A New Season On Board: Ocean Nova and Ocean Victory

I'm currently working on another round of shipboard requests for Adventure Canada as they prepare for the new sailing season.

This year looks a little different.

Adventure Canada has officially moved on from their legacy vessel, Ocean Endeavour, and will be sailing on Ocean Nova and Ocean Victory. Two different ships with different layouts. Different scale. Different constraints.

Designing within constraints

A big part of this process isn’t just making things look good. It’s figuring out what can realistically fit in each ship and what will genuinely improve the guest experience on board.

It comes down to being thoughtful. What belongs here. What adds value. What will actually be used. And what the team can manage easily.

The ops team at Adventure Canada has done an excellent job navigating this transition. I’m excited to be part of this experience-enhancement effort again.

Doing less on purpose

Interestingly, I’ll be creating fewer physical design pieces this year.

The ships are smaller, and we’re intentionally moving toward more sustainable, digital, and reusable solutions. That means being more selective about what gets printed and installed.

Every piece now has to earn its space.

About the theme party poster

Every year Adventure Canada releases a digital poster for booked guests announcing the onboard theme party.

I have heard that it's one of the most fun, slightly unhinged, over-the-top part of the whole voyage. In the best way.

This is what happens on board. Vikings I guess.

a group of people in viking custom party — Photo courtesy of Adventure Canada © Craig Minielly.

poster collection from past years for the theme party — 2023 to 2025 theme posters, so much fun to create!

new proposed poster work in progress — 2026 proposed flyer is slightly more refined, but I think it needs more whack!

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Plotting the journey as it happens

One of the larger custom pieces this season is a 110 × 110 cm printed map created for a specific sailing. Guests can physically plot their actual course as the journey unfolds.

Because expedition travel doesn’t always go to plan. Ice shifts. Weather changes. Wildlife appears. Routes adapt.

This map captures what actually happened day to day, not just what was scheduled. It becomes part documentation, part storytelling, part keepsake.

route map for the expedition — A 110 × 110 cm route map, ready to be marked as the journey unfolds.

Shipboard design is a different kind of challenge. It’s spatial, practical, and deeply experiential.

And it keeps evolving as needs and circumstances change.

Proud to keep building alongside the Adventure Canada team as they prepare for another season at sea.

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