Ever wondered how a vision for the most technologically advanced cruise ship on the planet is brought to life? Read on for insights from Jodi Barozinsky, Royal Caribbean’s New Build Design Manager, and find out how she helped make Quantum of the Seas a reality.
A new class of cruise ship
The concept for Quantum of the Seas came to light in 2009 and since then the world has been holding its breath to see the finished product. On November 14th Quantum finally took to the seas to the tune of a star-studded naming ceremony. But how did she go from a series of ambitious sketches to a fully functional 168,666 tonne megaliner? Much of the design process was overseen by Barozinsky, a long-term Royal Caribbean employee who has experience engineering everything from Vision class, Radiance class, Voyager class and now, Oasis-class ships.
Overcoming challenges
While the finished product may appear to be flawless Barozinsky and Royal Caribbean’s team of expert designers and engineers worked tirelessly to overcome obstacle after obstacle. According to Barozinsky, the major challenge was the large time span between the initial design process and the final launching ceremony. Trying to think ahead and ensure that the definitive design was relevant, contemporary and inherently impressive was quite a contest. For example, a year after creating Quantum’s dining rooms the team decided that the concept wasn’t up-to-the-minute enough which led to a complete design overhaul. Aesthetic issues such as these can be frustrating but after seeing pics of Quantum’s interior we think it’s safe to say that Royal Caribbean aced this particular hurdle!
Barozinsky explains, “The period of time that we start and finish is a fairly long period. Sometimes three to four years. Staying up on top of what’s current and what’s cutting edge is always a challenge… So, trying to stay current and make sure the design is right for the day it gets delivered is a huge challenge.”
Delivering the “WOW” factor
One of Royal Caribbean’s most publicised commitments is to deliver the “WOW” factor to each and every passenger. Finding a way to blow guests away without blowing the budget was another major challenge faced by Barozinsky and the team. The fact that the vessel has long been referred to as the world’s first ‘smartship’ also put an enormous amount of pressure on designers to incorporate cutting-edge technology into every aspect of its build. With its robotic bartenders, virtual balconies, state-of-the-art entertainment venue, skydiving simulator, specially designed mobile app and abundance of other awe-inspiring features Quantum most definitely delivers!
“To get those WOWs in there, it may mean compromising something else that’s not as critical and deciding on what those compromises are to get the WOW,” she said.
Flawless structural functionality
Considering Quantum of the Seas measures in at a huge 347.1 metres, it comes as no surprise that her designers ran into some structural challenges. For example, it took a dedicated team of engineers and a whole lot of innovative thinking to come up with a drainage solution that stopped the cavernous Central Park from flooding when the ship was hit with a downpour of rain.
A worthwhile reward
While the design process may have been gruelling Barozinsky maintains that the payoff is well worth the effort. The sheer level of interest from high-level executives and everyday cruise enthusiasts alike is overwhelming and never fails to conjure up a whole-hearted feeling of achievement.
“Anyone you talk to, whether I’m travelling next to some stranger on a plane and they ask what you do and you get into a conversation. They know that ship, they know about that room that you designed. To me, it just feels good. It made a difference and someone actually noticed something that you worked on. You can really take pride in that,” she reveals.
Thanks to the efforts of Barozinsky and her team of fellow Royal Caribbean design experts Quantum of the Seas now boasts status as the most technologically advanced ship on the planet! To secure your place onboard the 4180 passenger megaliner head over to Cruise 1st and snap up an incredible deal on Quantum of the Seas voyages.
This interview is continued on the Royal Carribean blog.
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Images via Royal Caribbean Press Center
