Meyer Group unveils a concept cruise ship of the future

Meyer Group’s “Reverse” concept cruise ship of the future has an aerodynamic hull form inspired by the rockhopper penguin.

The Meyer Group used this week’s Seatrade Cruise Global event in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to showcase not only some of its recent achievements but to give a glimpse of a concept cruise ship of the future that includes some radical innovations.

Called the “Reverse” concept it has an aerodynamic exterior with a closed glass facade and features urban gardening areas and drone landing pads, with central public areas forming the focal point inside the ship. The cabin structure is detached from the outer hull, enabling the use of efficient modular manufacturing methods.

Some aspects of this particular cruise ship of the future, which shows what cruising could look like in the year 2100, might not be to the liking of today’s cruisers.

“The ship is based on global megatrends and is one — but not the only — logical response to them,” says Tim Krug, head of concept development group at Meyer Group. “For example, we have only provided for small restaurant areas that serve more as social meeting places because we imagine that a large part of the nutrients will be consumed in concentrated form like pills.”

“From today’s point of view, “ he adds, “we sometimes come up with extreme approaches, but it is equally important to think them through and develop answers from them.”

The energy concept on board also relies on innovation: using wave energy generated by horizontal wings on the hull, solar and fuel cells, along with wind energy, to operate without fossil fuels.

Meantime, the Meyer Group is already demonstrating how sustainable materials can be used. The model of the Reverse, shown for the first time at the Fort Lauderdale event, was made largely from sustainable materials, with 90% of them either recycled or able be recycled without leaving any residue. The model’s light ing is powered by a functioning fuel cell powered by methanol that the Meyer Group trade fair team also uses to charge smartphones and tablets.

Meantime, the cruise ship of the future — along with those concentrated food pills — remains in the future and right now Meyer is busy with a number of cutting-edge cruise ships of the present. Its German shipyard, Meyer Werft will this year deliver Silversea Cruises much-anticipated Silver Nova, while its Finnish yard, Meyer Turku, will deliver the largest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas, to Royal Caribbean International later this year. And, as we reported recently, block assembly of Mein Schiff 7 has started at Meyer Turku. This latest vessel for TUI Cruises will be among the first to be ready for methanol and green methanol in the future, making its operation almost climate neutral.