When passengers on the “Fun Ships” of Carnival Cruise Lines want a keepsake of special moments with souvenir photos, they look to the Pixels Portrait Gallery aboard each ship. Problem is, with 2,000 – 3,000+ passengers on board and up to twenty photo shoots a day, it can be a challenge for passengers to find their photo. Not exactly how you want to spend time on your cruise vacation. Add to the challenge that new images are added to the gallery 3-4 times a day after each photo op, so the display space is constantly being added to and re-organized.
Color Reflections Las Vegas launched upon a creative solution to these challenges, calling upon partner Visual Magnetics.
Working together with Carnival Cruise Lines, they developed color codes and category names for each of the many photo occasions – such as embarkation, dining (by restaurant and time of day), event, activity, candid vs. formal, and more. From there, they identified the innovative magnetic receptive MagnaMedia® by Visual Magnetics as a simple, stylish way to create signs that allow for a quick change out, and keep gallery signage up to date with the latest photo shoots throughout the cruise.
Putting their VUTEk GS3250 UV direct-to-board printer to work, Color Reflections Las Vegas printed the signs on Visual Magnetics’ magnetic-receptive POLYeight® media. The media is perfect for easy application and removal to accommodate the ever-changing photo gallery. Installation is as easy as applying the magnetic media to permanent fixtures in the space. The fixtures are printed with messages too, giving them plenty of visual impact even when the magnetic sign is not in place. Durability was a serious consideration; over a year later the signs are still as beautiful as the day they were installed.
Printing and installing the new Pixel Portrait Gallery on twenty-three ships in ports across the country was an 18-month project. “It was a welcome challenge,” says Shannon Martin, Director of Business Development for Color Reflections Las Vegas. “The Visual Magnetics system was a perfect fit for this project and very versatile in the things we needed to do to make the Pixels Portrait Gallery a success!”
Today, the entire fleet of twenty-three Carnival Cruise Line ships uses the graphic system in the Pixels Portrait galleries. Cruise passengers receive a color-coded card each time their photo is taken; the card corresponds with color codes in the gallery, and passengers know just where to find that special photo. The improved signage and color-coding system has yielded pretty-as-a-picture results, not only enhancing the guest experience but also helping Carnival Cruise Lines see an increase in souvenir photo sales.
Photos: Visual Magnetics
