Two hundred and thirty-two Anolis Calumma M MC RGBCW LED fixtures – equipped with 65-degree lenses and a custom rear-mounted IP-rated junction box modification for easier installation – have been installed on seven of Carnival Cruise Lines’ (CCL) eight cruise ships.
The project started in February with the Carnival Horizon, continued with the Carnival Breeze, Carnival Elation, Carnival Magic, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Paradise, and Carnival Vista, and was completed in August with the Carnival Dream. All of them are currently sailing across different parts of the world.
The fixtures were placed across the different “lido” and pool decks of each ship, retrofitted into existing lighting positions, where they now provide general ambient lighting. With this upgrade, the Calummas – thanks to their power and incredible colors – can also be used as show lighting for events held in these spaces.
The installation was overseen by CCL’s fleet lighting supervisor, Silviu Ardelean, and Carnival’s entertainment lighting manager, Alex Nelson. The project was coordinated for Robe’s Maritime division by global sales director, Tony Perez. This project required a tough, well-built, and elegant solution, and the IP67-rated Calummas proved to be perfect.
Calumma’s optical design uses 7 high-efficacy multichip LEDs – available with optional LED color variants and different beam angles – and the medium-sized Calumma M MC luminaires provide high-quality light output for spot, accent, or flood applications.
In this case, the Calummas had to fit into existing bulkhead spaces on the ships’ lido decks. For this reason, the junction box was modified, allowing the fixtures to be installed without drilling new holes for cabling.
While the IP-rated junction box is already available as a stand-alone option from Anolis, on this specific occasion the fixtures were manufactured with it integrated into the back of the unit.
“Anolis’ ability to innovate, be flexible, and think laterally to deliver a neat solution really impressed us”, explained Silviu, who added that the standard Calumma fixture was already a great option, and they were delighted when Anolis CEO, Josef Valchar (also CEO of lighting manufacturer Robe), and the R&D team devised this custom marine-grade product for multiple ships.
Alex believes that placing the heatsink on the back with a curved edge – preventing water from being trapped – is very clever, along with its smooth shape without deep ridges to avoid any water or residue collecting:
Anolis listened to our needs and developed this custom fixture, thanks to which we were able to complete the retrofits quickly and easily. The engineering quality is outstanding, and this is the first time we have seen a heatsink with these characteristics.
The fixtures were painted RAL9016M to match the lido decks of the different ships. The cruising environment is tough for lighting fixtures: high salinity, constant exposure to intense heat, blazing sun, rain, wind, dust… every possible environmental challenge, including extremely low temperatures for ships sailing to Alaska and colder climates.
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Speaking about Anolis as a brand, Silviu said: “We know that Anolis fixtures are solid, reliable, well-designed, and deliver excellent light quality, so they were absolutely the right choice. Anolis’ willingness to adapt to our needs was exemplary and reflected a true spirit of collaboration”.
The Calummas were supplied through UK-based maritime integration experts EWP, who work worldwide on a wide range of sea-based projects, coordinated by Owain Jones. Between 22 and 46 units were installed per vessel, as all ships remained in active service during the process, which required maximum speed and minimal disruption to guests while the new lights were fitted.
Alex commented that EWP made the project look easy thanks to their “professionalism and experience, which ensured everything went very smoothly”.
Now in place, the Calummas are DMX controlled via a CueServer controller in each venue, which schedules their on/off switching at designated times. Tony highlighted how these projects exemplify Alex and Silviu’s creative thinking:
They recognized the need for a custom exterior lighting fixture capable of withstanding extreme environments while integrating seamlessly into their existing system, and Anolis Calumma proved to be the ideal solution. It was a real pleasure to support Alex and Silviu with a tailored development and, once Josef understood the requirements, he immediately worked with the Anolis engineering team to produce CAD drawings within just one week for their approval. That’s what we mean by true collaboration. I am proud to be part of such an exceptional project and team.
Photos courtesy of CCL and EWP.
