Edwina Lonsdale on the interior design trend influencing cruise ships

One of the incidental pleasures of taking a cruise is catching up with the latest interior design trends, and maybe even getting some new ideas for your own home.

If you've been sailing for a while, you'll have noticed a big change as cruise lines abandon the traditional 'grand hotel' look for something simpler, using high-quality natural materials such as creamy linen, pale wood, hessian, rope and rattan to create an equally classy but far more neutral feed.

Luxury German line Hapag-Lloyd led the way with Europa 2 in 2012.

Viking and Ponant took a similar route, as have other lines including Explora Journeys with its debut ship, Explora I.

The reason for all this?

Following the whims of fashion with regular refits would trample all over today's vital commitment to sustainability – whereas a neutral background is almost timeless.

Rather than change everything, the trick is to keep the look fresh with the details.

That's why Celebrity's latest Edge-class ships, with suites by Kelly Hoppen, feature lovely artworks, creative lighting and cascading plants.

In these straitened times, how about that for an idea to take home?