A Strong Partner on the High Seas
cruise lines are increasingly turning to Hansgrohe to equip their four-star and five-star fleets
Schiltach, August 2015. The cruise industry is the fastest growing segment of the tourist industry and cruise lines are increasingly turning to Hansgrohe to equip their four-star and five-star fleets – a prime example being Royal Caribbean International when it contracted the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg to build its huge ocean liner Quantum of the Seas. Designers of luxury yachts such as the MV Saluzi also equip stateroom baths with Axor and Hansgrohe products. The fact that mixers and showerheads from the Black Forest are in such high demand on the world’s oceans is not just because of their elegant design, functionality and durability; the Schiltach-based company also provides expert advice during planning, and continues to deliver services even after a ship has been launched.
An ocean liner equipped with state-of-the-art technology
Quantum of the Seas is currently the largest and most technologically advanced of the cruise ships built in Germany. Launched in October 2014, the luxury liner is 348 metres long, 41 metres wide and boasts a cruising speed of 22 knots. It features networked computer technology on all decks, satellite internet service, and bars operated by robots – where guests use tablets to order cocktails. On deck, a FlowRider® surf machine invites passengers to surf, while a skydiving simulator provides a safe way of experiencing the thrilling sensation of weightlessness. The Two70° lounge offers 270-degree panoramic sea views and becomes the venue for a colourful show in the evening. The view of an endless expanse of sea from the 90-metre-high North Star observation capsule is even more spectacular. This year, the floating holiday resort, which usually cruises in the Caribbean, is embarking on a world tour from its home port New York, with stops in Barcelona and Dubai on its way to Singapore and Shanghai.
Things look good below deck too
Hansgrohe is at home whenever it comes to water; the passenger staterooms and crew cabins, as well as the Vitality Salon and public restrooms, are equipped with products from the sanitary fixtures manufacturer in the Black Forest. Hansgrohe’s Ecostat Comfort shower thermostat ensures that water temperatures in the shower remain constant and comfortable. The Croma 100 Vario hand shower EcoSmart features a spray disc with four settings and uses up to 60 percent less water than conventional shower heads; it has a flow rate of nine litres per minute, making it particularly efficient. The single-lever washbasin mixers in Hansgrohe’s Metris and Focus ranges have comfortable spout heights and save even more water with flow rates of only five litres per minute. The layout of the stateroom baths called for custom-made solutions. For instance, the pull rod on the Metris washbasin mixer is placed on the left instead of the right to enable ease of use. The water-efficient mixers in public restrooms are equipped with sensor technology, making them convenient and hygienic.
The passenger capacity of a modern cruise ship equals the accommodation capacity of about twenty hotels. These giant ocean liners sail tens of thousands of nautical miles every year, and enormous strain is put on materials and fittings. Energy efficiency and the durability of mixers and showers are therefore significant cost factors. Cruise lines and shipyards appreciate the quality of products. Hansgrohe manufactures in Germany and offers optimal support to its clients. Its just-in-time-manufacturing management can be coordinated to meet a client’s construction schedule, as was the case during construction of the Quantum of the Seas at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg. Custom-made products catering to the needs of international cruise passengers – items such as shower thermostats with Fahrenheit markings – do not pose a problem for Axor Manufaktur in Schiltach. The company keeps a small store of replacement parts available after a ship has entered service, and if maintenance work becomes necessary, a Hansgrohe staff member or partner goes aboard at the ship’s home port.
Axor and Hansgrohe aboard in the Indian Ocean
The MV Saluzi, built in 2003 by Australian shipyard Austal and refitted in 2011 by Taiwanese shipyard Horizon Yacht, guarantees a luxurious yachting holiday. The 69-metre vessel is Asia’s largest charter yacht. Named after the mystical warhorse of Chinese Tang dynasty emperor Taizong, the yacht features staterooms, sun decks, whirlpools, lounge areas, an open-air cinema and many other entertainment and sports facilities across 1,650 square metres. Two master suites and 14 spacious cabins provide accommodation for 32 guests. In the bathrooms, yacht designer Luiz de Basto installed Axor LampShowers, designed by Nendo with ceiling mounts, as overhead showers in combination with the Hansgrohe Croma 100 Ecostat Comfort Combi consisting of a thermostat and a hand shower. The PuraVida single-lever washbasin mixer and accessories such as the Axor Montreux tooth brush holder and soap dish, as well as toilet paper holders and towel holders from the Axor Urquiola collection, are additional bathroom highlights.
Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE, successfully realises “Designer Visions for Your Bathroom”. In cooperation with Axor, leading architects, interior and product designers develop their vision for the bathroom as a living space. The Axor Collections offer a great number of unique and sustainable solutions to create personalised bathrooms of the highest aesthetic and technological levels. To date, Axor design partners include Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio, Front, Jean-Marie Massaud, Nendo, Phoenix Design, Philippe Starck, and Patricia Urquiola. They all contribute towards making life in and around the bathroom a little more meaningful and beautiful. The Axor brand is headed by Philippe Grohe, grandson of the company’s founder Hans Grohe.
Within the international Hansgrohe Group, Hansgrohe is the premium brand for bathroom and kitchen fixtures, showers and shower systems as well as thermostat and plumbing technology. Winners of numerous awards throughout the world, the brand’s products stand for modern technologies, innovative design and a superlative level of functional quality. This explains the success of the brand as a market leader in the shower segment and as one of the leading manufacturers of fixtures. With inventions such as the shower bar, adjustable spray types, the QuickClean function, the AirPower or the EcoSmart technology as well as the convenient Select technology, Hansgrohe is regarded as one of the leading innovators in the international sanitation industry.
All Images © Handsgrohe 2015