"I've used a lot of different lights and have never really been able to find a good outdoor lighting solution for these cruise ships," Stone said. "If you ever want to test the durability of a product designed for outdoor use, put it on the pool deck of a cruise ship for one month. We did some testing and discovered these COLORado washes were ideal for this installation because they are portable, waterproof and durable fixtures that include tri-color LEDs and create an outstanding wash."
With each of the ships using the same lighting setup, the design of this temporary installation project needed to encompass flexibility and simplicity in regards to the lighting system and its setup. The project is different for Stone and HMS, Inc. because all 196 fixtures were affixed to floor stands in order to perform the job they were intended for. They chose aluminium floor stands and replaced each mounting bolt, washer and lock washer with stainless steel to prevent rusting. It took six men three days to pre-programme, wire, mount and test all of the fixtures before they were shipped to their final destinations.
Designing a project for Princess Cruises is not an unfamiliar task for Stone. In the 1980s, he worked on Island Princess, the same ship that starred in the original NBC sitcom, The Love Boat. Stone gained 25 years of experience in the lighting field by working for bands, cruise lines and themed entertainment projects with big-name companies including Universal Studios and Legoland.
(Jim Evans)
