CRUISE SHIP THEATRES
Theatre
equipment is often
replicated for cruise
ships of the same
class, creating
uniformity
Celebrity Edge is one of
many ships Wilson Butler
Architects has worked on
for Royal Caribbean Cruise
Lines, a client for 22 years
Meyer Sound provided its Constellation
acoustic system, as well as a PA system, for
a cruise liner at the end of 2018. “The main
challenge was ensuring the microphones didn’t
sway,” says Pierre Germain, Constellation design
manager. “To prevent that they were all rigidly
attached, as opposed to hanging by a cable,
which is what we normally do.”
Germain adds that the PA had to be integrated
without impacting sightlines and the projection
path of the theatre’s giant curved screen.
Damage prevention
Creative Project Design’s Harvey notes that all
ships also have a natural vibration, which can
damage sensitive electrical equipment over time.
“To help mitigate this, anti-vibration mountings
are placed under equipment racks and tolerances
are built into various mountings to allow, for
example, a whole projector to gently resonate
LED WALLS AND COMPLEX CONTROL
Waagner-Biro Stage Systems says large LED walls – fixed or
mobile – are a relatively new development on cruise ships,
enabling spectacular light shows. Two Aida vessels feature
LED walls provided by the company, covering the entire width
of the stage. Each wall is comprised of nine 4.1m x 0.9m (13.5ft
x 3ft) LED panels that can be moved vertically, individually or in
groups. The LED panels are guided laterally to avoid swinging.
“A large LED panel weighing 4,000kg (8,818 lb) generates
horizontal forces of 16kN on its guide,” explains Ulrike Schuch
of Waagner-Biro Stage Systems. “As part of an LED wall, each
of the panels has to sustain a gap of only 2-3mm (0.08-0.12in)
to adjacent panels, so that the audience doesn’t see dark
lines across the wall.”
LED panels (from another supplier) also feature in the Two70
theatre on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships, controlled
by a system provided by Waagner-Biro Stage Systems. The 2.2m
x 1.3m (7.2ft x 4.3ft) panels are attached to six industrial robots
mounted to a 12m (39.4ft)-long steel beam that moves along
ship pillars. The setup is used for light and video shows.
More complex staging entails more sophisticated control.
“The wow effect is achieved through a rapid succession of stage
set changes or cues,” says Schuch. “Our CAT system enables
cues to be controlled by a time code method – even for shows
with more than 200 cues for rigging, lighting and sound.
However, it is vital that operators can stop programmed
movements in case a performer stands in the wrong place
while a load is descending.”
AUDITORIA 2020 VOLUME ONE 39