ANGRIYA Cruises the Seas with Bose
Latest cruise ships are teaming with audiovisual technology designed to keep passengers awed and coming back for more. In this feature PT reports on the audio installation of one such cruise ship - The Angriya Luxury Cruise Liner installed with Bose Audio Systems.
Bought in December 2016, Bose began the audio installation in July 2017and by December 2017 had completed the installation. Angriya set sail on its maiden voyage in Oct 2018 and ever since is giving its patrons an enhanced experience for corporate events, live performances and much more on this majestic vessel.
Angriya is India’s first domestic cruise liner that takes you from Mumbai to Goa and back with the most mesmerising views of the Konkan coast. This majestic ship gets its name from the first Admiral of the Maratha Navy, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, who was popularly known as the Shivaji of the Indian Sea.
At the helm of this luxury cruise liner is Captain Nitin Dhond, a veteran Indian merchant navy with over four decades of being at sea and 25 years of being in command.
This luxurious ship was built in Japan and was decommissioned there when Captain Dhond decided to buy it in December 2016. The Angriya is a 131-meter long, 7-deck, the first Class 4 RSPV (River Sea Passenger Vessel) with very straight lines and is outward-facing.
After a few months of being decked in Goa where most of the extensive metalwork had taken place, the ship was moved to Mumbai during the monsoons. During its time docked in Goa, the cruise liner already had constructed three passenger decks, several cafes and restaurants and a former storage refrigerator was turned into a night club. Once Angriya reached the Mumbai docks, its fit-out period started again.
For the setting up of the AV, Angriya hired the experience hands of AV systems integrators Audio Technik, who are the elite partner’s of Bose in India. Bose was the obvious choice for the directors of Angriya as one of the directors Mr. Sarvesh was already working on another project with Bose and they were well aware of the system’s performance, the company support, and the after-sales that Bose provides.
The project was headed by Rajesh Patil, founder of Audio Technik along with two other directors Kevin Pillai and Peeyush Singh. “Once we received the blueprint of the ship, we began our initial stage of system design,” explained Kevin.
Design
Due to his strong marine background, the Captain wanted the raw surfaces of the vessel to remain untouched and undisturbed. They were also looking to install a system that would look elegant, yet small with an exceptional size to power ratio. Since a cruise ship has a limited space to work, the system they chose had to be versatile to handle anything from soft ambient music to Live bands.
“The blueprint eased the work for our designers to a certain extent. After going through the required security protocols, we were onboard the ship and got a clear picture of what was required. We learned of the different challenges mounting constraints, power limitations, rigging rules on a ship, etc. We stayed onboard the ship for a few days to understand the dynamics which helped us design the system,” says Kevin. “The client wanted a system that could not spoil the original aesthetics of the place and at the same time deliver outstanding performance,” he added further.
Audio Technik hence decided to chose the Bose systems. “We have worked with Bose products before and are ourselves convinced about its performance,” says Rajesh. From the briefing given to them by the client, Audio Technik knew that along with the aesthetics and performance of the system, the entire system had to be rugged and reliable. “We are talking about a system that would be exposed to moisture, salt and a limited time window for service in case something went wrong,” Rajesh added further. Bose became the obvious choice as their range of products had everything that this cruise liner and the Captain demanded. “It was elegant, powerful, and rugged. Also, the support from Bose after sales and for spares has been extraordinary always,” said Rajesh.
Set-Up
The ship has different zones that had to be designed as per the applications of that particular region. The pool deck which converts into a performance arena, required a system for BGM and at the same time for live band performances. Rajesh and his team decided to install LT 9702 WRs, which would handle the live bands, a Bose ControlSpace SP-24 sound processor was also used for the main system. There are two Bose FreeSpace DS 100SE and two FreeSpace 360P speakers for BGM, powered by a Bose PowerShare PS604 amp, while a single Bose FreeSpace DS 40F flush-mount speaker provides BGM for the Sea Breeze bar deck located above the pool deck.
The cargo hold of the ship was converted into a nightclub/lounge called the Fathom which is also used for conferences and presentations. Here the team installed 6 units of RMU208’s with 4 units of F1 Subs. There are an additional 6 units of RMU105’s with 2 units of F1 subs to fill the balcony of the Sea Horse Bar above the lounge distributing the sound equally across the entire floor. For conferences, this same setup is pre-set to work as an L-R setup.
There are two restaurants on the vessel Ancora and Coral Reef where the team have installed FreeSpace DS 16SEs with IZA 190Hz amps.
It took about two months for the team to complete the entire process.
Vibhor Khanna, Country Manager – India & SAARC, Bose Professional, commented, “Evolving consumer preferences, emerging ship sizes and new entertainment programmes onboard featuring state-of-the-art audio, video and lighting have changed the cruise ship industry considerably. There is a lot of extra thought and attention that goes into the sound system design of a cruise ship and selecting the right products is crucial. Audio Technik came up with up with an ideal Bose sound system solution which is not only rugged and robust but also has sound quality which matches the aesthetics and demands of the cruise. The LT 9702 WRs, ControlSpace and FreeSpace solutions from Bose correspond perfectly with the demanding requirements of the Angriya, while greatly enhancing the guests’ Showtime experience. We are proud of this project and we thank Audio Technik for a speedy and trouble-free installation.”
The client wanted a system that would not spoil the original aesthetics of the place and at the same time deliver outstanding performance, hence Audio Technik decided to chose the Bose Systems
Challenges
The AV installation of the Angriya came with its own set of challenges, some of which the Audio Technik team have never faced before. The cruise liner used to be docked at the Yellow Gate at Mazgaon docks and getting in and out became a real hassle for Rajesh and his team. “The biggest challenge we faced was getting the goods inside due to the long security procedures. Sometimes it would take us about 4-5 hours waiting at the gate to get the permissions passed,” informed Kevin. This changed when the ship began to dock at the Purple Gate which now called the White Gate. The change in docking created a new challenge for the team, as the liner was anchored away from the jetty. The only way for the team to board the ship was to travel by ferry from the jetty. The gear and equipment had to loaded on to smaller boats owned by the client and then lifted up to the vessel by crane. This did not deter the Audio Technik team who took this entire experience as an experience and adventure like never before.
Vibhor Khanna – Country Manager SAARC, Bose Professional
The next big challenge for the AV team was the constraints on rigging points. Most of the brackets had to welded on the steel walls as bolting or suspending with steel ropes was not an option. “The rigging or for that matter, the system setup on a ship is completely different from other installations projects we do on land. Every speaker had to be secured with extra safety due to the constant motion of the vessel,” informs Kevin. The team also faced certain power constraints in certain parts of the ship.
Conclusion
The entire installation was completed in record time. “The Captain was euphoric when the system was first fired on. The entire setup sounded glorious. We have seen a lot of happy clients but the reaction by the Captain and his crew is something that we will always treasure. This was a heart-winning point for us,” said Tejas Desai, Segment Manager, Bose Professionals.
The ship has different zones that had to be designed as per the applications of that particular region. The pool deck which converts into a performance arena, required a system for BGM and live band performances. Rajesh Patil and his team at Audio Technik decided to install LT 9702 WRs, which would handle the live band. A Bose ControlSpace SP-24 sound processor was also used for the main system.
For Audio Technik, this was the team’s very first cruise project. “Since Angriya is India’s first domestic cruise liner, it was an honor for us to be considered for this project. Even though it was quite challenging, it was an experience that my team and I can never forget,” informed Rajesh. Rajesh further stated that during the course of the installation the Captain and the crew were extremely impressed with the professionalism brought on by Audio Technik and were ecstatic with the work done by the team.
For Captain Dhond it was a childhood dream to run an Indian domestic cruise and he is the visionary and soul behind Angriya, a ship that has been shaped with an all Indian team of sea farers, technicians, and hospitality professionals.