Royal Caribbean Talks Renovating And Redesigning Cruise Ships

While renovating a home, commercial or hospitality space is an extensive process, it can pale in comparison to renovating a cruise ship. The process requires so much more than choosing durable textiles and sourcing beds to fit staterooms. Function is truly of the utmost importance as is designing amenities to attract guests. Even the smallest details require extensive planning and research.

Bring It Into Ship Shape

Successful cruise ship renovations are the result of a variety of experts coming together says Laura Hodges Bethge, Vice President of Product Development for Royal Caribbean International. “Every ship has a personality, and when you’re designing a diverse combination of restaurants, bars, lounges, entertainment, and activities, tying them all together is key. From concept to design and buildout, we collaborate with experts from around the world.”

When it comes to specific features, Bethge shares that Royal Caribbean takes several factors into consideration including guest and crew surveys, focus groups and market research.

The technical aspects of the renovation can also be challenging. Designers must work within a finite amount of unconventionally shaped square footage. Weather and the natural movement of the ship also influence what materials are used and how everything is installed. “We make it a point to maximize every inch,” Bethge says.

Navigator Of The Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas underwent a major renovation in 2019. Nearly every part of the ship was renovated from upholstery and carpeting to furniture, new retail offerings, lighting, decor, entertainment, and staterooms.

Some of the ship’s new amenities include The Blaster (which is the longest waterslide at sea), the Riptide, Jamie’s Italian from famed chef Jamie Oliver as well as other food offerings, laser tag, an escape room and Starbucks.

The total cost of the renovation was $115 million, which is a fraction of what a new ship would cost to build. The price of a comparably sized new ship is approximately $734 million. So renovating Navigator of the Seas was far more cost effective, especially for a ship that is less than two decades old.

Surprisingly, the actual construction is a short process, taking just 56 days to complete.

Social Media On Board

For previous generations, vacation photos were generally kept in physical albums and shown to houseguests (reluctantly) for years. Generation X and Millennial families post their vacation photos in real time on social media for everyone to see. As a result, hospitality providers have had to step up their design game across the board. So, the overall look of the ship, especially amenities is more important than ever.  

For example, the new Bamboo Room with its fun banana leaf print exterior feels as if it were designed specifically for social media posts.

“We opened up the entrance to be more inviting and brought in an eye-catching car—now the venue’s staple. The experience is true to its Polynesian vibes with retro decor and pops of color, down to the glassware and lighting. It’s been a hit with our guests,” says Bethge.

Another example of a highly Instagramable amenity is To Dry For, which is the first blow dry bar on the ocean.

With neon signage and bright quilted walls that contrast stone countertops, it’s the perfect place to snap a photo. While most people want to look nice on vacation, the creation of To Dry For makes a significant statement about the value of aesthetics.

The pool deck also underwent a major upgrade. The area was expanded to include a variety of seating for better ocean views, including hammocks, chic sun beds and fun casitas. 

When it comes to choosing outdoor furniture for cruise ships, function and form must be parallel. This was especially applicable to the casitas on Navigator of the Seas. “It may sound simple to install twenty casitas onto the two uppermost outdoor decks,” says Bethge. “However, it presented some of the most challenging variables. Taking into consideration weight, weather and the ship’s constant movement, our solution was to construct our casitas with aluminum, a strong but light material. They were shipped to The Bahamas from Northern Italy, assembled on land, lifted onto the ship by crane one by one, and then secured by hand onto steel rods built into the ship.”

The casitas are equipped with USB ports so guests can easily charge their phones.

Even installing a minor detail like the string lights at The Lime & Coconut was a major process. The lights must be able to withstand the weather, especially wind. The design team came up with a thin, lightweight rod to which they affixed the bulbs, to stabilize them.

Another major change to the ship was the pool, which was re-shaped and enlarged. Whirlpools were also installed to the top deck for the first time ever.

Waterslides

While Royal Caribbean is known for its fun, family-friendly amenities, creating space for them can be a feat of design. Navigator of the Seas has two new waterslides, the Blaster aqua coaster and Riptide. Engineers had to carve out space for the intricate structural support and water pumps within the existing floorplan of the ship. For the structural support, they constructed steel columns that go from decks ten to thirteen. To install the two water pumps, which feed and filter the water through the slides, two dedicated rooms, one for each, had to be created.

“The Blaster aqua coaster propels our guests through more than 800 feet of thrills and even over the side of the ship. The Riptide is the industry’s only headfirst mat racer waterslide and such a rush. If you have the right equipment to safely secure your phone or GoPro, you’re in for a really unique perspective,” says Bethge.

These waterslides are an experience that guests will want to post about immediately. And luckily, a ship renovation means excellent Wi-Fi, even in the middle of the ocean.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.