What’s Happening: The backlash has been swift after Royal Caribbean revealed overzealous visuals of Icon of the Seas, the world’s newly crowned largest cruise ship. Is the gargantuan liner a grotesque emblem of overconsumption or an easy target of non-cruiser skepticism?

The Download: Cruises aren’t exactly enjoying the best reputation in 2023. They were already perceived as pollutant-belching floating skyscrapers that flood port towns around the world with naive tourists, but their pandemic-era image fully devolved into disease-ridden crucibles with no easy escape. So when cheerful renderings of the Icon of the Seas—billed as the world’s largest cruise ship at five times the size of the Titanic—circulated online, they sparked impassioned responses on every side. Some immediately snapped up tickets, imagining sun-soaked afternoons carousing in the liner’s massive wave pools; others scorned it as a “monstrosity,” a “pile of decadence,” and “human lasagne,” likening it to the hellish paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.

Icon of the Seas is the latest feat of Royal Caribbean, the Miami-based cruise line behind the already-massive Wonder of the Seas, which holds the current record for the world’s largest cruise ship. Unlike its predecessor, which it surpasses in size by six percent, Icon will be capped with a tangle of record-breaking water slides and an abundance of amenities like a surf simulator, mini golf course, rock climbing wall, and rope course that suspends daredevils 155 feet above the ocean. Those needing a nightcap can pick from 40 restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues, including an adults-only swim-up bar and a grab-and-go sushi station.

To put it simply, there’s a lot going on. Some psychologists blame the knee-jerk scorn on lingering post-pandemic anxieties about personal space, but others are saying the renderings aren’t doing the ship any justice. “It almost gives the impression of a short, over-tall, stacked vessel that is on choppy seas,” Tom Davis, a psychology professor at the University of Alabama, told CNN. “This may be a trick of perspective, as the actual vessel is apparently three to four times longer than the idea I get by looking downward at the rendering.” Askew visuals didn’t deter buzz for the 7,600-passenger ship’s maiden voyage from Miami to the Caribbean. That sold out within a few hours, prompting Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley to crown Icon as the “best-selling product in the history of our business.”

In Their Own Words: “The negative responses to Icon of the Seas are evidently from non-cruisers. The current image is quite colorful and depicts a ship with lots of options. The positive responses far outweigh the others,” cruise expert Stewart Chiron tells CNN.

Surface Says: We’re guessing Icon of the Seas isn’t going to make cities like Venice and Barcelona reconsider their cruise ship bans.

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Sydney’s 213-room Manly Pacific hotel has been imbued with a new sense of laid-back luxury thanks to a thoughtful renovation by local studio Luchetti Krelle. Opening directly onto famed Manly Beach, the ground-floor transformation encompasses the lobby, 55 North bar, and adjoining lounge areas. Spicy shades of turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger blend with mosaic tiles and hand-painted murals to create a warm ambiance for guests after a day of sun.

The makeover features tactile sofas and armchairs, a fireplace with midcentury influences, and an impressive island bar that curves into the room, mirroring the clamshell-shaped bulkhead ceiling above. A former gaming room has been transformed into an expansive cocktail lounge serving up whimsical takes on classic cocktails (marmalade margarita, bread-and-butter pudding old fashioned) and an ocean mural by the local Steady Hand Studio. It’s the perfect vibe for post-beach “bevvies.”

Marimekko may have something of a cult following as a longtime favorite of artists and the capital-F fashion crowd, but its Unikko print transcends insider status. For the past six decades, the abstract poppy print has become synonymous with the Danish fashion and interiors brand’s take on offbeat Scandi cool.

At its recent Spring/Summer ‘24 presentation at Designmuseum Danmark, the brand paid homage to the print in a big way: models traversed a catwalk laced with massive Unikko sculptures in the print’s original colorways of mustard, navy, and poppy red. A collection of poplin dresses and breezy separates balanced references to the overtly feminine and utilitarian—something creative director Rebekka Bay describes as a “happy contradiction.”

When: Until Oct. 22

Where: Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Mumbai

What: Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, the founders of creative studio and art magazine Toiletpaper (cheekily named for the disposability of media and culture at large) turn a critical eye to the idea of sensory overload in a four-part exhibition curated by Mafalda Millies and Roya Sachs. Perfectly at home in a city characterized by innumerable contrasts, the show dares viewers to slow down and take in the duo’s “visual provocations,” in the words of Ferrari. Absurdity and the power of imagination are conceptual constants throughout the show, which commits to the theme with oddities like a pool filled with bananas and a spaghetti-covered Indian ambassador’s car.

New economic data compiled by Yardi Matrix predicts a surge in apartment conversions in the United States, with around 122,000 new units expected in the coming years despite a recent market downturn. The trend includes 45,000 units from office-to-residential conversions, with a 43 percent increase in hotel retrofits last year. Los Angeles leads all cities in conversions, followed by Kissimmee, Florida (the home of Disney World) and Baltimore. While challenges remain, including construction costs and regulations, a sharp increase in projected units compared to two years ago presents a promising outlook for adaptive reuse, benefiting young workers and those in need of affordable housing.

Hacin is a multidisciplinary architecture firm dedicated to design excellence and client service. Working at all scales, the firm’s services include architecture and interior design, graphic design and branding, and adaptive reuse.

Surface Says: Hacin imbues its work with a strong sense of place, especially in Boston. Just look at the award-winning Whitney Hotel in Beacon Hill for proof: its thoughtfully expressive design has a pinch of New England flair and exudes a casual sophistication that impeccably matches the Beantown vibe.

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