WO2010094836A2

WO2010094836A2 - A floating structure, vessel, specifically a single hull cruise vessel or the like

Info

Publication number: WO2010094836A2
Application number: PCT/FI2010/050099
Authority: WO
Inventors: Janne Andersson
Original assignee: Stx Finland Cruise Oy
Priority date: 2009-02-17
Filing date: 2010-02-16
Publication date: 2010-08-26
Also published as: ES2541209T3; HRP20150695T1; EP2398693B1; WO2010094836A3; CN102387960B; FI20095145A0; KR101828610B1; EP2398693A2; KR20110120952A; FI20095145A; CN102387960A

Abstract

A floating structure, vessel, specifically a single hull cruise vessel, or the like, having an elongated hull part (1) and, on top of it, at least one multi-level superstructure (2a, 2b) containing the majority of passenger accommodations. The edges of the hull part (1) are fitted with two separate superstructures (2a, 2b) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vessel and dimensioned in the lateral direction so that a substantially open free space remains in between, said space being wider (g) than the combined width (a + b) of the superstructures (2a, 2b) excluding any balcony structures associated with accommodations. In addition that a majority, preferably at least 60%, of the accommodations within the superstructure (2a, 2b) comprises cabins (3) whose width (e), in other words their dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vessel, is at least some 50% of their length (f).

Description

A FLOATING STRUCTURE, VESSEL, SPECIFICALLY A SINGLE HULL CRUISE VESSEL OR THE LIKE

The object of the invention is a floating structure, vessel, specifically a single hull cruise vessel, or similar according to the preamble of Claim 1 , having an elongated hull part and, on top of it, at least one multi-level superstructure containing the majority of passenger accommodations.

It is known from prior art that the number of passenger cabins with windows or balconies is maximised by making their design as narrow as possible. When narrow cabins are used, the vessel can contain more cabins without adding more decks. Making the cabins narrower has not affected the floor area of the cabins much, as they have also been made longer. The total cubic volume of the cabins has also remained unchanged.

It is also known that the height of a ship is limited by stability and weather criteria. Above the cabin decks, there are typically one or two decks with common spaces such as restaurants, spa, gym and panorama bar. It is known that the placement of common spaces on top of the ship has reduced the opportunity to place cabins on upper decks.

It is also known that the narrowness of cabins makes them impractical for passengers. When furniture, fixtures and the bathroom are located one after the other in the cabin, a corridor-like space extending through the cabin is required for bypassing them. Because the cabin is long and narrow, a lot of area is wasted in the long corridor. Correspondingly, if the design goal is a cabin with a small floor area, it is known that the corridor becomes impractically narrow.

It is also known that the cabin window is no wider than the cabin itself, and the view from the cabin could not be improved without reducing the number of outer cabins. Making the window wider has resulted in making the cabin wider, and a

IUBSTITyTE SHEE^" limited number of decks cannot contain as many wider cabins as narrower ones.

The objective of the invention is to minimise the shortcomings apparent in prior art and to create a novel arrangement applicable to floating structures, particularly single hull cruise vessels, in which a rearrangement of spaces and structural parts can produce a functionally more efficient and lower-cost entity that is particularly suitable for catering for to the needs of large numbers of travellers better than before. Another objective of the invention is to create a cabin that is better than prior art in terms of passenger comfort and convenience, and that contributes to the rearrangement of the entire vessel's spaces and structures.

The objectives will mostly be achieved in the way presented in more detail in Claim 1 and the other claims. According to the invention, the edges of the vessel's hull are fitted with two separate superstructures extending in the longitudinal direction of the vessel and dimensioned in the lateral direction so that a substantially open free space remains in between, said space being wider than the combined width of the superstructures excluding any balcony structures associated with accommodations. In this case, a majority, preferably at least 60%, of the accommodations within the superstructure comprises cabins whose width, in other words their dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vessel, is at least some 50% of their length.

The cabins within the superstructure are mostly arranged in two rows so that at least some 80% of the cabins have an exterior window or balcony. Furthermore, cabins constitute more than 70% of the cubic volume of the superstructures. Additionally, the superstructures may be preferably located so that in the lateral direction of the vessel, they extend substantially over the edge of the vessel's hull. The hull part below the superstructures contains an area comprising approximately 1 to 4 decks that house the majority, preferably at least some 70%, of the vessel's common spaces. In practice, these common spaces comprise one or more of the following types of facilities: restaurants, saloons and other common rooms, weather decks and sun decks, entertainment facilities, recreational facilities, sports facilities, shops and other similar spaces intended for shared use by passengers.

The arrangements according to the invention have several advantages. Thanks to the short but wide cabins according to the invention, the superstructures can be made exceptionally narrow. In a vessel according to the invention, it is essential to build mostly cabins and no common spaces on the topmost decks of the superstructures in order to achieve a sufficient number of cabins. Due to this, the superstructures of a vessel according to the invention can also be made exceptionally high.

The length-to-width proportion used for dimensioning cabins according to the invention is very exceptional and recognisable. In this case, a substantial proportion of the cabins within the superstructures can preferably be furnished so that the WC unit, furniture and fixtures are placed on the perimeter around the central area of the cabin. The new type of cabin arrangement allows for a clearly better view through the exceptionally wide cabin window. The cabins also have a clearly smaller amount of impractical corridor-like wasted space, and this improves the comfort and convenience of the cabins.

Compared to prior art, a vessel according to the invention is able to house a substantially wider street- or courtyard-like space between the narrow superstructures that contain cabins. This can be combined as necessary with common spaces associated with several deck levels, correspondingly making it possible to efficiently centralise various services, entertainment functions and activities in the same area. In the following, the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the enclosed schematical drawings, in which

- Figure 1 illustrates a prior art cruise vessel in a cross-sectional view of the hull, - Figure 2 illustrates a cruise vessel according to the invention in a cross- sectional view of the hull,

- Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate various cabin arrangements applicable to a cruise vessel according to the invention.

In the prior art cruise vessel illustrated in Figure 1 , the hull part 1' has a superstructure 2' on top of it, and said superstructure as such is divided into two different sections in its lower part, the sections comprising cabins 3'. There is an area 5' comprising several decks with so-called common spaces between the hull part 1' and the superstructure 2'. Also between the lower sections of the superstructure, there is a space several levels high, the so-called promenade, which also contains common spaces such as restaurants, shops etc. on the deck. Most of the outer cabins within the superstructure and a part of the cabins opening towards the promenade are fitted with a balcony or exterior window. There are also a lot of common spaces 4' on top of the superstructure 2', for example restaurants, bars, swimming pools, sun deck etc. This substantially limits the number of cabin decks available.

In the solution according to the invention illustrated in Figure 2, on top of the vessel's hull part 1, there are two separate fairly narrow and high superstructures 2a and 2b located away from each other so that a relatively wide open space remains in between. The superstructures mostly comprise passenger cabins 3 only, and there is an area 5 reserved for common spaces between the superstructures and the hull part; this area may comprise several decks. The topmost deck 5a of this area constitutes a part of said common spaces, and because it is open at the top, it can advantageously house various services and activities, including a sun deck area and a swimming pool area. Even though the upper sections 4a and 4b of the superstructures can also in this case house some common areas such as sun decks, the majority of common spaces are located centrally below the superstructures, and their versatility allows the utilisation rate of these spaces to be substantially improved. Naturally, issues related to vessel stability must be taken into account in the design of spaces in the upper sections of the superstructures.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate various cabin arrangements according to the invention; the embodiment according to Figure 3 has a panorama window, and the embodiments according to Figures 4 and 5 also have a balcony 3a. It is essential to all of these cabins that their width e, in other words the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vessel, is substantially large in proportion to their length f, in practice at least some 50% and preferably notably larger. Even cabins of almost square shape are possible. This makes it possible to place the WC unit, furniture and fixtures on the perimeter around the central area of the cabin, which improves comfort and convenience and, on the other hand, makes it possible to use a panorama window that is substantially wider than usual.

Because most of the cabins are substantially wide but shorter than usual, they allow the superstructures to be made fairly narrow and placed away from each other, leaving much more space than usual for common spaces, services and activities in between. Therefore the free space g between the superstructures 2a and 2b can preferably be wider than the combined width a + b of the superstructures. Here, any balcony structures in the cabins are not accounted for. On the other hand, as illustrated in Figure 2, the superstructures 2a and 2b may extend substantially outside the outer edge of the hull part 1 , in which case the width of the top-open section of the topmost deck 5a of the hull part between the superstructures is preferably at least 80% of the combined width c + d of the superstructures at the level of said deck 5a.

The arrangements according to the invention make it possible to improve the convenience of the passenger cabins and centralise more of the vessel's common spaces in the same area. At the same time, this common free space in the lateral direction of the vessel can be substantially expanded, allowing for a number of more versatile activities. It should be noted that crew accommodations and other such spaces are not addressed here, and as before, they are mostly located within the vessel's hull part.

The invention is not limited to the presented embodiments but several variations can be conceived within the scope of the associated claims.

Claims

1. A floating structure, vessel, specifically a single hull cruise vessel, or similar, having an elongated hull part (1) and, on top of it, at least one multi-level superstructure (2a, 2b) containing the majority of passenger accommodations, characterised in that the edges of the hull part (1) are fitted with two separate superstructures (2a, 2b) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vessel and dimensioned in the lateral direction so that a substantially open free space remains in between, said space being wider (g) than the combined width (a + b) of the superstructures (2a, 2b) excluding any balcony structures associated with accommodations, and that a majority, preferably at least 60%, of the accommodations within the superstructure (2a, 2b) comprises cabins (3) whose width (e), in other words their dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vessel, is at least some 50% of their length (f).

2. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cabins (3) within the superstructure are mostly arranged in two rows so that at least some 80% of the cabins (3) have an exterior window or balcony (3a).

3. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to any of the above claims, characterised in that cabins (3) constitute more than 70% of the cubic volume of the superstructures.

4. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the superstructures (2a, 2b) are located so that in the lateral direction of the vessel, they extend substantially over the edge of the vessel's hull part (1).

5. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the hull part (1) below the superstructures (2a, 2b) contains an area (5) comprising approximately 1 to 4 decks that house the majority, preferably at least some 70%, of the vessel's common spaces.

6. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to Claim 5, characterised in that said common spaces comprise one or more of the following types of facilities: restaurants, saloons and other common rooms, weather decks and sun decks, entertainment facilities, recreational facilities, sports facilities, shops and other similar spaces intended for shared use by passengers.

7. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to any of the above claims, characterised in that the width (g) of the top-open section of the topmost deck (5a) of the hull part between the superstructures is at least 80% of the combined width (c + d) of the superstructures at the level of said deck (5a).

8. A floating structure, vessel, or similar according to any of the above claims, characterised in that a substantial proportion of the cabins (3) within the superstructures is dimensioned and furnished so that the WC unit, furniture and fixtures are placed on the perimeter around the central area of the cabin.