Cruise & Ferry Interiors 2020

9 7 several processes and onboard layouts will be adjusted to prevent the congregation of large groups and to optimise traffic flow. Multiple access points will allow guests to board quickly and go directly to their sanitised staterooms. Elsewhere, the lifts, stairs and corridors will be updated to include touchless buttons and antimicrobial metal handrails. General public areas will be disinfected by a dedicated 24/7 sanitation team, while sanitation stations and wipe dispensers will be placed in key circulation and transitory areas throughout the ships. Onboard medical centres will also be enhanced and able to provide free Covid-19 testing to guests and crew. Safety and sanitation protocols will be developed to address positive tests. Meanwhile, dining venues will offer reduced occupancy with a more spacious floor plan to streamline traffic flow and limit cross circulation. Other enhancements will include sanitation stations throughout the restaurants and metal or digital menus for patrons. Staff will also adopt rigorous and continuous disinfecting practices. Alterations will also be made to staterooms. They will be outfitted with a thermal checkpoint and facial recognition hub at the point of entry to automatically identify guests with symptoms and initiate safety and sanitation protocols. Other noticeable upgrades to the staterooms will include touchless room entry, showers, faucets and cabinets. Furniture and furnishings will incorporate hospital-grade, antimicrobial textiles and surfaces, while carpets will be replaced with hardwood flooring. Staterooms, bathrooms, and closets will use ultraviolet lighting technologies to self-sanitise. “Sanitation measures within the staterooms promise to enhance the post- pandemic cruise experience by providing peace of mind to guests,” says Yohandel Ruiz, the fourth partner of Studio DADO. The cruise journey of the future will focus on limiting exposure to potential illnesses and minimising unnecessary interactions, while improving guests’ trust in cruising and in the cruise line. “Through the adoption of health screening measures, improved sanitation practices and innovative sanitation technologies, cruise lines can reassure guests that they have taken every possible measure to protect them and still deliver enjoyable cruises,” says Ruiz. CFI “We’re all faced with the need to reinvent the entire cruise journey” Greg Walton