These were specified by Chris Moylan of Berlin based Optikalusion, who was the lighting designer and programmer for all the entertainment spaces, amounting to the theatre, AbtanzBar nightclub, the Studio and pool deck stage. This follows up his very successful Robe installation on Mein Schiff 3 in 2014 and Mein Schiff 4 in 2015.

For this latest vessel built in Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland, explained Chris, the entertainment areas have been expanded. Klanghaus which was previously a very basic ‘music chamber’ has evolved into a full Studio performance space staging numerous more intimate entertainment pieces including a new holographic projection show. Outside on deck, the pool stage has also been enlarged from previous vessels, with the staging of an all new lighting and projection extravaganza, “Meeresleuchten”.

Energy efficiency was a key principal underlining the whole lighting installation, together with providing a flexible and robust infrastructure for the 12 technical crew who are running everything whilst MS5 is at sea.

In addition to the 65 x DL4F and DL4Ss, there are 16 x LEDWash 800s in the theatre, 48 x LEDBeam 100s in the club and 30 x Anolis Outdoor ArcSource 48MC and 24MC LED fixtures, all delivered to the project by Robe’s Finnish distributor, F-Musiikki Oy from Vantaa. Wartsila FUNA International were responsible for the electrical installation.

The DL4Fs were selected as the primary wash light for the theatre rig, used as both effects and general stage lighting, “This is still the ONLY RGBW theatre luminaire with a front lens, and the new ‘4’ version – he used first generation DLFs on Mein Schiff 3 - is hugely brighter. The dimming granularity is excellent and it’s simply an amazing fixture! Well done Robe!” he stated.

The LEDWash 800s are used for additional up / down and side lighting washes and this small, powerful LED source has long been a favourite of Chris’s. They were selected for the RGBW LED sources (which produces identical colours to the DL4F), the good zoom and excellent quality of light produced, including proper whites.

The small size, tiny dimensions and speed of LEDBeam 100s again proved ideal for the club which has a low celling, and where lighting positioned and used well, can really enhance the atmosphere and appearance.

The DL4S, as another multifunctional fixture, was chosen as the studio’s main stage / artists lighting as well as effects, Chris likes its versatility - the gobos and washes are great for general environmental lighting. He likes the colours and zoom range as well as the small physical size of the fixtures.

Reliability and lifespan are “huge issues” when specifying kit that’s destined for a working life on-board a cruise ship. It’s likely to be miles from a service centre most of the time and ordering spares and parts can potentially take weeks and be a logistical nightmare!

Lighting the outdoor area by the pool deck was one of the biggest challenges of MS5, and Chris decided to use the Anolis Outdoor ArcSource 48 and 24 MC LED fixtures to highlight a set of architectural sails which frame the stage at one end of the pool area.

Chris was born in Canada, grew up in the US and is now based in Berlin and travelling constantly. He has been using Robe on his projects for some time and says, “Robe is a force to be reckoned with and has very successfully become innovative and a quality market driver. I am always impressed with how quickly the company designs, engineers and produces new ideas”.

The 295 metres long 35.8 metres wide Mein Schiff 5 weighs 99,800 tonnes, offers 1276 passenger staterooms - most with private balconies, together with a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, an array of entertainment, sports and a large variety of fine dining options.  She sails under a Maltese flag and has a cruising speed of 22 knots. One thousand crew live onboard and run the ship day-to-day and current destinations include Arabia, Asia, the Baltic Sea, the British Isles, Dubai and the Arab Emirates, the Eastern Caribbean, Eastern Mediterranean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Norwegian Fjords and Transatlantic as well as Western Europe and the Western Mediterranean.

Photo Credit: Ingo Dombrowski