"One of the main directives from NCL was that all the lasers had to be air-cooled and yet they wanted white light graphic capability on the main stage," says LaserNet president Tom Harman. "In the past, this would mean water hoses, expensive heat exchangers, and three phase electricity. However, by using the current laser technology of solid state diodes, we were able to provide a full colour laser system without all that hassle."
In addition to the solid-state white light system, two Copper Bromide lasers were installed. The air-cooled 3W Gold (Green and Yellow) lasers are used for bounce mirrors and aerial scanning over the heads of the audience in the show lounge. A 20W YAG laser has been installed on the Lido deck.
Working with the MAVCO engineers, LaserNet took real care to contain the green laser beams safely within the ship. According to Horacio Pugliese, LaserNet's senior laser specialist supervising the installation, "green light is an international navigational signal and the ship's captain would be in trouble if a green beam left the ship!"
The Pride of America is scheduled to begin service cruising the Hawaiian Islands in July 2005.
(Jim Evans)
