Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2020

1 0 3 be built by China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard and will be 104 metres in length and accommodate fewer than 200 guests. The first in the series, Greg Mortimer, joined Aurora Expeditions’ fleet in summer 2019, receiving rave reviews. “Technically, all seven ships will be the same – they are Polar Code 6 vessels with X-Bow hulls, balcony cabins, Rolls-Royce zero-speed stabilisers, five Zodiac loading ports, and systems for dynamic positioning and Safe Return to Port,” says Lund. “However, there will be countless small variations between the ships’ interior structures and design schemes. The ships’ total capacity will range from 130 to 190 guests and will have different restaurants, bars and lounges, while two vessels of the vessels will have two-level atriums and lounges.” Many of the internal changes can be attributed to SunStone’s decision to allow those chartering the ships to largely control their aesthetic appearance. “SunStone developed several general arrangements plans with Tomas Tillberg Design, including several concepts for different cabins, lounges, bars, restaurants and the other public spaces,” says Lund. “However, the charterer of the vessel will decide how many cabins and suites they want, how they want to configure the public areas and which colour schemes, furnishings and interior design style to use. Some will be very minimalistic with clean and light colors, whereas others will have a darker and more elegant look. We won’t interfere in this process if the charterer’s requests are reasonable and fit within a general marketable design.” Ocean Victory, which will be the next Infinity-class ship to launch, will sail for Albatros Expeditions in the winter seasons and Victory Cruises in the summer seasons, and have both external and internal differences to Greg Mortimer. “The main external structural difference is that Ocean Victory has a bow observation deck,” says Lund. “She will also have a beautiful deck with an infinity pool and an adjacent bar and outside lounge. Plus, her top-deck restaurant will have fully openable windows, giving the option to convert it into an al fresco dining venue.” SunStone aims to launch Ocean Victory and two other Infinity-class ships – Ocean Explorer and Sylvia Earle – in 2021, with Ocean Odyssey, Ocean Discoverer and Ocean Albatros following in 2022. However, like many industries, SunStone and the wider expedition cruise sector experienced a hiatus in early 2020 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. All expedition ships are expected to be laid up for the entire summer 2020 season, which could significantly impact the future growth of the industry. “Prior to Covid-19 we expected 2022 and 2023 to be big growth years with more capacity coming into the market than passenger expansion,” he says. “Now we can only hope that operators may return to somewhat normal operations for the Antarctic season. Unfortunately, we could also see some companies cancelling newbuild projects or shipyards going bankrupt, which may completely change the marketplace in the coming years.” However, Lund remains confident that the expedition sector has a positive future. “This niche will keep on growing because it offers unrivalled adventures.” CFI