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Being VP of newbuild and architectural design is less about choosing designers and more about being the bridge between the corporation and design consultancy community, says Kelly Gonzalez, who has held the post at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) for the past two years.
“You see it in our brands and ships – we oversee the process for the right look, feel and creative environment and to ensure brand consistency for newbuilds and revitalisations across our six brands. We may help in choosing designers, but will also provide input if a matter still being deliberated, or if a technical matter needs resolving,” Gonzalez says.
Setting creative concepts for the cruise corporation’s various brands involves working closely with the individual cruise lines, each of which has its own ideas about what defines its brand and what will be received well by passengers. “We rely on close communication and strong customer feedback, so we are always refreshing ourselves,” Gonzalez says. “For example, Royal Caribbean has a think tank called ‘Eagles’, which incorporates marketing, hotel operations, food and beverage, and human resources staff. These vary from three to ten people who all put points on the table. We organise and facilitate these, but contributions come from the individual brands. We are interested in their thoughts, but if they sound too much the same as what has gone before, we encourage them to be different so that we get more out-of-the-box thinking.”
With ship innovation baselines being raised higher and higher, how does RCL meet the challenges of ensuring standout design on its vessels, particularly when it comes to Quantum of the Seas, the line’s closest-to-launch newbuild?
“The Quantum class represents a series of ships that are important to our long-term future,” Gonzalez says. “It’s a reflection of the type of things guests look for. Part of this identity is innovation and Quantum embodies that. We went through a number of different phases with Quantum – it didn’t just come to the gate at the same time. It evolves with us. If we force innovation too much and too fast, it ends up not being authentic.”
The evolution of two of the most exciting onboard Quantum features, SeaPlex and North Star, are an example of this approach, says Gonzalez. Described as the ‘largest indoor active space at sea’, SeaPlex promises adventure through an array of activities, including roller skating and the chance to whizz through the air on the first flying trapeze at sea, while at night it will be bumper cars that beckon. The 91 m viewing capsule, North Star, swings out over the ocean from the 4,180-passenger vessel, offering 360-degree sea views for up to 15 occupants. “SeaPlex and North Star are from entirely different time periods,” says Gonzalez. “With SeaPlex, we flirted with the seed of this idea on an earlier ship class, but it didn’t feel right. On Quantum, it has a more natural feel, so it came quite early on. We say we work in a design spiral – we take delivery of our commitments to the shipyards seriously, but ideas need time to mature. North Star came much later than what would really be ideal, due to the complexity of structure, as we needed to think this through. Most of Quantum’s design was frozen in the spring 2012 – we were just getting started around winter 2011 and it didn’t solidify until 2013. Like peeling an onion, to some degree we still have smaller details that need validation, so we validate and we tweak, but that’s who we are – turning the inside out and the outside in.”
When it comes to Two70o, Quantum’s aft space which offers passengers 270-degree views through floor-to-ceiling glass windows during the day and showcases entertainment at night, including aerialists and digital projection and performances, Gonzalez says: “That was also started early on, but probably evolved the most as we got into it and it became more and more of a ‘wow’. It’s the next generation of thinking about how we organise interior space. Some of this we’ve done in the past has not been particularly well received by passengers. The aft lounge on Radiance of the Seas is a favourite, but I wouldn’t call it an architectural feature, whereas Two70o is a design point. A wonderful interior space during the day where you can unwind with a cup of tea, at night becomes something else.”
With so many design ‘firsts’ onboard one ship, are there any Gonzalez is particularly proud of? “It’s like asking which of my children is my favourite,” she says. “We work hard in all areas, so they’re all special and I’m close to each one. We work with lots of different people who support innovative culture. My pride comes from seeing the ship in service, the crew working the space and the passengers’ appreciation. We think we know what we’re shooting for, but so often it is more spectacular than we expected after going into service.”
When it comes to what she enjoys most about her role, Gonzalez does not hesitate. “People – from the top down, to the crew on the ship,” she says. “Pursuit of innovation is part of the culture and although endorsed by the executives, all kinds of people enjoy it. Crew members get involved in onboard surveys and they’re creative too. Our company represents people from all over the world and their passion is infectious.
“I think that key to what we do here is the collaboration. We get a group of diverse people together who don’t see things the same way. It’s an important part of my and Harri Kulovaara’s [EVP Maritime, RCL] roles and is crucial to what we need to accomplish, especially when pioneering new areas. It is human nature that experts in an area will say it can’t be done.
“We involve architects working with each other – even if they’ve been assigned their own spaces – and have them sitting in on each other’s presentations, so that if someone has a tricky problem, we’ll bring in the other designer. It’s a spirit of teamwork,” concludes Gonzalez.
This article appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2013 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.