David McCarthy began his seafaring career some 25 years ago, serving as a junior assistant purser aboard P&O Cruises. “I worked my way up the ranks and within 10 years was the hotel director—the most senior position you can hold,” he says. Today, McCarthy specializes in building and refurbishing luxury vessels. His current port of call finds him at AD Associates, a London-based travel and hospitality firm started by CEO Chris Finch. Helming all projects from customer relationship management and planning to quality perspective, McCarthy joins design director Nicola Preece to bring life to ships that aim to change the conversation about maritime design and the future of luxury travel.
Luxe at Sea
When luxury expedition liner the Crystal Endeavor sets sail next year, it will be the largest, most spacious purpose-built polar class expedition yacht in the world, weighing in at 20,000 gross tonnage, accommodating some 200 guests, and offering a wealth of extravagant amenities (think Michelin-inspired dining and all-suite rooms with spa-like bathrooms and heated floors) as it journeys to exotic, far-flung places. “While destinations are certainly the highlight,” he says, “spending sometimes lengthy periods at sea means your surroundings are just as important, with an increasing focus on wellbeing and experiential and spatial design to curate distinct venues that are instantly memorable.”
Experiential Travel
By August 2020, the Crystal Endeavor will embark on its maiden voyage, docking at remote destinations that have not been widely explored. “Being an expedition vessel, it will not only be taking typical cruise routes, but also pole-to-pole journeys, offering guests cultural discovery and a real sense of exploration where few have ever been,” McCarthy says. “We wanted to bring this notion inward and heighten the experience.” Against a palette of soft earth tones and vibrant shades of blue, guests will travel to extreme polar regions, remote tropical islands, and follow humpback whales and elephant seals from Argentina to Antarctica’s Weddell Sea.
Weathering the Storm
Designing for a luxury yacht comes with obvious challenges: The materials, furnishings, and fixtures need to withstand salt water and exposure to extreme conditions; the team must adhere to a maritime specific set of rules and regulations; and the design has to take into consideration the fact that yachts and ships are moving platforms. “It’s the smallest detail,” McCarthy says, “like a fiddle rail [attached to] the front of a shelf on a bar that stops bottles from potentially sliding off, to more fundamental, regulatory items, such as not allowing any loose furniture in stair lobbies and escape routes.” But it’s the extra-special design opportunities unique to a luxury yacht that McCarthy delights in the most. High-end places like mud rooms and expedition studios, which normally would not be found on regular yachts or cruise vessels, cater to the brand’s ethos. But, with an incredibly discerning target audience, the overall style must challenge the status quo—especially in light of the increasingly competitive cruise ship landscape. “If we can achieve these designs within the confines and regulations of the marine industry,” he says, “imagine what could be achieved on dry land.”
The Crystal Endeavor will embark on its maiden voyage in 2020, with destinations from the Great Barrier Reef to Antarctica
The ship will be home to chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s Umi Uma restaurant, marked by textured walls and neutral hues
The expedition studio will host lectures, presentations, and conversations with the Crystal Endeavor team
The pantry library in the luxury expedition yacht skews residential, with rich materials and a jewel-toned palette
