Think of cruise ships as planets. They’re self-sufficient floating worlds that imaginative designers create into unique environments. Read the first part of this exclusive story here.
In this second part of an interview with Wallace Immen of The Cruisington Times, Yohandel Ruiz describes the challenges and rewards of creating a unique new class of luxury ships for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He’s founding partner of ship design company Studio Dado, that’s become the go-to firm for cutting edge ships from Regent Seven Seas as well as Oceania Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Read the first part here.
The stairway soaring through the atrium is unique. What was the inspiration?
The Starlight Atrium forms the heart of Seven Seas Prestige. Twin spiral staircases begin on Deck 4 and combine on Deck 5 then lead up to Deck 11, topped by a skylight. It was an opportunity to wow guests and create something different than we’ve done before.
Making this monumental space memorable was a challenge we welcomed and ee thought: Why does a chandelier have to be hanging from the ceiling? What if the chandelier became the staircase that also lights the glass lift in the atrium?
We worked with Presciosa Lighting in Prague to say we want lighted crystal rods attached to the stair envelope. We wanted settings that change so when people go up and down there’s variety and movement. They created this wonderful video for us that shows the dramatic nature we were getting at. But then we had to take this great idea and ask would it work at sea? How do we keep the rods from vibrating and swinging as the ship moves and just as important: how do we clean them?
We worked back and forth with the engineers to make sure it’s going to work. We set up mock-ups of the staircase at a studio in Italy and it was really magical. At night when the chandelier really creates a glow, it’s going to be a must-see.
You’re making this unique with themes for each space
We always try to weave in stories to each space. Themes include the Renaissance and classical architecture. On the ceiling of Galileo’s Bar, we’re creating a contemporary mural paying homage to Michelangelo.
The Atrium is a place for quiet contemplation over a glass of Champagne, or practical matters with guest services. It connects with other public spaces across Decks 4 and 5, including Galileo’s Bar, the Casino, Prestige Lounge, Meridian Lounge, Coffee Connection, concierge desk and reception
It’s also going to be one of the most airy. For the first time the main dining room Compass Rose is going to have an outdoor siting area. It’s covered with a canopy and looks aft from the ship and there will be special programming that we’re still working through. We’re really excited about this. We’re also innovating with suites. There are so many unique suite typologies and some Loft suites and the Sky Suite will also be two levels and have roof-top verandas with Jacuzzis and outdoor dining areas.
How much has been based on feedback from regular guests?
Studio Dado has been working with Regent for so long we almost feel we’re part of the family, so we know the Regent guest very well. We sail on the ships and we talk with them about what they’d like to see when we refurbish the ships the guest are there alongside us looking at carpet samples. The cruise traveller is much more invested in design than land based travellers. They give us lots of good feedback and we’ve been able to compile a great list of what really works and obviously that gets incorporated.
Our firm’s motto is: “make it like home but better.” Regent guests have every creature comfort at home and we’re constantly asking: how can we make them say “gosh this is better than my bathroom or bed at home?”
You don’t know how much attention we give to lighting and making sure that the light is at the right level for different times of the day. Little things like reading lights or night lights; how do we make that experience the best?
We live in a world that is so connected that we need to create outlets for all the technology we carry with us in public spaces as well. I see more and more guests working while they’re on the road. That demands reliable Wi-Fi connections throughout the ship and creating areas where you can secrete yourself and have a meeting.
You’d be surprised by how many times people get it wrong. We stay in hotel rooms and realize the plug is in the wrong place to charge our phone and now I have to get behind the bed or the night stand.
I promise you this ship is going to be ultra-convenient. The guest rooms in particular will have more plugs than you will ever want, even in the bathrooms where you spend a lot of time prepping you want to be connected, so there will be USB ports in the bathrooms.
We test a lot of options in computer simulations, but there’s nothing like building a physical mock-up to get a feel for what it’s like to be inside the space and make sure that the bars in the bathroom are at the right height, that the furniture is comfortable and the lighting is inviting.
Our mock-ups so far have been internal for executives to view and comment on. We’re not having the public visit them yet but we’ve worked through various designs internally to test the concepts and performance of the materials. We’ve tried as many as four mock ups of some venues, but many others have been successful on the first try with only minor changes needed.
How long does it take to bring a new ship to life?
There is about four years of planning from initial concepts and design approval behind seeing it come out of the shipyard and enter service. And it’s another year and a half for sister ships in the same class.
We ‘ll be working on this assignment right to the last minute, even when Seven Seas Prestige is going to the dock to start cruising, we’ll still be seeing things we can adjust. A year away from the December launch of Prestice, the carpets and light fixtures were already on order. We’re all proud of how it’s coming together and we’re sure it’s going to continue Regent’s legacy of most luxurious cruise ships.
“We always aim to impress guests enough that they go home and tell their friends you’ve got to see this new ship, and experience the restaurants. If we get then to do that, then we’ve done our job.”
The 822-passenger Seven Seas Prestige will be the line’s first new ship since the Seven Seas Grandeur debuted in 2023. Its inaugural season begins in December 2026 for sailings from Miami, Panama City and Los Angeles.
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