Meet the Interior Designers Behind Royal Princess

Vice President of Interior Design Teresa Anderson and Coordinating Architect Giacomo Mortola have worked for several years on the ideas behind the design of Royal Princess, from the ethereal feel of the marble and glass spiral staircases in the atrium to the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright in the décor of the aft dining room.

For Anderson, Royal Princess’ design springs from the concept of ‘global chic.’ “I believe that’s what Princess Cruises is all about – taking influences from fashion, from art, from history… what you capture when you’re traveling the world,” she said.

While for Mortola, light was an important element. “More than any other project I’ve worked on, on the new Royal Princess I used light as a central component of my designs,” said Mortola. “The Chef’s Table Lumiere in the aft dining room is a great example of this. The table is surrounded by a curtain of fiber-optic lights which creates real drama – unlike any dining experience you’ve had.”

“My goal,” notes Anderson, “is to find a harmony of comfortably elegant décor throughout the ship that is spectacular, yet resonates with all types of people. And on Royal Princess with the use of rich and elegant materials with warm tones, I think we’ve achieved that goal better than ever before.”

Anderson joined Princess in 1994 and has overseen the interior design development for all the cruise line’s newbuilds and ship refurbishments since. Born in Lima, Peru, Anderson has a long list of outstanding design accomplishments, from government buildings in Brunei to the Paradise Grand Hotel in the Bahamas.

Genoa-based Mortola has a long affiliation with Princess, having begun his initial work as a technical advisor with the former Sitmar Cruises in 1974. One of the recognized leaders in cruise ship architecture, he has been involved in the design of most Princess ships, and has also overseen the refurbishment of many of the line’s vessels.