[ 91 ] ONBOARD and forth. For this reason, it was not the best place to sit back and relax. Passengers were expecting a bar lounge where families and children would still come, yet with an adult feel. Customers were simply asking to relax and recharge during the 90-minute crossing without losing sea views. Offering a highquality product in elegant surroundings, the boutique-style Lounge Bar undoubtedly meets customers’ expectations. Its enhanced ambience includes decorative lights and eyecatching ceiling elements. With a total of 287 seats, this is by no means a small space, being equivalent in size and a mirror view of the duty-free shop. Even so, thanks to a variety of low- and high-level seating and dividers, it doesn’t feel like one big space. The see-through space dividers also have a structural function with X-beams hidden behind the art-like latticework. The floor in the bar zone is attractively decorated with individual vintage-looking ornate tiles. The counter with its three service points has been designed to remove the queues but drinks and snacks can also be ordered at table using a dedicated app. Besides a freshly brewed barista coffee, passengers can also order their favourite alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages as well as a variety of cakes or fresh snacks while enjoying unique views of the English Channel through large panoramic windows on three sides. The game and slot machines on one side of the lounge are further proof of the lounge’s adult appeal. The outside deck, the colour theme of which continues from the indoor area, can be accessed either directly from The Lounge Bar or the adjacent Calais-end stair lobby. EASY WAYFINDING By virtue of the Ship of the Future’s double-end nature, there is no such thing as bow and stern ends but rather Dover- and Calais-ends. When sailing from Dover to Calais, starboard is to the right, but that flips to the other side when sailing in the opposite direction. Even so, simplicity dominates thanks to a clever colour/letter-coded wayfinding system. Wayfinding was one of the fundamental aspects P&O Ferries wanted to get absolutely right on the new vessels. Customers said that wayfinding on the Darwin- and Spirit-classes didn’t resonate with them, as they found it quite difficult to navigate the passenger areas and were unsure as to how to get back to their vehicles. Wayfinding has therefore been simplified from the moment passengers leave their vehicles. To achieve this, the Fusion-class ships have been split into two colour zones: blue (Dover-end) and yellow (Calaisend). On either side of the central casing, each colour zone has been further divided into two letter zones: A and B for yellow, C and D for blue. Preceded by the deck number, the colour and letter zones are clearly displayed throughout the vehicle decks. When leaving the car deck, a text on the central casing’s colourcoded doors encourages passengers to take a photo of the zone where they are parked. In the passenger areas, the individual signs come with blue and yellow colour strips while TV screens in staircases and lobbies also help wayfinding, displaying deck plans among other useful tools. The wayfinding totems are made from material which is easy to replace should, for instance one of the outlets be rebranded at a later stage. “ Thanks to a variety of low- and high-level seating and dividers, it doesn’t feel like one big space. The seethrough space dividers also have a structural function with X-beams hidden behind the artlike latticework”
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