Work Collection for the 2nd “Cruise Is Here” Mega Cruise Ship Innovation & Creativity Competition

Photo of the First Mega Cruise Ship Innovation & Creativity Competition
 

Before July 5

Registration > Register and submit competition team information

July 6 - July 15

Submission > Submit electronic badge design entries for the competition

July 6 - August 22

Submission >Submit electronic entries for the cruise competition

August 23 - August 27

Preliminary review (online) > Expert initial evaluation, screening to select the shortlist for the second round

August 28 - September 19

Finals > Refine works

Deep Blue Accelerator > Shipyard visit, technical lecture, workshop, exchange symposium (Time to be announced separately)

September 20 (Sunday)

Final review defense (on-site) > Work presentation and defense, scoring based on comprehensive evaluation

October 15 - October 18

Announcement and awarding > Announce the list of winners and hold an award ceremony

Eligible Participants

（1）Full-time students from domestic universities and colleges, with no restriction on major. Teaming across different schools and disciplines is allowed;

（2）Each team shall in principle consist of no more than five members. The participant must be the founding initiator of the project, or a core team member participating under authorization from the founding initiator.

Categories

This competition features a total of five proposed themes, and participating contestants may select any one for their design.

Theme A: 2030 Cruise Ship Theme Cultural Innovation Concept, Modeling and Painting Design
 

Keywords: Ship appearance feature design, IP and themes, cultural innovation, painting art, lighting aesthetics.

Key design points: Carrying out cruise ship theme concept design, and on this basis, exploring the integration and balance between visual aesthetics and naval engineering in cruise ship design, systematically transforming thematic and IP innovations into the geometric language of modern shipbuilding industry, combining the application of lighting landscape design with engineering feasibility to reconstruct the cruise ship’s exterior visual system, and creating a highly recognizable appearance image for the cruise ship.
 

Theme B: “Oriental Context” Experience System Design

Keywords: Oriental logic of spatial narrative, interaction from a sociological perspective, systematization of five-sense immersion

Key design points: This competition requires participants to take the core of Chinese culture as the origin, targeting the characteristics of large cruise ships carrying regional culture and contemporary aesthetics, to create a representative public space that integrates humanistic heritage, spatial narrative, and consumption experience.

C Proposition: AI-Assisted Driving and Digital Collaborative Cruise Ship Concept Design

Keywords: AIGC-supported design, digital simulation and optimization, workflow optimization and prompt engineering, AI interaction interface

Key design points: It aims to address complex design challenges and develop the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency in the design of complex cruise ship systems, with a focus on the in-depth application of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the entire lifecycle of cruise ships.

Theme D: Cruise Ship Smart Recreation and Service System Design

Keywords: MR interaction, virtual reality, digital twin scene, gamification design.

Key design points: It focuses on cruise ship living, entertainment experience and service enhancement, comprehensively utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital interaction, artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC), Internet of Things (IoT) and big data, breaks through the limitations of traditional physical space, and expands the boundaries of cruise ship living, entertainment and services.

Theme E: Cruise Ship Cultural Tourism Experience and Business Model Innovation

Keywords: Service blueprint, shore/Onboard linkage experience, cross-border business model.

Key design points: It aims to define the “lifestyle at sea,” focus on innovative design of cruise ship waterfront spaces, open deck areas, terminal buildings, and surrounding activity facilities; design dedicated service processes and supporting facilities tailored for specific groups (such as digital nomads and study-tour adolescents); integrate shore excursion product design rooted in port city culture with on-board warm-up experiences; and explore the possibilities of cruise ships serving as “floating cities at sea” that can accommodate various activities and function as spatial carriers.

Badge Design (for Bonus Points)

The design of an exclusive commemorative badge for Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding’s “Cruise Is Here” competition should reflect the shipyard’s brand image and event theme, suitable for wearing at exhibitions, visits, employee and media events. The winning proposal will be put into production and widely distributed as a commemorative gift for this year’s Cruise Ship Innovation & Creativity Competition. For detailed design requirements, please refer to Appendix 3.

Design Submission

(1) Registration:

All participating schools or teams shall send the entry registration form (signed or stamped in PDF) and the summary table of recommended entries (in Word) to the competition working group mailbox: tsinghuameiyuan@163.com before July 5, 2026 (24:00). (See Appendix 1 for the table)

After the entry is registered, relevant information including the title of the work, the supervisor of the participating students, etc. shall not be changed.

(2) Submission:

All participating schools or teams must send the relevant materials of their competition entries to the contest working group’s email address: tsinghuameiyuan@163.com in the specified format before the deadline stated below.

Badge design submission deadline: July 15, 2026 (24:00);

Cruise ship design submission deadline: August 22, 2026 (24:00).

Original and Intellectual Property Requirements

(1) The submitted designs must be original, have not won awards in other competitions or been publicly published, and are free from intellectual property disputes. If plagiarism or infringement is discovered, the qualification for participation will be immediately revoked, and relevant legal responsibilities will be pursued.

(2) The competition organizer has the right to exhibit, publish, and promote the submitted works without the need to pay any additional fees.

(3) Each participating team shall sign the corresponding participation commitment letter, and submit it together with the competition entry and the summary table of recommended entries to the competition working group’s email: tsinghuameiyuan@163.com during the registration. (See Appendix 2 for the Letter of Commitment).

Gold Award: One winner per theme, awarded with a trophy, bonus, and certificate.

Silver Award: Two winners per theme, awarded with bonuses and certificates.

Bronze Award: Three winners per theme, awarded with bonuses and certificates.

Finalist Award: Three winners per theme, awarded with bonuses and certificates.

05

Special Incentive

● Deep Blue Accelerator: The “Top 30 of the Year” (representing the top 6 teams from each theme) are eligible to participate in the “Deep Blue Accelerator.” Shortlisted candidates will receive mentorship guidance (school mentors will guide and control the design direction, while Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding engineers will provide support and coaching on engineering feasibility) and optimize their designs in preparation for the final evaluation.

● Offer Express Lane: Award-winning students can directly obtain the qualification for the final interview at Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding.

● Creative Support: For designs with exceptional potential, the event organizers will prioritize their incorporation into actual ship design applications.

Cruise Ship Trial Voyage

 

Award-Winning Works in the Previous Competition

Cruise Ship Painting Design

 

Typical Interior Functional Area Design of Cruise Ship

 

Cruise Ship Appearance Design

 

Contact Information

DONG Junmin：021-31276631

ZHAO Hang：tsinghuameiyuan@163.com

 

Photo/Text Source | Competition Organizing Team