Minerva II sets sail with RPW look

RPW Design has refurbished shipping company Swan Hellenic’s new vessel Minerva II, which had its official naming ceremony this week in London. The project is believed to be worth in the region of £100 000 in fees to the group.

The style of the ship is the ‘antithesis of the Las Vegas at sea’ approach that characterises many cruise liners, says RPW managing director Jan Wilson.

The ship has no ‘show lounge’ or casino, as the passengers it hopes to attract are aged ’50 plus, wealthy achievers’ – people who ‘aspire to old money’ in their tastes and outlook, says Wilson.

RPW’s work has focused mainly on overall styling and the vessel’s nine public rooms, with the look of the cabins and general facilities largely unchanged.

There has also been a focus on art and the design employs images from P&O’s original archive of watercolours that adorned the first passenger liners to India.

Wilson worked on the project with RPW designer Quen Pangs, having won the brief on the strength of its designs for Minerva I, its first nautical commission.