Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, the Celebrity Edge, has garnered some much-deserved attention recently, with cruise industry professionals questioning what we can expect from the $1bn vessel.
Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo exhibitor Solarglide played an important role in bringing innovative design to the Celebrity Edge, incorporating their signature high-performance solar screens.
Read on to find out more about Solarglide’s involvement in the project, including what benefits their solar screens provide.
When on board any vessel during daylight hours, both solar glare and solar heat can pose dangers when navigating large cruise vessels, particularly in ports and narrow channels. The sun can be a real issue for ships whilst out at sea and can significantly reduce visibility through the navigational windows and make onboard conditions incredibly uncomfortable in the bridge area by heating it up as though it were a greenhouse.
In September, Solarglide, one of the leading suppliers of window covering solutions to the marine industry supplied its renowned SG Glider solar screens for fitting on the first of the Celebrity Cruise “The Edge” cruise ships being built at Chantiers De l’Atlantique shipyard in France. Weighing in at 117,00 gross registered tons, Celebrity Edge will have a passenger capacity of 2,900 people and is the first of four similar ships. The Edge ships have been designed using new 3D techniques and are described as “revolutionary” on every level, including the “Magic Carpet” the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level.
Solarglide’s SG Glider solar screens were fitted to all the bridge windows by an appointed outfitting company who worked closely with SOLARGLIDE to ensure each screen fitted to each window with exact precision. Once installed, SG Glider solar screens dramatically reduce the incoming solar heat by up to 15°C as well as reducing glare from the sun by 93%. The screens are unobtrusive and allow the officers and crew clear visibility whilst navigating the ship. This is hugely important safety criteria for the screens as 100% visibility must be maintained when the screens are in use, so as not to jeopardize the ship’s safety.
SG Glider solar screens not only benefit the officers and crew but also put money back into the pocket of the ship owners. Up to 15% reduction in air conditioning costs are achievable which is significant on a large bridge such as on Celebrity Edge. Vessels with SG Solar Glider solar screens installed on the bridge windows will be 10 -15 degrees cooler inside than vessels without, allowing the air conditioning to be turned down, whilst still maintaining a comfortable environment.
Solarglide has an impressive recent history with Chantiers De l’Atlantique having supplied SG Glider solar screens to Harmony and Symphony of the Seas for Royal Caribbean and is also in the process of supplying SG Glider solar screens to the LNG powered Meraviglia series of cruise ships for MSC.
Solarglide has operated exclusively in the marine sector for the past 10 years and has demonstrated to its customers the highest levels or customer service and product quality. Solarglide products are used on all types of sea-going vessel, from small pilot vessels to the world’s largest cruise liners. With a wealth of experience working with naval architects, interior designers and outfitters Solarglide can tailor its offering for window solar solutions to meet the exacting standards of our clients.