Belowdeck compartments

Photo: Thalassa

The big question is how to compose the spaces under the deck. This is because there are two conflicting wishes and we have to reach the consensus between them.

On the one hand, the aim is to maximize the capacity of the ship, on the other hand, the crew should be accommodated in comfortable cabins and have to provide sufficient washbasins, showers and toilets to avoid congestion. Furthermore, the number of crew can be divided into three groups.

According to the international regulations, a sufficient number of qualified personnel must be on board (even without guest crew). They need accommodation that provides them with comfortable accommodation during extended periods of service. The other group of passengers who board the ship when it operates as a charter ship, i.e., these passengers will not be members of the crew, will not be guest crews. According to SOLAS, their number must not exceed 12, otherwise the ship will be considered a passenger carrier and will have to comply with stricter safety conditions. Passengers must be provided with high-quality two- and four-person cabins. The third group is the guest crew (trainees), who come mainly from young people, who can also be accommodated in larger, less comfortable cabins. On other tall ships, therefore we have seen examples where there were cabins for 4 to 6 to 8 people, as well as those where all the trainees were housed in one big common space. Moreover, there are boats where young people live in hammocks instead of beds in the common space.

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Therefore, taking into account the technical and safety requirements and regulations, we have prepared several cabin layout variants. These include the big common room layout, where the curtain-separated beds of the trainees line up on two layers on both sides of the room, with separate washrooms for boys and girls, and there are also cabins for 2 to 4 people with their own bathrooms (with shower and toilet) for greater comfort and provides personal space.

The final decision is yet to come ...