Created by Tillberg Design AB, whose work has included designs for the QE2 and the Queen Mary 2, the mother ship design was shown off at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich by the Passenger Shipping Association.

He said: "These designs are ships of the future, with natural timeless materials and a crisp contemporary design. The new generation ferries and cruise ships will have a distinct identity throughout - from the exterior and interior design through to the on-board activities, food concepts and shore excursions.



"They are aimed at the next generation of youthful, design-savvy and environmentally conscious passenger who we now see entering the market."



As it unveiled the designs, the association published its annual cruise report which showed that Britons took 1.33m cruises in 2007, with the number predicted to increase to two million by 2012.



Director William Gibbons said: "There has been a sustained boom in cruising for the past decade, with the number of Brits taking a cruise holiday more then doubling. We expect to see that growth increase even further, with Britons likely to take 1.5 million cruises this year."



He added that there were 44 new cruise ships on order through to 2012 worth more than £6bn.