Ever walked into a cruise ship and felt that you stepped into a different world? That world might have been created by Joe Farcus, the architect who designs Carnival’s fleet.
Mr. Farcus has dedicated his three-decade career to designing cruise ships, leading the way for others in this ever-changing industry.
“In a way, we were forced to really write the book and we did and, you know, it took Carnival Cruise Lines, as the former president, Bob Dickinson, used to say, the bottom of the bottom feeders and made it into the powerhouse corporation that it is today that owns all these other brands besides Carnival Cruise Lines.”
Global cruise company Carnival Corp. owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line in North America, Costa Cruises in Italy, and other cruise ship brands in Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and Australia.
Responsible for designing about 40 of those ships over his career, Mr. Farcus says he keeps challenging himself to bring a new level of innovation and sophistication to every ship.
More than 30 years transforming ships into floating resorts, Mr. Farcus says what motivates him is seeing passengers’ reactions when they step onto the ship.
“I want to take those desires and feelings and create the environment that allows those feelings and desires to grow and expand” he said. “To give people that are on board more than they bargained for, to give them ideas and concepts that they didn’t imagine that they would experience on a cruise ship.”
Mr. Farcus shared his career experiences with Miami Today reporter Yudislaidy Fernandez at his home office in Miami Beach.