YSA Design lends expertise to cruise industry comeback
As the cruise industry gears up for its return, shipowners are looking to ready their vessels for the post-pandemic era. According to architecture and design firm, YSA Design, passenger ship interiors will require radical rethinking to enable higher standards of hygiene and adequate social distancing.
The Oslo-based company says a return to ‘business as usual’ cannot be expected any time soon. “When passenger ships set sail again, they will be carrying far fewer guests than they did prior to the outbreak, and stricter hygiene measures will be in place. The cruise holiday experience will look quite different for some time,” says YSA chief executive, Anne Mari Gullikstad.
Modifications are likely to include unused cabins being converted into additional facilities such as medical rooms, crew quarters expanding to allow staff to maintain distance and, crucially, dining areas being reimagined for improved hygiene.
“Now that buffet dining rooms no longer seem viable due to their potential for disease transmission, restaurants will have to be redesigned to allow alternative forms of catering. For example, à la carte may completely replace self-service, with buffet counters removed to leave extra room for socially distanced dining,” says Gullikstad.
Georg Piantino, Senior Architect
Another vital consideration, says senior architect, Georg Piantino, is passenger flow. Typically, busy areas, such as check-in and disembarkation stations, will have to be optimised to prevent congestion and bottlenecking. The selection of surface materials will also require close attention, as these will be exposed to cleaning agents more frequently. Antibacterial materials are already widely used on board but will become even more prevalent as cruise lines look to further limit the spread of disease.
