CRUISE INTO THE FUTURE...

A cruise "mother ship" capable of launching a fleet of smaller vessels

Wednesday June 4,2008

By Julia White for express.co.uk

ARE you put off cruise ships because two weeks in a cramped cabin sounds more like hell than a holiday?

Do you shudder at the thought of sleeping in a shrunken bunk bed while out to sea?

Well think again.

Because cruise ships of the future are set to offer you a stay in a mansion rather than a miniature room.

A duplex suite, intended to feature on future cruise ships

Instead of a dingy cabin picture a fully-furnished duplex suite. And expect a double bed, dining room table for six, luxurious sofa area and giant plasma screen TV.

***FOR MORE AMAZING PICTURES FROM TODAY CLICK HERE***

New designs by the creators of the QE2 and QM2, show the cruise holiday in the future will be all about luxury and class.

Unveiled in London last night at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, south London these are just two of a series of drawings by Tillberg Design AB that give a glimpse into a design-savy and youthful future of ferries.

Tilberg's senior architect Fredrik Johansson said: “These designs are ships of the future, with natural timeless materials and a crisp contemporary design.

"The new generation ferries and cruise ships will have a distinct identity throughout - from the exterior and interior design through to the on-board activities, food concepts and shore excursions.

“They are aimed at the next generation of youthful, design-savvy and environmentally conscious passenger who we now see entering the market.”

So imagine watching the world go by from your luxurious, spacious pad on board a beautifully designed cruise ship. Get ready for a new era of plain sailing.