FUTURE OF CRUISING REIMAGINED WITH CUSTOMISABLE STADIUM FOR NOVEL AND E-SPORTS

SINGAPORE, 23 OCTOBER 2018: Royal Caribbean International’s two-month nationwide cruise ship design competition has come to a spectacular finish, with a myriad of eye-popping entries from aspiring students. It finally crowned 24-year old student Clifford Goh today as the grand-prize winner with his “SEASTADIUM” design, which saw him walking away with a cruise on the upcoming new ship Spectrum of the Seas and S$5,000 cash.

Royal Caribbean, a leading global cruise brand in pushing boundaries with the most innovative fleet at sea, challenged tertiary students in its first ever competition Brainwaves: Reimagining the Future of Cruising’ earlier in July to come up with never-before-seen, innovative ideas for a cruise ship that appeals to a growing cruising demographic – millennials.

The five finalists pitched their ideas before a panel of judges, consisting of Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Angie Stephen; Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Regional Manager for Asia, Jiali Wong; and Brainwaves ambassador, local architect and TV host, Khairudin Saharom.

Clifford Goh, who is currently in his fourth year of study at the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Architecture, won by unanimous vote at an exciting finale held earlier last week, during which he explained his vision for the future of cruising with his design. “SEASTADIUM” was inspired by the growing health and wellness trend among the youth today, as he sought to reinvent cruising as the premium destination for traditional as well as novel sporting and entertainment experiences including eSports. With a sleek and futuristic design, SEASTADIUM symbolises the modern taste of youths today.

On his win, Clifford said, “I’m honoured and thrilled to have won Brainwaves. This competition was a great opportunity for me to apply the skills I’ve learnt in school to real life situations. During my National Service, I had the opportunity to serve onboard a Navy vessel. Through this experience, I discovered that there is an opportunity for travellers to have more interaction with the ocean that surrounds them. 

“Combining this with the rise of health-conscious millennials, my ideas allow for a range of athletic activities both onboard the cruise ship and at sea, delivering the ultimate retreat experience for travellers.”

Angie Stephen commented, “The entries that we saw proved that the sky is the limit in terms of innovation and what it can do for the cruise industry.

“The millennial’s perspective was apparent – we saw technology as a key theme, with ideas making use of augmented and virtual reality. What differentiated Clifford’s entry was his desire to connect with the ocean, and how we can bring the cruise experience closer to it, which is a highly interesting and refreshing concept.”

Coming from a 20-year background in design and architecture, Khairudin Saharom was impressed by the finalists’ quality of work. He said, “They have taken innovation and design for cruising to a whole new level, particularly Clifford, who tapped into his personal experiences in the Navy and adapting it in his design.”

Jiali Wong noted, “Competitions like this provide a good platform for the cruise industry to tap into the minds of millennials and give a good understanding of what they are looking for in cruising. The ideas can serve as a source of inspiration for the industry as it works towards elevating the experience for millennial travellers.”

All submissions were judged based on Innovation & Creativity (40%), Appeal (20%), Brand Suitability (20%) and Buildability (20%).

The five prize winners are:

• Grand prize winner – Goh Teck Kuang Clifford, “SEASTADIUM”
• 2^nd prize winner – Cheska Daclag Nodado, “Happiness, Thrill & Togetherness”
• 3^rd prize winner – Orion Dai Yuhui, “Trident of the Seas”
• Consolation prize winner – Lee You Xuan, “Taking it Back to the Seas”
• Consolation prize winner – Gareth Seah Wee Kiat, “Utopia of the Seas”

Details on each entry and their respective visuals can be found in this link.

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About Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 49-year legacy of innovation and introducing industry “firsts” never before seen at sea. The cruise line features an expansive and unmatched array of features and amenities only found on Royal Caribbean including, jaw-dropping, Broadway-style entertainment and industry-acclaimed programming that appeals to families and adventurous vacationers alike. Onboard, guests are catered to with the cruise line’s world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service by every staff and crew member. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 15 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards and entered into TTG Travel Awards’ Travel Hall of Fame in 2018 after being “Best Cruise Operator” for 10 consecutive years. It is also named “Best Cruise Line” at the Travel Weekly Asia’s Reader’s Choice Awards since 2015.

The cruise line sails 25 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand.

For more information, please contact:

Siti Jumad (Ms)
Account Executive
Baldwin Boyle Shand
DID: (65) 6239 4110    HP: (65) 9729 4524
Email: siti.jumad@baldwinboyle.com

Chin Ying Duan (Ms)
Corporate Communications Manager
Royal Caribbean Cruises (Asia) Pte Ltd.
DID: (65) 6305 0023    HP: (65) 9727 3868
Email: YDChin@rcclapac.com