Designing a cruise ship is in many ways similar to designing a city, along with everything that happens there. Dee's team set out with that idea, to cater for their customers in a way New York, London, Sydney, or San Francisco do. That means fascinating spaces both inside and out, and an excellent quality of choice when it comes to eating, drinking, shopping, and entertainment. That design ethos is epitomised by The Dock, one of Dee's favourites areas on the ship. It's a place she describes as being like a waterside outdoor café or bar which you might find on a ferry pier in Greece; a place you can enjoy the salty air and where you might find yourself at 11 a.m. ordering a Bloody Mary after the night before and munching on freshly grilled prawns.
As in all cool cities, there has to be a very cool coffee shop. Here Dee talks about how the coffee shop is a great example of physical design and customer experience coming together. "An excellent coffee shop is somewhere you get great coffee but can work or relax but most importantly where you can watch the world go by. Ours does all of that but with the ocean framed and ship in the huge windows behind," says Dee. While sipping high-quality coffee, those with a keen eye for design might notice a nearby wall light decorated with the numbers 132 and 149, an example of the myriad of tiny design touches waiting to be discovered by you throughout the ship. "The structure of the ship includes numbered frame lines which are like giant ribs or steel frames across the vessel. These became a navigation system for our drawings of the vessel," explains Dee. "So we had a bit of fun with that and created frame line lights with the numbers on. A tiny detail that many people won't notice, but when they do, it can be a great hook for a conversation with the crew. And it's those small friendly interactions that can create a memorable cruise." And that brings us to the other part of Dee's job. Customer experience.