Launched in February, the Sun Princess made its North American debut voyage on Oct. 14 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL. With accommodations for 4,300 passengers, it is the newest and largest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, which is owned by Carnival Corporation. Before the ship embarked on its first Caribbean cruise, SCN was offered an exclusive tour to see the extensive use of LG displays throughout the ship.
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While LG's relationship with Princess Cruises began with in-cabin TVs, it has expanded into video walls. Now, LG screens are all over the Sun Princess, from the cabins to the pool deck to entertainment venues. LG digital signage displays at the elevator banks provide general information for guests, but they also work with the ship's Princess Medallion wearable room key system to become a giant, personalized touchscreen where passengers can check their calendars, make reservations, and more.
The Piazza is a "true entertainment space," according to Mark Simons, director of production operations, technical. The circular area has seating surrounding it on multiple floors, so it can be used for game shows and other programs. The 32-foot-high LG dvLED 1.8mm pixel pitch display can be configured as one large vertical panel or split and used as an arch (with a smaller dvLED positioned between them) for various productions. The space itself is also equipped with a handful of Panasonic PTZ cameras positioned at various heights and angles to support I-MAG or multi-camera productions. A Green Hippo media server handles the content for the display.
Another entertainment area is the Arena Theater, which seats close to 1,000. The stage itself is a study in flexibility; various sections of the floor can be raised and lowered and even rotated. Meanwhile, its nine LG 2.97mm dvLED "legs" can be brought together as one backdrop for a performance—or split into individual vertical displays that can be rotated or moved into different positions across the back of the stage.
When asked about the ship's attention to entertainment detail, Simons said the cruise industry has made an effort to step up its shows, because today's guests have an expectation of being entertained like they would be in venues on land. In particular, the Sun Princess has leveled up its multiple entertainment venues with technology like LG video walls.
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Simons praised LG for its worldwide support, an important perk for a venue that doesn't stay in one place. "It's critical for sure," he noted. He also said the ship maintains documentation for the displays for each entertainment area, so incoming acts can create content that matches the specifications of the displays in locations across the ship.
Outside, a marine-grade dvLED display overlooks the pool deck. With a 6.25mm pixel pitch, the 36.5x21-foot screen is used for showcasing first-run movies (yes, popcorn is included) and other content. The "Movies Under the Stars" screen is surrounded by an L-Acoustics audio array; Simons said the entire ship is standardized on L-Acoustics loudspeakers.
A popular destination in many cruise ships is the casino—and besides the usual slot machines and table games, the Sun Princess has a unique draw. The entire area is wrapped with a 178-foot LG ribbon display, which is used to display a mix of destination videos, thematic graphics, game promotions, and more. It also features several column wrap displays throughout the area. Alpha Video provides the content and video processing for the casino's ribbon and column displays. Jaque Poirier, Carnival's senior director of operations, said the ribbon display is a "game changer" for the cruise line.
