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FUNA Delivers Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas – Sister Ship to Oasis of the Seas

Emden, Germany — FUNA International, a global design, engineering, integration and consulting firm employing more than 200 professionals in 11 international locations, provided technical design and engineering for entertainment, display and communications in most of the theaters, restaurants, clubs, and public spaces – as well as the crew recreation and support areas – of Royal Caribbean International‘s (RCI) new Allure of the Seas. The 16-deck, 5,400-guest, 225,282-ton, $1.5 billion Allure of the Seas shares the title of world’s largest cruise ship with sister vessel Oasis of the Seas, for which FUNA provided a similar range of technical services. Of special note is the new, custom 3D cinema in Allure’s Amber Theater: a first for RCI cruise ship lines. Royal Caribbean International took delivery of Allure on Oct 28 from STX Europe in Turku, Finland. Her US debut into her homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. occurred Nov. 11.
Guests in Allure’s Amber Theater will be able to watch the latest 3D movies from Dreamworks. And due to a strategic alliance between RCI and Dreamworks, the visitor experience on Allure includes additional encounters with Shrek and other Dreamworks characters elsewhere on the ship, in the form of parades, ice shows, mascots and more. Her Nov 28 naming ceremony, streamed live on video, was performed by Dreamworks’ Princess Fiona, Shrek’s animated life partner and the godmother of the ship.
“Oasis of the Seas is already a floating marvel, but Royal Caribbean never stands still. With 3D cinema and the Dreamworks brand now on board Allure of the Seas they’ve raised the bar yet again in redefining the luxury cruise guest experience, and we’re proud to have been a part of it,” says Rex Stull, President of FUNA.
“Royal Caribbean is always looking for the latest and greatest in entertainment technology, and pushing us to help develop it on board their ship and utilize it in the best way for their guests,” says Derek Warner, FUNA project manager, “which is one reason they’re fantastic to work with.”
Building upon the popularity of 3D exhibition and the alliance with Dreamworks, Royal Caribbean will next upgrade several existing cruise lines with new 3D cinemas, starting with Allure’s sister ship and immediate predecessor, Oasis of the Seas. “We’re doing Oasis in the first quarter next year, Liberty of the Seas in January and Freedom of the Seas in March,” confirms Christopher Vlassopulos, Entertainment Technology and Technical Direction for Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruises, adding, “It was a pleasure to work with FUNA. I am always confident that they will do an outstanding job.”
FUNA provided technical design of the venues for Allure of the Seas as the company had previously provided for sister ship Oasis of the Seas, under contract to the ship owner, Royal Caribbean. Under contract to the ship builder, STX, FUNA realized those designs, providing equipment, installation, and commissioning. Allure, like Oasis, was a vast, specialized contracting project for FUNA from a management and logistics viewpoint not only in the sheer size and number of venues, but also having to work within the unique requirements of international cruise ship construction. FUNA’s various entities came into play: FUNA Oy (detailed design/installation), FUNA GmbH (commissioning) and FUNA Inc. (design, purchasing, logistics, and commissioning).
“These ships are literally vast, floating, state of the art resorts, of the same complexity and scope as a land-based resort complete with hotel, retail and entertainment but totally self-contained,” says Doug Ellis, Senior VP of FUNA and Program Director for Finland operations. “But – due to tighter safety regulations and a bevy of special considerations unique to marine projects – they’re designed and built to be more robust, more energy efficient and make fuller use of a limited footprint than you find in land construction.”
About FUNA
FUNA was founded in 1972 and its headquarters are located in Emden, Germany. FUNA has over 35 years of experience integrating a variety of complex systems encompassing projects from A to Z (well, at least A to W) including Airports to Wind Turbines and everything in between. FUNA’s extensive maritime experience is comprised of vessels of all types including superyachts and cruise ships. These include such high profile projects as the largest cruise ship currently afloat as well as four of the largest superyachts in the world.
In 2007, as part of FUNA’s strategic growth plan, FUNA GmbH Nachrichtentechnik merged with Teledimensions International Inc. (TDI) to create FUNA International GmbH (“FUNA”). Based in the USA, TDI’s experience in both land and maritime projects as well as their business activities in Finland created a powerful blend of synergies. The end result of merging these two successful companies is a global design, engineering, integration and consulting firm consisting of over 150 people and 5 strategically located international facilities to serve FUNA’s clients.
FUNA is certified ISO 9001 compliant in Germany and Finland and is in the process of receiving certification in the United States and is an ICSEPA member. FUNA is also a member of the Themed Entertainment Association.
About Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 21 ships currently in service and one under construction. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.
About STX
STX Europe AS is an international shipbuilding group which aims to be the leading builder of cruise and offshore vessels. The group has a strong position in terms of developing state-of-the-art concepts, technology, processes and products for customers around the world. STX Europe AS comprises 15 shipyards in Finland, France, Norway, Romania, Brazil and Vietnam. STX Europe has approx. 16 000 employees. Formerly known as Aker Yards, the group changed its name to STX Europe in November 2008.

Related stories from InPark News:

Dreamworks’ Princess Fiona officiates at Allure of the Seas naming ceremony
FUNA company ANT opens new office in Portsmouth UK to serve superyacht, cruise ship customers
FUNA & BSS Audio add advanced networking & control to Oasis of the Seas

FUNA acquires ShowSys

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Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin ([email protected]) is a leading journalist, content marketing specialist and connector in the international attractions industry. She reports on design and technical design, production and project management, industry trends and company culture. From 2005-2020 she ran communications and publications for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). In 2013, she was honored with the TEA Service Award. She was development director of IMERSA and publicist for the Large Format Cinema Association, and has contributed to the publications of PLASA, IAAPA and the International Planetarium Society. Judith joined World’s Fair magazine in 1987, which introduced her to the attractions industry. She joined InPark in 2010. Judith earned a BFA from Pratt Institute. She has lived in Detroit, New York, Oakland, and now Saint Louis, where she is active in the local arts community.

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