The newly launched Grandeur is the sixth luxury ship to come from Regent Seven Seas Cruises. With 10 decks that can host up to 744 guests, the cruise ship promises a deluxe vacation experience with beautiful design throughout. In the search for best-in-class, the ship landed on many ETC solutions to outfit its lighting plot.

Filling many roles on the vessel, Travis McHale shared his experience working with ETC. Part of Travis’s responsibilities includes working as a contractor for Norwegian Cruise Lines, designing the light plot, producing paperwork, and creating the layout of all the networking, as well as specifying the equipment. Additionally, for Norwegian Creative Studios, he was the lighting designer and programmer for most of the production shows on board.

This is the third vessel in the class of ship. Prior to Grandeur, Travis worked on the second ship with a Gio board as well as Source Four LED Series 2 and ColorSource PAR. Travis says, “Going into the third vessel, I wanted to maintain familiarity in the light plot, but also push the envelope in some areas. This way, if technicians move from ship to ship, they can innately understand the light plot.”

The final fixture package for Grandeur includes 82 ColorSource Spot V, 23 ColorSource Fresnel V, 9 ColorSource Linear, 5 Halcyon Platinum, 32 Halcyon Titanium, and 20 Talen. And of course, all of it is controlled by an Eos Apex 10 console.

“I’m always going to pick ETC first,” says Travis. “I have always respected the support and the emphasis on quality of equipment and quality of light.”

Travis noted that brightness was especially key in this space to contend with LED screens featured on the stage. That’s why Halcyon was the right fit. “Seeing the scale of the Halcyon was mind-blowing—with the bigger light engine and enhanced color mixing system, I have no complaints.”

Four production shows are debuting on Seven Seas’ Grandeur inaugural season, three of which were designed by Travis. Pasión brings tango to the stage while Ignite the Night brings a modern mix of style and design. Maurader’s Ball features a pirate adventure on the high seas and ICONS delivers classic hits. For Travis, the shows are all about creating entertainment and spectacle while relying on his theatrical background to execute process and storytelling.

Speaking to his experience of working on the Eos Apex 10, Travis says “The resolution on the built-in monitors is stunning. I ended up putting my magic sheets on them instead of the outboard monitors because I loved the resolution. I also like the OLED buttons and having my Direct Selects right in front of me. We’re very happy with the desk.”

In the fast-paced world of cruise ships, Travis says that there is a large push to move towards all-LED rigs. Of the LED solutions on the Grandeur, Travis was particularly impressed with the ColorSource V family, including Spot and Fresnel.

As the Grandeur begins its many voyages, the rig will be left in good hands. Norwegian has plans in place to bring back lighting designers with future casts to check focus and make sure the rigs are up to par as the shows go along.

Also a full-time lecturer at SUNY New Paltz, Travis says his love for ETC gear carries over to his teaching career on land. He hopes to introduce many students to the world of ETC as he continues to build out the college-level program.

Lighting Department Credits

Lighting Designer & Programmer, and Co-Lighting Project Manager: Travis McHale (Instagram: @captainmchale)

Co-Lighting Project Manager and BlackTrax Designer/Programmer: Alex E. Taylor (Instagram: @its.alex.taylor)

BlackTrax Designer/Programmer: Devin Cameron (instagram: @devincameroncreative)

Production Electrician: Kat Morrill (Instagram: @kat.morrill)

Pasíon Lighting Design by: Cecilia Durbin & Ethan Newman

Full ETC Gear List

82 - ColorSource Spot V

23 - ColorSource Fresnel V

9 - ColorSource Linear 1 Deep Blue

5 - Halcyon Platinum Ultra Bright

32 - Halcyon Titanium Ultra Bright

20 - Talen

1 - Eos Apex 10 & Fader Wing

1 – Apex Processor

1 - Sensor 3 SR48 with R20 Modules