Global Design: Sailing in style in asymmetrical cruise ships, with playtime on steroids

On the first cruise I took, more than 20 years ago, my cabin was a cramped, windowless cave. You were lucky if you could find a porthole on the lower decks to peer out of. 

But cruise-ship design and architecture have come a long way, and Silver Ray – the newest addition to ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea – is redefining what it means to sail in style.

Its asymmetrical layout is a radical departure from the norm in which the left or port side of a cruise ship is a mirror image of the right, or starboard. 

This, coupled with a savvy reorganisation of communal and private areas, means more open and open-air spaces, higher ceilings, sweeping views and natural light.

The idea is for guests to feel more connected to the destination while enjoying all the creature comforts.

And it works so well that you would sometimes rather spend time on board than ashore. 

This was my experience on one of Silver Ray’s inaugural voyages in 2024 – from Lisbon, Portugal, to Cadiz, Spain, and back.

Docked at the Port of Lisbon, the ship is a stone’s throw from the historic Alfama district. And its sun-soaked 10th-floor pool deck becomes the best rooftop in town, with unmatched views of the neighbourhood’s charming terracotta roofs and pastel facades.

If you have not gone on a ton of cruises or are not a nautical nerd, the differences between this and other ships might not be apparent at first glance.

But, on a gross tonnage-per-passenger basis, Silver Ray and Silver Nova – its near-identical sister vessel – are among the most spacious cruise ships ever built. 

They also carry a maximum of 728 passengers each, compared with the thousands you would see on a typical cruise ship.

Most ships stack their cabins and public areas vertically, with guest accommodations concentrated in the front or fore of the vessel while restaurants, lounges and the like are located aft, or in the back. 

Silver Ray, however, employs a horizontal design in which communal spaces are on the lowest and uppermost decks, with passenger cabins sandwiched in between. 

This configuration allows for loftier ceilings in the public areas, as well as a multi-level atrium and theatre, along with more spacious new categories of suites.

Each guest room also has a private balcony – a feature on all Silversea cruises, but something you pay a premium for on most other ships.

Then there is the asymmetry, which in modern design is often deployed gratuitously – a cheap way to signal edginess.

But on Silver Ray, it serves a clear purpose, says Silversea’s vice-president of product strategy, Mr Andrea Tonet, in an interview on board. 

“It is not because we just wanted to have a fancy shape for the ship. It’s an enabler for most of the great things you see on board, like the wonderful natural light you have everywhere,” he says. We are sitting in the airy atrium, which serves as a connecting point to the reception and several dining and social venues.

The perks of an asymmetrical layout are most evident on the two uppermost decks.

The pool on Deck 10 – the largest in the fleet – is offset to the starboard side, so swimmers and sunbathers have an uninterrupted panorama of the coastline from Lisbon to Cadiz.

And a level above is a partial deck constructed so as to minimally impede those views, with more sunbeds as well as a glass-fronted, infinity-edge whirlpool.

Glass-walled lifts also connect all the decks, turning a simple ride into a visual treat, especially at dusk and dawn.

Silver Ray’s S.A.L.T. Lab is another design gem on board – a sleek private dining space framed by floor-to-ceiling doors and windows. It is dedicated to Silversea’s signature Sea And Land Taste programme, which includes cooking classes and 11-course chef’s table dinners showcasing the flavours of the regions being visited.

And on this cruise, al fresco dining at indoor-outdoor restaurants such as The Marquee and La Terrazza also take advantage of the balmy Mediterranean setting.

The emphasis on open spaces and integration with the environment is part of a broader industry trend. 

Operators such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises all tout features such as these. However, Mr Tonet argues that few have embraced asymmetry to the same degree as Silversea.

“The latest Celebrity ships are partially asymmetric, with the pool deck on the edge, but it’s not pushed to the extent that it is here, and for sure not in the luxury category,” he says.

Given the complexity it adds to the construction, you can understand why. 

“All the structural components – the skeleton and steelwork of a ship – have to be brought inside so we can be much freer and more flexible with the rest,” Mr Tonet explains.

But the result is dramatic spaces such as the three-storey atrium – a rarity on cruise ships “because the public areas are usually at the back, and in the middle of the ship, you have suites basically everywhere”.

Mr Tonet adds: “Here, the public spaces are concentrated on the same decks, and that helps a lot with the flow and circulation of people.

“And it creates a more vibrant atmosphere and this feeling of spaciousness with the higher ceilings.”

This also allows for luxurious new accommodation categories such as the Otium suite, the first in Silversea’s fleet with a jacuzzi on the balcony and wraparound views.

As the luxury travel sector booms, operators such as Silversea are doubling down on such offerings.

One of the goals is to attract well-heeled travellers who may have written off cruising as a gaudy, impersonal affair.

This is one reason Silver Ray and Silver Nova are designed to look and feel more like contemporary luxury resorts than stereotypical cruise ships.

So, if you think cruising means a floating behemoth that resembles a Las Vegas casino-hotel or water park, these ships quickly disabuse you of that notion, especially with their quietly luxurious interiors.

“Our perspective on the luxury experience is that the design should never overwhelm the guest experience and that everybody needs to feel comfortable,” Mr Tonet says.

“At the same time, we didn’t want the ship to be a museum or a temple that people need to come and admire because of its beauty. We want the ship to be an enabler of the guest experience.”

The design philosophy is understated luxury, he says, with a restrained palette of colours and textures serving as the backdrop, and carefully curated art pieces as the accents.

The result is tasteful, inviting and occasionally more appealing than the destination.

After a day of exploring Lisbon’s cobblestone streets and sunlit squares, some of Silver Ray’s passengers head out again for the evening to enjoy the Festival of Lisbon, a series of lively parades and performances celebrating the city’s patron saint.

I would normally join them, but I find myself drawn instead to the ship’s tranquil pool deck, from which I can see and hear the street party in full swing as the sun sinks below the horizon.

With a craft cocktail in hand and the glittering city arrayed before me, any fear of missing out fades. I remember that travel is not just about the destination, but the journey – and making the most of both.

Other cruise-ship design trends

The cruise market continues to boom, with 56 new ships due to be launched between 2024 and 2028, according to Cruise Lines International Association, a trade body.

And cruise-ship design trends are targeting the needs of key customer demographics such as solo travellers and families with children.

1. Solo cruising in style

Operators keen to tap the growth in solo travel are building more cabins dedicated to these passengers.

Solo cabins eliminate the dreaded “single supplement” fee that typically applies to those cruising alone, and which often means paying twice as much as one would on a double-occupancy basis.

These accommodations tend to be smaller, but are laid out to optimise the use of space.

Norwegian Cruise Line led the charge in 2010 when it launched Norwegian Epic, the first major cruise ship with cabins built specifically for solitary travellers – a cluster of 128 rooms in a ship accommodating more than 4,000 guests.

These stylish quarters, with full-sized beds and a chic space-age aesthetic, were an instant hit. They now often sell out well in advance – so much so that the cruise line announced, in 2023, plans for more than 1,000 solo staterooms across its 19-ship fleet.

And on most Norwegian ships, these cabins also offer exclusive access to a lounge with its own bar and daily happy hours, so solo holidaymakers can meet and socialise. 

Other cruise lines have jumped on this trend.

Virgin Voyages, whose passengers have to be at least 18, offers a variety of solo accommodations on its three ships.

Boasting the same sleek, modern aesthetic as the rest of the Virgin hospitality brand, the cabins are equipped with full-sized beds and giant flat-screen televisions.

Like many operators, Virgin organises activities and meet-ups for solo travellers, but Gunbae, its Korean barbecue restaurant on board, goes a step further with a communal dining arrangement so that no one has to eat alone.

2. Playtime on steroids

Cruise ships are not just floating hotels any more. Many now rival theme parks, with attractions designed to keep families and the young at heart endlessly entertained.

Major operators have gone big on this trend.

Norwegian ships have brought go-karting to the high seas, with vessels such as Norwegian Viva featuring a three-level outdoor racetrack that accommodates up to 15 racers at a time.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas – the largest cruise ship in the world – has the biggest water park of them all, with the tallest drop slide as well as the first open free-fall slide at sea.

And Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure cruise, which will depart Singapore for its inaugural sail on Dec 15, 2025, has the longest roller coaster at sea – the 250m Marvel-themed Ironcycle Test Run.

3. Futuristic tech

Industry leaders are incorporating cutting-edge technology into their design.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC Cruises are among those using facial recognition and other biometric systems to speed up the boarding and disembarkation process.

Many are also using smart-home systems to personalise the guest experience. 

On Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-class ships, passengers can use an app on their mobile phones to control the lighting and temperature in their rooms.

And wearables such as Princess Cruises’ Ocean Medallion – a small disc that can be attached to a wristband or lanyard – enable touchless access to cabins, cashless payments and other personalised services. 

These innovations give new meaning to the term “cruise control”, marrying convenience with cutting-edge design.

Silversea’s Nova Class ships

Go to www.silversea.com to book a trip on one of Silversea’s two innovatively designed Nova-class vessels, Silver Ray and Silver Nova.

Searching the website at the beginning of 2025, an 11-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in August 2025, which will visit 10 ports and four countries, is priced from US$8,700 (S$11,900) a guest on a double-occupancy basis.

This includes almost all food and beverages, as well as butler service and shore excursions, but excludes airfare and transfers. 

Looking on the Singapore Airlines website earlier this week, non-stop round-trip airfare from Singapore to Barcelona in August 2025 starts at $1,234.