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Holland America’s ms Prinsendam sails into new design waters with a look that mixes boutique chic with coffeehouse casual.
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The music of the 1980s may be enjoying a rebirth in popularity, but the decade's floral-heavy décor hasn't exactly stood the test of time - at least not for Seattle-based Holland America Line's (HAL's) fleet of cruise ships.
With competing cruise lines building and renovating, and posh resorts raising the ante with everything from villas to plunge pools, dated is deadly. "If you do nothing, you'll hurt yourself in the end because passengers will start to comment that ‘they have such outdated bathrooms,' or ‘their closets are so tiny.' You risk losing those customers," says Philip Hilgersom, HAL's superintendent of interiors. To stem that tide, HAL invested $425 million to upgrade its 14-ship fleet, earmarking $25 million for its smallest one, the 793-passenger ms Prinsendam.
Since the ms Prinsendam is the only ship in HAL's fleet it didn't build itself, Hilgersom not only had to get rid of wilted design and outmoded furnishings; he and the in-house design team also had to reconsider everything from the ambience to the amenities to make them consistent with its sister ships. "It was almost like starting over," he says.
Complicating matters was the ms Prinsendam's popularity with older, more affluent cruisers, who enjoy its extended cruises of 40 to 50 days or more. "This ship has an extremely loyal clientele. Fifty to 60 percent of the ship's passengers always travel on this particular ship," Hilgersom says.
That meant the redesign team had to balance the preferences of these valuable existing clients - including those who expected everything to be the same every time - with demands for fresh statements by new and younger customers who would broaden the line's market base.
Increased openness was a major change that designers believed would appeal to both markets, and one that's also in line with the fleet's new look. For example, passengers rarely used the tiny reading rooms in the public areas. HAL's designers gutted the anachronistic warrens to introduce the open, sociable Explorations Café ("powered by the New York Times") and library. Designers warmed up this bookstore-type space with beiges and chocolate browns. "No talking" library-style furnishings were replaced with a plush seating menu complemented by tables that comfortably hold books, computers and expensive gourmet coffee.
This popular "sedate entertainment" venue adds a new revenue stream. Though basic coffee service is still included in the cruise price, HAL now sells gourmet coffee to passengers already accustomed to the Starbucks culture. Customers craving a cup of cappuccino get a sampling of the barista brew for the comparative bargain price of $1.75 to $3.
Borrowing a page from the hotel industry, HAL updated its luxury staterooms and freed up floor space by installing wall-mounted flatscreen televisions. Since the ship's walls are prefabricated, the designers were able to maneuver them to reshape the space. That made room for walk-in closets and more pampering bathrooms - amenities that are integral to the definition of a luxury experience on land or at sea.
To grab more attention from new markets (and to protect its own base), HAL looked to its competition - specifically, lifestyle brands like Starwood Hotels & Resorts' W Hotels and The Westin. What Hilgersom and his team saw was a move toward a subdued, slightly modern (but still classic) look they could customize.
In the bathrooms, for example, the designers switched out florals for earth tones and replaced plastics with natural materials such as marble. They also exchanged the tired-looking silver color scheme of the main gift shop for rich, dark woods. "These things evoke a more upmarket feel," Hilgersom says.
He adds that large structural changes like those the ms Prinsendam underwent are "time-consuming, but they pay." Because the ship is usually booked out six months, it will take several months to measure the financial impact of the upgrades. But the point was not about short-term numbers; it was about reinvesting to stay competitive.
"The ships have to undergo regular updates and maintenance, so we thought, why not just give it a fresh new look while we're at it?" Hilgersom says.
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