Here's What Cruise Ships Might Look Like 100 Years From Now

Shipbuilder Meyer Group imagines the future of cruising with a new ship concept.

Step aside, flying cars, the future of cruising is here.

Family-owned shipbuilding company Meyer Group just debuted a ship concept that they imagine is what a vessel might look like for a cruise vacation in 2100. Meyer Group calls it Reverse, and it certainly has a unique look.

With an almost whale-like silhouette, the ship is practically covered head to toe (blowhole to fluke?) in windows, allowing for urban gardening indoors, no matter the outdoor climate. Meyer Group, however, says the design was inspired by the aerodynamics of a rockhopper penguin. If you imagine a penguin porpoising — that is, launching itself out of the water in graceful arcs as dolphins do when swimming at speed — you can just see it.

"The ship is based on global megatrends and is one — but not the only — logical response to them," Tim Krug, head of concept development group at Meyer Group, said in a statement released to Travel + Leisure. "For example, we have only provided for small restaurant areas that serve more as social meeting places, because we imagine that a large part of the nutrients will be consumed in concentrated form like pills."

While that may sound unappetizing, what's slightly more practical are the drone landing pads, as well as the modular cabin structure than can be tailored to a cruise line's specific needs.

“From today's point of view, we sometimes come up with extreme approaches, but it is equally important to think them through and develop answers from them," Krug said.

The concept ship would be powered by wave energy, wind energy, solar energy, and fuel cells; a model of the ship presented at the cruise conference Seatrade was powered by a methanol-based fuel cell, which does not emit carbon dioxide.

While Reverse is just a concept, Meyer Group is putting some of its futuristic technology to the test in upcoming ships, including Silversea's Silver Nova, which will have a liquified natural gas (LNG) fuel cell on board — a stepping stone on the way to a methanol fuel cell.

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