Forget shuffleboard , 3D theater next on today’s cruise ships

by Chris Owen on

Royal Caribbean International, parent of giant sister cruise ships Oasis and Allure of the Seas announced it will add stereoscopic 3D digital cinema to on-board programming. Royal Caribbean also plans “Revitalizations” for other ships in 2011 including Oasis, Liberty Freedom, Radiance and Splendour of the Seas.

“While we look forward to a period of slower growth, we do not intend to stagnate,” said Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain in January just before the line announced a new, secret class of ships to be built in the future. The Royal Revitalizations program looks to use that period of slower growth wisely, adding features made popular on new ships to some others in the fleet

Royal Caribbean’s existing deal with Dreamworks Animation and a new partnership with FUNA International makes it possible.

“We called upon FUNA and their team to come up with creative technical design solutions in a number of areas including physical placement, additional cooling and power and integration with the existing audio system, and the result is a 3D movie experience as good as or better than any land-based theater” said Christopher Vlassopulos, Entertainment Technology and Technical Direction for Royal Caribbean International.

First to get the 3D upgrade will be Allure of the Seas but soon, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas will have the 3D capability.

“On testing the finished product, people at the highest level at Barco [projection supplier], DreamWorks and Dolby [sound system supplier] were ‘blown away’ with the result. We wanted to do a good job but to impress them out of the gate was a real bonus and obviously something the guest will really enjoy. It looks and sounds great.” Vlassopulos added.

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Flickr photo by Monica R

Jack Black visits Atlanta zoo to name ‘Kung Fu Panda’ cub

by Leigh Caldwell on

The only giant panda cub born in the United States last year got a name this morning. And his name is Po.

In a bit of cuddly promotional goodness, actor Jack Black, who voices the character Po in the “Kung Fu Panda” movies, was on hand this morning at the little guy’s naming ceremony at Zoo Atlanta.

And the whole thing was sponsored by Dreamworks Animation. Who would have guessed it?

Raymond King, president and CEO of the Atlanta zoo, says Black “has already helped to bring the importance of saving this species to a new generation of conservationists.”

Zoo Atlanta says Dreamworks is partnering with it to help panda conservation programs at the Chengdu Research Base and other panda reserves in China.

No details on Dreamworks’ donation have been released. But the zoo wants you to know that “Kung Fu Panda 2,” also starring Jack Black, opens May 26, 2011, on movie screens around the U.S.

You can get a live look at Po on Zoo Atlanta’s Panda Cam.