The interior design of a building deals with several factors: the period of construction, the context in which it is located, the value of the building, as well as the client demands, his needs and desires and, of course, the economical budget provided.

On the contrary, the interior design of a ship has no links with landscape, geografical context, orientation; the only references are the open sea with its reflectance, or, when the ship is moored, the connection with the different landscapes and the various skylines in which it is.

Since the aim of the cruise is to fascinate, amaze, amuse the client, everything is prepared to divert from his or her usual life, dragging him or her into a world of wonders, loaded with exotic meanings, stimulating imagination.

How to get these effects is the subject of careful examination in this research: here the battle for the most amazing ship is fought, always within narrow economic limits. The designer' efforts are devoted to guess the main idea, the key word that gives light to the project and make it unique. This phase is critical because is the beginning from which the whole work follows; if you find the right idea, from there the project area is developed.

In the process of design, this phase, the "Concept" is a field of research in design creativity, fundamental for the education of future designers.

 Through the "Exercise in Style" - quoting the famous test of R. Queneau, 1947 - students seek new aesthetic solutions and innovative languages. The paper discusses the research in this field by describing some significant examples.