Our latest Future Leader interview is here, and this time, we’re getting to know Luke Murphy!
As Senior Product Development Manager at Marella Cruises, Luke plays a key role in shaping the onboard experience, working across interior design, entertainment and product development.
With experience across both ocean and river cruise, Luke has worked on everything from major refurbishments to new ship development. In our latest interview, he shares more about his career journey, his approach to design and the challenges he finds most exciting.
Congratulations on being nominated as a Future Leader! Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your role and how you got there?
I’m currently a Senior Product Development Manager at Marella Cruises, where I look after design, entertainment, and overall product across the fleet. Day to day, that means working with designers, partners, and internal teams to shape the onboard experience – whether that’s new concepts or major refurbishments.
I’ve been with TUI for a number of years and worked my way up through different product roles across both ocean and river cruises. Along the way, I’ve delivered large refurbishment projects, 5 new refurbished ships into service and had the opportunity to lead the design process of a new river cruise ship, which was a real highlight.
I originally came into this through a background in performance and an interest in customer experience, and it naturally evolved into product development. I really enjoy the mix of creativity and commercial thinking, and bringing ideas to life in a practical way.
Your work takes place in the cruise ship interiors industry. Can you share your design or project management manifesto?
I’d say my approach is all about balancing creativity with practicality. It’s easy to come up with a great idea, but the real challenge is making it work operationally, commercially, and for the guest.
For me, everything starts with the customer, how something feels, how it flows, and whether it actually enhances the onboard experience. From there, it’s about collaborating closely with designers, technical teams, and stakeholders to bring that vision to life in a way that’s achievable.
And throughout a project, communication is key, making sure everyone is aligned, especially when you’re dealing with complex builds or refurbishments.
Ultimately, it’s about creating something that not only looks good on paper, but works in reality and leaves a lasting impression on the guest.
Handing the mic over to you – what’s an area of your work or the industry that you are itching to discuss?
One area I’m really interested in at the moment is how we design spaces to be genuinely multi-functional without feeling compromised.
In cruise, space is limited, so there’s always a push to make venues work harder but the challenge is keeping them intentional and guest-focused, rather than trying to do too much.
A good example of that is some of our ships are moving to adults-only for certain seasons. It means we need to quickly rethink and repurpose spaces like kids’ clubs into something that still feels relevant and well-designed for a different audience, but without a full rebuild.
It’s a really interesting challenge because it sits right at the intersection of creativity, operations, and commercial thinking, and when it works well, it can completely transform the experience.
Can you explain how, if at all, your job role interacts with sustainability practices?
Sustainability is becoming a bigger part of my role, particularly in how we approach design onboard.
It’s about making more conscious design choices, selecting better materials, designing spaces that have longevity, and creating concepts that can adapt over time rather than needing to be replaced.
Looking ahead, the real opportunity is to embed sustainability into the design brief from the very start, rather than layering it in later. To do that, we need better visibility from suppliers on materials and more collaboration across teams.
Ultimately, it’s about designing smarter spaces that are both considered and long-lasting, without compromising the guest experience.
Of course, this is a celebration of leadership. If you could distil your thoughts on leadership into one principle, what would it be and why?
If I had to sum it up in one principle, it would be clarity.
In complex projects with lots of moving parts, clear direction and alignment are what keep everything on track. For me, leadership is about setting that vision, making sure people understand the “why,” and giving them the confidence to deliver.
It also means being approachable and open, so people feel comfortable sharing ideas and challenging things when needed.
If people know what they’re working towards and feel supported, they’ll do their best work and that’s what good leadership should enable.
We look forward to celebrating our Future Leaders in person at CSI Design Expo Europe on 2 – 3 December 2026. Join us by registering now for your free pass.
Stay tuned for more Future Leader interviews, articles, and industry news coming soon.