Icon of the Seas Amps Up Audio for All

AVNetwork Staff
·4 min read
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is equipped with more than 400 professional loudspeakers from L-Acoustics, installed by Control AV.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is equipped with more than 400 professional loudspeakers from L-Acoustics, installed by Control AV.

Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas is a 20-deck, $2 billion-plus ship that set sail on January 27 from Port Miami with 2,350 crew members. The new ship was equipped with more than 400 L-Acoustics loudspeakers (installed by Miami-based L-Acoustics Certified Provider Control AV) and a Listen EVERYWHERE audio over Wi-Fi assistive listening system to ensure everyone on board hears messaging and sweet sounds at sea.

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Absolute Zero on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the largest ice arena at sea, used for both leisure and shows.
Absolute Zero on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the largest ice arena at sea, used for both leisure and shows.

To properly entertain its 5,610 guests on what is the first of Royal Caribbean’s new Icon Class, 18 of the ship’s many distinct venues feature L-Acoustics throughout those spaces and more. Among these is the multifaceted Royal Theater, which spans decks 4 and 5 on the forward end of the ship. The 1,229-seat venue hosts two inaugural main productions: “SHOWBAND! Live. Music. Now.,” featuring a 16-piece orchestra, and “The Wizard of Oz,” the first rendition of L. Frank Baum’s classic at sea. Equipped with L-ISA Hyperreal Immersive technology from L-Acoustics, the theater is sonically reinforced by 52 Kiva II enclosures in a seven-array system bolstered by six SB18i subs. Two A10 enclosures, 52 coaxial X8, and 20 5XT are also deployed throughout the venue as delays, surrounds, and fills.

Absolute Zero at the aft of deck 5 is the ship’s ice arena—the largest one at sea—featuring an oval-shaped ice rink that hosts both recreational skating as well as elaborate productions like “Starburst: Elemental Beauty.” Here, an A Series system comprising 18 L-Acoustics A15i Wide, four A15i Focus, and four A10i Wide is complemented by six X12 speakers and a dozen KS21i subs.

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The AquaTheater, found on deck 15 inside the AquaDome neighborhood, home to a 55-foot-tall water curtain that drops from the top of the jewel-like dome that crowns the ship. The AquaTheater’s “Aqua Action!” straddles the line between live-action cinematography and theatrical display, featuring Olympic-level high divers, skateboarders, aerialists, slackliners, synchronized swimmers, and more. Shows like this are heard loud and clear via a combination of six L-Acoustics A15i Focus, 10 X12, 16 X8, and 19 ultra-compact X4i enclosures, plus four KS21i and SB18 IIi subs.

The entertainment continues with venues along the lively Royal Promenade—which, itself, features 17 A10i Wide, 16 Syva Sub, four self-powered 108P, and two X8—including Spotlight Karaoke, Dueling Pianos, the Latin-themed Boleros, and The Attic comedy club. In Central Park, live music venue Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues is one of the new experiences that brings nightlife vibes to this tranquil neighborhood with more than 33,550 real plants. Even the ship’s crew get to enjoy their own L-Acoustics system, with X8 speakers and SB15m subs installed in the crew bar and disco. From theaters to clubs to restaurants, L-Acoustics professional PA systems are found in nearly every kind of gathering space on Icon, assuring that vacationers will have an excellent audio experience shipwide.

How Audio Over Wi-Fi Assistive Listening Enhances Onboard Listening Experiences

The Royal Theater on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is equipped with L-ISA Hyperreal Immersive technology.
The Royal Theater on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is equipped with L-ISA Hyperreal Immersive technology.

Royal Caribbean sought a BYOD (bring your own device) assistive listening system for guests that would be easy to use and enhance their cruise experience in venues on its ships.

Listen EVERYWHERE from Listen Technologies is an audio over Wi-Fi assistive listening solution that lets users stream venue audio to their smartphones and smart devices. Guests in venues and settings on Icon of the Seas that offer Listen EVERYWHERE (such as in the ship’s main theater, Royal Theater) can download the free Listen EVERYWHERE app, access the ship’s Wi-Fi network, stream ship audio to their smartphones, and listen to clear audio with headphones or earbuds.

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Passengers with Bluetooth enabled hearing aids or cochlear implants can stream the audio directly from their smartphones to their hearing devices. The Listen Technologies system is not just for guests with hearing loss; all guests in onboard venues where the solution is offered can download the app and access audio as needed. With Listen EVERYWHERE, speech intelligibility is increased because audio is streamed directly from the source (e.g., a speaker, microphone, TV) without amplifying ambient noise.

Applications for audio over Wi-Fi systems include assistive listening, language interpretation, streaming audio from video or TV screens, and audio description. For example, Royal Caribbean guests visiting an onboard sports bar where an audio over Wi-Fi assistive listening system is offered could use their smartphone to access the audio for different screens in multiple languages. Guests at onboard silent dance parties where audio over Wi-Fi is available could select audio from different DJ channels and listen via headphones or earbuds.

The Listen EVERYWHERE system is easy for venues to install on their existing Wi-Fi network and offers low latency, high quality sound. Guests can use their smartphones to access venue audio and hear clearly despite background noise, distance, hearing loss, or language. Access to audio extends as far as a venue’s wireless network.