understanding of how ship design can influence on-board activity in tangible ways. Functional design, he says, is the key to building ships that last. Rather than ripping up the rulebook, Covid-19 has only enhanced the importance of these key principles. “I think [with Covid] you’re almost reversing things,” he says. “Often it was a question of ‘what capacity can I get in a given space?’ depending on what sort of entertainment or services you’re actually delivering, and now it’s the same, but you’re having to naturally put more of a social distancing slant on things.”


Balancing technology and creativity Technology, of course, has been a go-to solution for many cruise operators struggling to react to the unique demands of the pandemic, with mandatory PCR testing, thermal scanning and autonomous robotic cleaning being used to curb the spread of Covid-19. McCarthy points out that this facet of design in particular has seen a greater collaboration with the medical sphere.


“Suppliers are approaching the likes of ourselves, as well as brands, and saying: ‘we work within the healthcare sector and these are the products we have that are proven to be effective,’” he explains. A notable change in the technology department has been the recalibration of air conditioning and sanitation systems. MSC Cruises will be the first operator to install a new and advanced sanitation system known as ‘Safe Air’. Deploying UVC technology, air flow is targeted with short-wave light – the kind used in generic UVC lamps – to destroy virus molecules and bacteria. Other modifications have been less radical. While not exactly reinventing the wheel, the virus has accelerated a trend towards contactless interaction that has been growing not just in the maritime sector but in the hospitality space more generally. “[A lot of it] has been about making experiences touchless – whether it’s completing your boarding questionnaire, navigating yourself through a ship, understanding what spaces are busy or not, or automation within your cabins,” McCarthy explains. In many ways, this adoption of contactless technologies is more a continuation of a long-term trend than a revolutionary panacea, but it will be a formative change for the industry as a whole and its on-board protocols.


World Cruise Industry Review / www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com


“There have been obvious developments on the technology side. That opens up lots of opportunities,” says Terry McGillicuddy, director of international design company Richmond International. An established name in the hospitality industry, Richmond have been involved in the creative side of cruise ship design for more than 12 years. The company has recently developed cabins, suites and communal spaces on P&O’s Britannia and Iona ships, as well as the Arvia, which is set to join its fleet in 2022, and Cunard’s unnamed fourth ship. For McGillicuddy, the benefits of on-board technology are myriad, as long as they don’t overshadow creativity and measured design principles. He cites the way that Princess Cruises introduced its recently developed ‘Ocean Medallion’ technology, which allowed automated door opening on board its ships even prior to the pandemic. This contactless chain of interaction also extends to data collection, enabling cruise lines to gain an intimate understanding of guest preferences. This can reduce queuing at bars and restaurants and minimise unnecessary contact between crew and guests. As McGillicuddy puts it: “It all just helps to reduce physical interaction”.


These new measures are bound to affect a vessel’s overall design, although quite how is still anyone’s guess. While there has been talk of a minimalist philosophy being employed to help calm guests’ anxieties, it remains to be seen whether this will be introduced across multiple ships and brands. “I think it has its place, but I hesitate to say that it will be a global trend. Each brand will take their approach in different ways,” says McCarthy, citing the diversification of brand offerings – along with new technologies – as one of the most transformational aspects of cruise design.


“Now you’ve now got small, medium, large and expeditionary ships that are specifically designed with products and services to attract different demographics,” he continues. “And the competition is not just within the cruise sector, but also the global tourism sector as a whole.”


The team at AD Associates has channelled that drive to create distinct aesthetic experiences into one of its


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Above: David McCarthy and Terry McGillicuddy both worked on the interior spaces of P&O's Britannia.


Opposite page: The Waterside restaurant, the luxurious main dining venue on the Crystal Endeavor.


P&O Cruises


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