While cruise and ferry companies have yet to adopt formal interior design and product purchasing policies that prioritise sustainability, a growing number of in-house and third-party designers are stepping up as passionate campaigners for change.
My Nguyen, director of interior design at Holland America and Seabourn, is one such advocate. Armed with a wealth of experience from working at Holland America and Seabourn, NB Design Group, as well as Princess and Windstar, Nguyen has seen a “big shift” in the move to sustainable interior products in the market over the past few years. “Five years ago, the words ‘sustainable’ and ‘circular’ were rarely discussed in vendor presentations,” she says. “Now, it’s rare if a vendor does not mention something about sustainability in relation to their product. It is not only about sustainable materials, but also their efforts to achieve circularity. Cruise ship owners and designers have more awareness and are demanding more options with sustainability in mind, and vendors have been responding.”
According to Nguyen, there are lots more sustainable products and materials than there were five years ago. “The sustainability conversation is now more prevalent among those involved in carpets, fabrics, wall coverings, furniture, project management, dry dock protocols and so on. The net has been cast much wider. There are so many conversations going on about how to innovate and make future products circular – we still have a way to go but the signs are promising.”
Textile manufacturer Testori, which created a wall covering solution with 70 per cent recycled content, is working with Holland America to reprocess the wall covering and repurpose the textile waste
But what criteria should sustainable products be measured against? For Nguyen, the designers and manufacturers need to have a sustainable strategy, and the products need to be beautiful and durable, pass International Maritime Organization (IMO) certification and be available at an affordable price. “There are a lot of products on the market that check all four boxes, however, there needs to be more to add variety and inspiration for designers,” she says. “I also feel that vendors and designers haven’t quite grasped the importance of circularity.”
Circularity, for Nguyen, means a product was made and designed to go back into the ecosystem with no end of life, and no landfill waste. One project that perfectly embodies this circularity model is from textile manufacturer Testori, which created an IMO-approved wall covering containing 70 per cent recycled content. Testori is now working with Holland America on a take-back programme, developing a product that can be put back into the industry – this involves reprocessing the wall covering and repurposing the textile waste.
While success stories are becoming more common in the maritime industry, challenges do remain.
“People still have a ‘wait and see’ mindset,” says Nguyen. “They start off with the assumption that a sustainable product is more expensive. Ironically, if we are all demanding similar things, the price goes down, so I encourage everyone to tell vendors that this is a priority in the design specification process. When there’s demand, vendors will respond!
“I have found there are two main ways to address sustainable interior design: one, the choices we make now affect how quickly a product goes into landfill, and two, the discussions we have with vendors affect whether they will invest their design and development with circularity in mind.”
Nguyen believes passenger ship interior designers will play a crucial role in driving the move to circularity. “As designers, one of our responsibilities is to influence others with our vision of how an environment should be shaped,” she says. “Vendors rely on our preferences to get specified, so if we care about sustainable material, we should demand it from our vendors. If we are consistent in telling vendors that we are more interested in products that have a circularity strategy, then I’m confident more vendors will start to shift what they sell to cater towards our demands.
“The best way to start is to have an open conversation with vendors that you consider partners and ask about the potential of doing something impactful together.”
Holland America, for example, partnered with Andriali to explore how the textile mill could reduce textile waste. “It started with us saying it would be amazing if we could keep our textiles out of landfill and instead turn that waste into something that would be desirable for the industry,” says Nguyen. “Andriali was inspired by the comment and took the idea to the next level. Since the company owns a textile mill, Andriali has full control of the vertical process, so their team reached out to its connections and the Turkish government to work out how it could take waste back to the mill and explore what it could be turned into.
“At our end, we told our story to the guest experience and onboard revenue departments to get them excited about the idea of taking our textile waste, melting down the fibres and turning them into a new material that can be sewn into something usable for our ships.”
The ReShape project between Holland America and Dansk Wilton aims to create a circular solution for marine carpets
Another pilot prompted by a question about circularity was the ReShape project between Holland America and carpet manufacturer Dansk Wilton. “The idea started with Dansk asking, ‘what if we could take back our carpet and give the waste a new life?’ We brainstormed the possibilities and we, as owners, took accountability for separating the material at dry dock and making sure the product was packaged,” says Nguyen. “Dansk was responsible for testing the waste with vendors that could offer the product. From there we created prototypes, had meetings with our onboard revenue team and, as a result, we have beautiful souvenirs that will be sold in our shops with a QR code that includes a talk about the product’s journey.” The results of this partnership include notebooks, coat hangers, signage, coasters and acoustic artworks – all created by using recycled carpet waste from Holland America Line’s vessels.
Following these experiences, Nguyen has some advice for shipowners: “Initiate conversations with vendors and keep an open mind!” she says, noting that when Holland America takes the initiative, vendors pay attention to its vision because “it’s clear the commitment goes beyond words and is backed by meaningful action and measurable results.
“One can argue that it will only be a matter of time before companies are forced to prioritise sustainability investments due to the global shift towards circularity, driven by policies like the European Green Deal, which will influence businesses beyond European Union legislation. I often hear vendors say they will shift their model once there is enough demand for sustainable products, while specifiers say they would prioritise sustainable products if they were competitively priced. Those are no longer acceptable excuses; we all simply need to try harder.
“My advice is to decide if sustainability is a core value to you and, if it is, to start having conversations with people in your circles about how to make an impact. I prefer to be on the front end of innovating rather than reacting.”
Nguyen also urges everyone across the value chain – from vendors to specifiers to corporate teams – to take ownership of their role in driving sustainable change.
“Vendors don’t wait for the demand from specifiers; educate them about the importance of specifying sustainable products and what you have to offer,” she says. “Specifiers, be aware that your choices can make a big impact and demanding sustainable products at a competitive price point will affect where vendors put their design and development investments. If you are another stakeholder in the supply chain and you’re vetting vendors, ask where sustainability fits in their business model. If you are a corporation, take an extra step in your sustainability messaging and encourage every person in your company to think about what they can contribute within their department. Many corporations focus on the macro vision, which is great, but if we are going to make a big shift, we need to tackle this from all departments and change to a micro mindset.
“Start with what you have control over and take action to drive changes that will lead you to a more sustainable future.”
Ten sustainable solutions for interiors at sea
Sustainable products can come in all forms, from textiles and fabrics to metals and lights. CFR showcases a selection of innovations helping passenger ship operators to reduce their environmental impact
A mood board showcasing the 10 sustainable solutions
1. Aquafil’s regenerated-to-be-regenerable initiative sees it collaborate with carpet manufacturers to create circular carpets that are International Maritime Organization certified and use ECONYL 100 per cent regenerated nylon. This approach enables carpets to be easily disassembled and reprocessed by Aquafil, avoiding landfill waste and lowering emissions.
2. Sunbrella’s Endless Stories collection embodies sustainability and innovation. Crafted with at least 50 per cent recycled fibres, these performance textiles are durable, fade resistant and easily maintained. Passenger ship operators can significantly reduce water and energy consumption making use of this collection of upholstery fabrics made from recycled fibres.
3. EvoHide by Morbern comprises bio-attributed PVC resins, engineered from forest residues like bark and leaves, and bio-based plasticiser made from used vegetable cooking oils. The combination of EvoHide with a 100 per cent recycled polyester backing fabric makes for a durable, yet decorative, upholstery solution with over 80 per cent sustainable content.
4. Dampa’s new ceiling solutions are made from 75 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium. They offer the same high quality and acoustic performance as Dampa’s standard materials but produce 69 per cent less carbon dioxide.
5. Continental’s new skai Evida Fiber is a high-quality upholstery fabric made from 90 per cent natural and renewable raw materials, sourced locally and throughout the European Union. skai Evida Fiber is resistant to abrasions, disinfectants and tears. Its durability and ease of care make it an ideal choice for cruise ships, whether in cabins or in hospitality areas.
6. Vyv’s antimicrobial white light provides numerous sustainability benefits while lowering the likelihood of impact from bacteria, mould, mildew and viruses. This technology can be used in occupied spaces and reduces microbes by 99.9 per cent in active use environments. The maintenance crew on one cruise ship noted that bathrooms fitted with Vyv’s antimicrobial lights need to be cleaned “much less often”, which means they use less water and fewer chemical cleaners.
7. Carnegie has introduced Xorel Cruise, a PVC-free wall covering solution for any marine-grade applications. Xorel Cruise is available in five distinct patterns and over 24 colours. It is Wheelmark and Cradle to Cradle Silver Certified, and designed to work in tandem with Carnegie’s full suite of authentically sustainable, IMO-approved products.
8. LED lighting is one way Signify promotes sustainability, reducing lighting-related energy costs by up to 80 per cent and offering long-term cost savings. The Fortimo LED Flex G1, Fortimo LED Flex IP 67 and Fortimo LED Flex COB are three products that make you feel at home while reducing energy consumption via high-energy efficiency and impressive lumen levels.
9. Testori’s IMO-certified recycled wall covering offers an eco-conscious solution without compromising on aesthetics. Its textile structure and characteristics ensure easy installation and durability for maritime interiors. At the end of its lifecycle, Testori’s wall covering can be fully recycled.
10. The SMC Design team regularly attends supplier workshops to stay up to date with the latest furniture, fixtures and equipment solutions. At a recent workshop hosted by textile company Kvadrat, the team learned more about Sport, designed by Patricia Urquiola, the world’s first recycled polyester upholstery textile made from 100 per cent ocean-bound plastic waste.
Discover more insights like this in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. Don’t miss out – subscribe for FREE and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox.