Virgin Voyages is promising to reinvent the cruise experience, and one of the most traditional parts of a cruise ship – the funnel – will be rethought and redesigned for the company’s upcoming trio of Lady-class ships.

“We’re at the top of the game in super yacht design,” said Kristian Arens, exterior design lead for England-based Redman Whiteley Dixon (RWD).

The design firm has been tapped by Virgin to redevelop the cruise ship funnel.

“This big cruise ship needed elements to be more of a super yacht than a cruise ship,” continued Arens.

“What Virgin Voyages really wanted to do was to create something very different. They wanted the funnel to be a funnel, but not a funnel.”

Added Adrian Chisnell, project manager:  “It was actually known as the non funnel … traditionally (the funnel) has been a bit of an afterthought. It has been put on top of the boat.

“This is the first time we know the funnel is not being used in that way,” he said.

The duo from RWD described their design brief for Virgin as luxurious and iconic, while being different, exciting and new.

 “The Virgin Voyages ship will hopefully be one of the most recognizable in the world,” Chisnell said.