GEM

What GEM does

GEM (Gem Srl) is a privately held Italian architectural and interior design firm founded in 1985 in Genoa by architect Giacomo Erasmo Mortola, specializing exclusively in cruise ship design and project management. The firm operates as a coordinating architect and interior designer for ocean-going and river cruise vessels, covering the full lifecycle from the pre-contractual phase through vessel delivery. Its service portfolio spans newbuilding design, refurbishment and modernization, ship lengthening engineering (e.g., the Silver Spirit 36,000-to-40,000 GRT lengthening), and expedition vessel design. The multidisciplinary team combines architects, interior designers, engineers, and lighting designers under the co-leadership of Giacomo Mortola and his son Lorenzo Mortola, a naval architect and Chartered Engineer who joined in 2012.

GEM's client base comprises ultra-luxury and premium cruise operators, including Silversea Cruises, Virgin Voyages, TUI Cruises, Princess Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean Group, and Abercrombie & Kent Cruises. The firm has designed or refurbished 38+ new ships and a comparable number of existing vessels over its 40-year history. Revenue is generated on a project-based, professional services model through direct B2B enterprise engagement, with GEM typically retained from the pre-contractual phase through delivery. The firm has 11-50 employees, operates from a single headquarters in Genoa, and is fully owned and controlled by the founding Mortola family with no disclosed external investment or institutional backing.

Name

GEM

Legal name

Gem Srl

Website

https://gemsrl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GEM is a Genoa-based architectural and interior design firm founded in 1985, specializing exclusively in cruise ship design and project management for ultra-luxury and premium cruise operators. It serves as coordinating architect from pre-contractual phase through vessel delivery, with a 40-year portfolio of 38+ new ships and refurbishments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Architectural and Interior Design Services

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Yacht Prototype, One-Off & Concept Build Programs (IMAJAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Explorer Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAE)

Keywords

• Cruise ship design
• Interior design
• Naval architecture
• Ship refurbishment
• Marine project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Genoa

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architectural and Interior Design Services: GEM generates revenue by providing architecture and interior design services for cruise ships and river vessels, serving as coordinating architect and designer across new building and refurbishment projects. Revenue is project-based, spanning from concept through delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GEM is a specialized architectural and interior design firm serving as coordinating architect and interior designer for cruise ships and river cruise vessels. It delivers full-scope design and project management from the pre-contractual phase through vessel delivery, covering new builds, refurbishments, ship lengthening, and expedition vessel design for luxury, premium, and niche cruise operators worldwide.

Product overview

GEM is an architectural and interior design firm specializing in cruise ship design and project management services. The company operates two primary service lines: New Building Design Services (acting as coordinating architect and interior designer for entire vessels) and Refurbishment Services (including specialized Ship Lengthening Services and Expedition Vessel Design). Their portfolio spans ultra-luxury cruise ships, premium vessels, and smaller expedition ships, serving clients from pre-contractual phase through vessel delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Building Design Services Full-service design and coordination for new cruise ship construction, serving as coordinating architect and interior designer for the entire vessel from pre-contractual phase through delivery. Targets luxury, premium, and expedition cruise line operators commissioning newbuild vessels.
• Refurbishment Services Interior design and project management services for the modernization and renovation of existing cruise vessels, including complete revitalization of interior spaces for cruise line operators (e.g., Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony refurbishment, Silver Spirit refurbishment, Skysea Golden Era refurbishment).
• Ship Lengthening Services Engineering and design services for cutting ships into sections and inserting new segments to extend vessel length, integrating new sections seamlessly while maintaining structural integrity and original design aesthetics. Targeted at cruise operators seeking to expand capacity without commissioning full newbuilds.
• Expedition Vessel Design Specialized design services for smaller expedition vessels and river cruise ships, including interior design of passenger cabins and public areas for adventure-focused cruise experiences serving niche destinations such as the Galapagos and Nile.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38+ new ships and as many refurbishment projects completed across 40 years

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CallisonRTKL (now RTKL / Callison): RTKL/Callison is a large global architecture firm that has done cruise ship interior work as part of a much broader hospitality and commercial portfolio. Comparable to GEM in cruise interior design but operates at a much larger scale across multiple sectors.

Emerging players

• Patricia Urquiola Studio: Patricia Urquiola is a renowned Italian designer with cruise ship interior projects (e.g., for cruise lines and hospitality brands). She is an emerging/adjoining competitor whose growing cruise work overlaps with GEM's luxury interior design services.

Direct peers

• Winch Design: Winch Design is a UK-based luxury design house specializing in superyacht, cruise ship, and private aviation interiors. It competes with GEM for ultra-luxury cruise and expedition vessel design mandates.
• SMC Design: SMC Design is a London-based interior design firm specializing in luxury cruise ship and yacht interiors, with a portfolio spanning expedition vessels, riverboats, and ocean cruise ships. It competes directly with GEM for ultra-luxury cruise interior mandates.
• Studio DADO: Studio DADO is a Miami-based yacht and cruise ship interior design firm specializing in luxury hospitality design for marine vessels. It directly competes with GEM for ultra-luxury cruise ship interior design commissions.
• YSA Design: YSA Design is a Norwegian maritime design firm providing interior and exterior design for cruise ships, offshore vessels, and yachts. Comparable to GEM in offering full-scope cruise ship design and project management with a strong European shipyard client base.
• Nauta Design: Nauta Design is an Italian yacht and ship design studio with extensive cruise ship interior design work. Its geographic and stylistic overlap with GEM (Italy-based, custom design for cruise and megayacht clients) makes it a direct comparable.
• Hot Lab: Hot Lab is an Italian yacht and ship design studio known for luxury yacht and cruise ship interior design. It shares GEM's Milan/Italian design heritage and addresses an overlapping client base in luxury cruise and expedition vessels.
• De Jorio Design International: De Jorio is an Italian naval architecture and marine interior design firm that has worked on cruise ship interiors and refurbishments. Its geographic base (Italy) and cruise ship interior focus make it a direct competitor to GEM.
• Tillberg Design (VBAR): Tillberg Design is one of the world's leading maritime interior design and architecture firms, specializing in cruise ship, ferry, and yacht interiors. It is the most direct competitor to GEM, serving many of the same cruise operators on newbuilds and refurbishments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gem---design-for-cruise-ships
• Instagraminstagram.com/gemdesignforcruiseships?igsh=MTBjcHpzeGEzbTcxag==
• Facebookfacebook.com/GemDesignForCruiseShips

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GEM