PORT EVERGLADES, FL – Having gotten its sea legs with more than 15 years of experience as a partner with cruise lines, Martin Professional gear was chosen for the world's largest cruise liner, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which recently set sail with a multitude of Martin Professional dynamic lighting and smoke solutions. Oasis of the Seas, built at the STX shipyard in Finland, is a mixed-use entertainment cruise liner that measures 360 meters long and has room for 5,400 passengers and a crew of 3,000. Its final cost was put at $1.4 billion.
Because of the harsh environment and demanding constraints of the ocean environment – constant motion, exposure to salt water, humidity, high temperatures, etc. – lighting and projection systems must be reliable, compact and easy to service. Specification, supply and installation of the Martin systems were completed to a highly professional and technical standard by entertainment systems integration firm FUNA.
Christopher Vlassopulos, head of entertainment technology for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, was responsible for the specification and system design of all venues and spaces carrying entertainment systems onboard Oasis. Vlassopulos also served as technical director for the Opal Theater's production of Hairspray.
Michael Riotto Design was show lighting consultant for several areas of the ship, using Martin lighting in Jazz on 4, Blaze, Boleros, Dazzle, and Viking Crown lounges. In addition, MRD was responsible for the programming of all entertainment lighting for public spaces as well as commissioning the architectural lighting and dimming systems throughout the ship.
"We use lighting to support the environments of which we collaboratively create with the architects and the Royal Caribbean entertainment team," said Michael Riotto. "We aim to offer solutions which are unique, clever, and creative given the parameters and challenges that we consistently face. With Oasis, we were tasked at creating simple yet effective spaces with maximum bang for the buck while being reasonable and maintenance-conscious.
"It is imperative to specify equipment which can withstand the harsh electrical environments found onboard marine vessels," Riotto added. "Equipment must be simple to operate and maintain while not compromising the quality or ambiance of a space. We have specified Martin equipment on several marine projects and we find the equipment to hold up well while being an affordable solution for the client. In addition, our client, Christopher Vlassopulos of Royal Caribbean, has always had a great relationship with Martin and choosing Martin was a collective win-win for everyone involved."
Oasis of the Seas features a new "neighborhood" design concept with seven distinctly-themed areas. Lighting helps achieve that design goal.
Royal Promenade: Twice as wide as the promenades on its other ships, Oasis' Royal Promenade is the ship's central meeting place where shopping and eating combine with entertainment and fun. Along the football field length of the Promenade, Martin visuals blend atmospheric and show lighting throughout the day and night.
Opal Theater: One of the ship's many diverse entertainment offerings is the Tony award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray, one of two productions that take place in the ship's grand Opal Theater beneath a large rig of Martin gear.
AquaTheater: The outdoor 700-seat AquaTheater has a large pool that stretches across the stern of the ship. It features several shows that include divers, swimmers and acrobats performing to a spectacle of music and Martin lights, as well as choreographed fountain shows programmed to music and lighting effects.
Studio B: The multi-configurable Studio B and ice rink, which can be transformed into a television studio or used for exhibits, fashion shows and concerts, features a professional ice show Frozen in Time, featuring the writings of Hans Christian Anderson. The Studio B rig consists of Martin MAC moving heads, LED battens and Jem smoke effects.
A host of additional clubs, lounges and bars for adults including Blaze nightclub, the Latin-themed Boleros nightclub, the On-Air Karaoke Bar, and the adults-only Solarium, feature Martin visual solutions, as do social spots for teens and kids.
Martin is also supplying an identical equipment package to the Oasis' upcoming sister ship, Allure of the Seas, deploying from the STX shipyard in November 2010. Martin has supplied all Royal Caribbean ships fleet-wide including Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.
Royal Promenade
22 Martin MAC 250 Entour
6 Martin Jem K1 Hazer
Opal Theater
8 Martin StageBar 54
32 Martin MAC 700 Wash
6 Martin MAC 700 Profile
2 Martin MAC 2000 Performance
10 Martin Atomic 3000
14 Martin FibreSource QFX150
24 Martin MAC 575 Krypton
6 Martin MAC 575 Krypton
10 Martin MAC 250 Entour
6 Martin Jem K1 Hazer
1 Jem Hydra (12 heads)
2 Jem Glaciator X-Stream
AquaTheater
2 Martin MAC 700 Profile
3 Martin MAC III Profile
Studio B
24 Martin MAC 700 Wash
16 Martin MAC 575 Krypton
10 Martin Atomic 3000
10 Martin MAC 250 Wash
4 Martin MAC 250 Wash
10 Martin MAC 250 Entour
6 Martin StageBar 54
6 Martin Jem K1 Hazer
2 Glaciator X-Stream
Blaze Nightclub
5 Martin Mania DC2
8 Martin Mania SCX600
4 Martin Mania SCX800
1 Martin Magnum Club Smoke (2 heads)
Boleros Nightclub
6 Martin Mania SCX600
2 Martin Mania EFX600
Onâ€ÂAir Nightclub
6 Martin SmartMAC
2 Martin Mania SCX600
Jazz on 4 Club
4 Martin Mania SCX600
Crew Bar
4 Martin Mania SCX600
Manta Ray's
2 Martin Atomic 3000
Solarium
20 Martin Alien LED Downlight
Observation Lounge
2 Martin Mania SCX600
Kid's Deck
2 Martin SmartMAC
Teen areas
2 Martin Wizard Extreme
6 Martin Mania SCX600
2 Martin Atomic 3000
2 Atomic Colors
2 Martin MPU
For more information, please visit www.martin.com
