Tattoo parlors aboard the Virgin Voyages fleet illustrate how new spaces are being added inside cruise ships
The 2022 cruise ship interior trends reflect the turmoil and change of the past two years.
Some point to the new drivers that have emerged from the impact of the pandemic on social behaviors, others extend a long thread of domestic trends stretching back several years. Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America (CSI) has identified sustainability, sustainability, guests staying longer on board ships, and the ability to refresh and reconnect as the four biggest trends in the cruise ship interior industry. cruise ships for 2022.
In a recent survey for CSI Plus, 50% of buyers named sustainability as their top priority when sourcing products and materials. Budget and durability are priorities for cruise lines and designers when looking for sustainable products. Materials certified by the International Maritime Organization must already withstand rigorous cleaning regimes and heavy traffic, but the pandemic has prompted cruise brands to increase the frequency of cleaning routines and they are now looking to repair rather than destroy. to be replaced, if possible.
The industry is also moving beyond using sustainability as a buzzword and instead having deeper conversations about carbon neutrality, supply chain, repairable and recyclable materials, and the circular economy. Suppliers, designers and buyers of cruise ship interiors are breaking down the concept of sustainability to define what it means and develop practical long-term solutions. For example, Eumar Design’s lightweight gel-ceramic composite stone material recently won CSI’s sustainability award. Materials such as lightweight gelceramic make a big business case for durability, providing not only material longevity, but also radical weight savings and long-term cost savings.
Passengers preferring to stay on board cruise ships is another factor influencing trends within the cruise ship interior industry. Customers are staying on cruise ships for longer periods of time on vacation than ever before and ship interiors need to be carefully designed to accommodate this. Cruise ships are already designed to keep their passengers engaged through the use of intriguing details, multifunctional spaces and customizable experiences to ensure they can enjoy the same spaces again throughout their stay. . Today, the pressure is on to create richer experiential design that paves the way for even more varied entertainment, new health and wellness opportunities, and bespoke experiences across all price ranges. New spaces are being added inside cruise ships, ranging from small areas such as tattoo parlors aboard the Virgin Voyages fleet, to much larger areas like Bolt, the world’s first sea-going roller coaster aboard Carnival Cruise Line‘s Carnival Celebration.
If 2020 was the year in which construction and renovation projects were halted, 2021 was the year in which they resumed in force, calling on all the resources of shipowners, builders, designers, shipowners and suppliers. Now, in 2022, the industry has the opportunity to refresh, catch up on the latest samples, update personal knowledge and learn about the latest innovations.
As Petu Kummala, senior director of interior design and architecture at Carnival Cruise Line, said during a “Cruise Conversations Live” discussion at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America 2021: “There are some things that you must do in person. Look, touch materials, you cannot do it from a distance. Photographs lie. For example, a chandelier. Light is a special element that you cannot do virtually.
To learn more about these trends and see the latest cruise ship interior industry products and innovations at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America, taking place June 7-8, 2022 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Florida, in the USA. Attendees will also enjoy opportunities for speed networking and immersing themselves in sustainability on the second sustainability-themed day. Register at www.cruiseshipinteriors-expo.com.
Abigail McMahon is Content Manager at Elite Exhibitions
This article first appeared in the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
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