We were delighted recently to receive an invitation from Carnival, the world’s biggest ocean cruise liner operator, to the formal launch of their newest ship – Mardi Gras – in Florida on Saturday, 23rd October 2021. Unfortunately, travel restrictions in place at the time due to the Covid-19 pandemic meant that we weren’t able to attend. Nonetheless, we were flattered by this acknowledgment by Carnival of the role DCA played in the success of Mardi Gras.

Carnival exists in an industry that has been totally opened up by the YouTube generation. All aspects of life on board are captured instantly on phones and then published to the world via social media.

So when DCA were approached by Carnival to re-design a series of their passenger cabins for Mardi Gras, we focused on the features that would have the maximum positive impact for the passengers, including the YouTube generation. To achieve this without adding unnecessarily to the build cost we sought to improve existing elements making them work harder and only adding new features where they deliver real value.

We also needed to help the cabin crew keep up their high standards of presentation and cleanliness within a reduced timeframe by making cleaning and reconfiguration tasks simpler and quicker to achieve.

During a period of on board research we were able to experience the existing Carnival Staterooms first hand as well as interviewing and observing passengers and crew. We could see how proud the housekeeping staff were of the cabins they were responsible for and how focused they were on giving their guests a great time. Their message was clear: don't destroy the great things we already have in place and remember that these cabins have to be durable. It was fantastic to hear their ideas and insights, and using this feedback we forged ahead with the task of making the cabins as easy to service as possible while delivering class leading functionality and visual impact to Carnival’s passengers.

In this environment any design features that add complications and time for the housekeeping staff are unacceptable. When there are around 2640 individual cabins per ship, every extra second spent on cleaning or re-configuring a single cabin adds 41 minutes to the turnaround time. It was important to respect the decades of development work that had already gone into the cabins but it was also clear that there was still plenty of room for innovation. We had to focus our efforts on the features that would give Carnival and their guests true value for money. The old adage “the best bang for your buck” is clichéd but never truer than in the cruise line industry!

Representatives of every stakeholder group, from senior management through to the on board crew, scrutinized every design decision. What user need does this respond to? Where’s the value in this feature? How can it be implemented? Will it work reliably? Working with the Carnival team, we created a series of design principles to evaluate and select our proposals against: 'Does it create a more spacious feeling?’; 'Does it improve the cabin cleanability?'; ‘Is it designed for longevity?'; 'Does everything have its self-evident logical place?'; ‘Can we incorporate more smart storage?' and, importantly, 'Can we include elements of fun?'

When we started to work with the cabin manufacturer in Finland on the implementation of our design, one of their engineers quipped. "It was hard not to implement your ideas, because they are just better. Why wouldn't we do it?"

An example of the kind of practical challenge we uncovered through our research was how to make the bedside tables easier to reconfigure when changing between a twin and double bed cabin configuration. Our recommendation was to remove the existing bulky side tables and incorporate lightweight but sturdy cantilevered side tables attached to the headboard wall, which dramatically reduced configuration time. And we placed USB ports next to each bed position, so that guests could charge and use their devices at night. An aesthetic challenge we faced was how to make the traditionally angular rooms feel light and airy. Our solution was to increase the size of the vanity mirror and change it to a large circular form, making it a stand out as a visual feature adding both light and the feeling of space to the room.

Another important insight was the need to free up surface space. Moving the telephone off the countertop and onto the wall was a straightforward but significant win. We also made all the surfaces as fluid as possible with radiused corners so that the cleaning staff could easily run their cloths over them, not having to rub around sharp corners where dirt traps might form.

We found out that guests weren't using the existing room fridges. We fitted a transparent glass door, making the contents clearly visible, another big improvement which helped raise awareness and increased usage. The list of wins goes on throughout the cabin: providing hanging features to dry wet items; subtle lighting at night so guests can access the toilet without disturbing the other occupants of the room; fitting an in-swinging shower door to replace the traditional shower curtain; the inclusion of decorative light details to delight guests and provide a subtle backdrop for the whole room. We owe a lot to the Carnival crew, the cabin manufacturer, and the guests who inspired us. The end result is a shared success that reflects and builds on the conversations we had with them all.

Carnival Mardi Gras Cabin Tour, The ShipLife