The lighting upgrade included the installation of 84 Robe moving lights – 40 x PAINTE Spots, 34 x LEDBeam 350s and 10 FORTES – into the venue and was overseen by the Carnival Cruise line fleet supervisor for lighting, Silviu Ardelean, and Carnival’s entertainment manager for lighting Alex Nelson. The project was coordinated for Robe’s Maritime division by global sales director for Maritime, Tony Perez.

This combination of lighting kit was “exactly right for our needs,” stated Alex, explaining that it was a team decision from their side, based firmly on what people are using and specifying the most and what is available across the industry.

The venue is known for hosting Carnival's Playlist Productions shows, slick high-energy, Broadway-style performances with unique themes, elaborate costumes, and cool choreography, often revolving around popular music genres, decades, or iconic artists. These are designed to offer guests a range of different entertainment experiences throughout their cruise, so the lights are worked hard and must be super-versatile.

The Robe products have replaced the previous moving light rig which was installed aboard the Carnival Sunshine during its last major refit in 2013.

Ahead of making the decision, a series of demonstrations were organized with several manufacturers plus assorted lighting designers who work across the Carnival fleet. “We wanted a good cross-section of opinion and also to drill down properly into the technology during these sessions,” explained Alex, saying that they were essentially looking for ‘workhorse’ fixtures.

Brightness was a prerequisite as the theatre now has a large LED backdrop and digital scenery as opposed to previously when it worked with traditional backdrops and cloths, and obviously, they were looking at installing an all-LED rig.

PAINTE appealed on size and weight and because it has a sealed optical chamber which helps protect the optics from dust, smoke residue and other detritus, making the units easier to clean and maintain.

They are installed on the over-stage bars with some upstage on the deck, with the LEDBeam 350s also part of the overhead rig. FORTES are in the front positions, used for follow spotting and key lighting. “We wanted something super bright with great CRI, and FORTE was spot on!” says Alex, with Silviu adding that the beams look “fantastic” cutting through the haze, he loves the flat field and appreciates Robe’s excellent color mixing.

Alex mentioned that there is plenty of headroom on the FORTES as they are not running at anything like full intensity. They are working brilliantly for the space, and they are safe in the knowledge that the LED engine will have a long lifespan thanks to Robe’s TRANSFERABLE ENGINE (TE) technology which was interesting to them.

That the TE is manufactured by Robe provided further peace of mind that the engines will still be available in the future, and Silviu noted that a new Robe rig was installed and has been running aboard the ‘Carnival Magic’ ship for over a year with no issues at all.

In fact, that ‘Carnival Magic’ installation was the first time either of them recalls having a lighting system that worked 100 percent straight out of the box and has continued to do so for over a year. “The quality and reliability are there with Robe and that’s one reason we keep returning to the brand. We know these products will last a long time,” confirmed Alex.

The new Robe products aboard the ‘Carnival Sunshine’ have already made a massive difference to the quality and production value of the live presentations.

The theatre lighting installation was completed by Carnival’s technical crew over 10 days, with David Horner brought in to program the main show lighting.

Tony Perez adds, “Working with Alex, Silviu Ardelean, and the entire CCL team is truly an honor! I have huge respect for them for many reasons, and most importantly, it is their integrity and willingness not to settle for cheaper technology. Robe lighting is a leader and pioneer in the entertainment and leisure lighting industry, which is why organizations like Carnival keep returning to engage in more business.”

Photo Credits: Silviu Ardelean, Breeann Wallace and David Horner