Cruise industry mourns architect Njål Eide

Eide was among of team of Scandinavian designers for Norwegian America Line's Sagafjord in 1965 and Vistafjord in 1973, and he worked on seminal vessels for Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises.

Starting with 1982's Song of America, Eide played an 'enormously important' role in the design of Royal Caribbean's early ships, according to Richard Fain, chairman and ceo. His five-deck Centrum, with what Eide called 'parade staircases' for 1988's Sovereign of the Seas, the largest passenger ship at the time, was a sensation.

'Decades before the advent of virtual reality and 3-D ship design, he had an amazing sense of dimensionality, of how a space would look—and, more importantly, feel—when brought to life. The atrium he designed for Sovereign of the Seas was the first at sea and set the path that the whole industry has followed,' Fain said.

Eide 'loved the color teal,' Fain added. 'And he loved curves—but it's expensive to build curves. In fact, I once sent him a ruler, with a note that read, "This device can create straight lines, and occasionally they can be quite pleasing."'

For 1990's Nordic Empress—now Empress of the Seas and about to make history as Royal Caribbean's first ship sailing to Cuba, Eide bestowed height and festivity to the dining room in the stern with an encircling, horse-shoe-shaped balcony.

In his book 'Crossing & Cruising,' the late maritime historian John Maxtone-Graham called it 'a veritable Hollywood dining room. What movie designers produce in fantasy, RCCL has captured in glittering reality.' For Maxtone-Graham, it was 'cruising's aesthetic benchmark, against which all rival dining rooms must be measured.'

'He was at the frontier of innovative and elegant designs,' said Stein Kruse, ceo, Holland America Group. As a young ship's officer with Norwegian America Line, Kruse worked aboard Vistafjord, 'a beautiful, traditional liner,' which Eide had a hand in creating.

But most of all Kruse was struck by the look of 1984's Royal Princess. 'I was just in awe,' he said.

Besides Royal Princess, the first large cruise ship with all outside cabins, Eide was involved in the four-ship Sun Princess class, starting with 1995's Sun Princess. For those ships he created the profiles and atria, according to cruise journalist and maritime historian Peter Knego, who added that Eide also worked on 1988's Royal Viking Sun (now sailing as Holland America Line's Prinsendam).

'He was very gentlemanly, very courtly—and very persistent when he set his mind on a goal,' Fain said. 'We owe him a great deal, and he'll be missed.'

Eide is survived by his wife Anne Ma, children and grandchildren.

Interment is scheduled for Dec. 13 at 11:30 a.m. in Haslum Crematorium, Bærum.