Star of the Seas – Media Tailor’s Riedel deployment

Behind the headline shows and immersive venues of Star of the Seas, a sophisticated broadcast and communications structure connects every deck, stage, and production space. Key to this achievement was integrator Media Tailor, who, alongside their long-time partner, Riedel, created a clever, ship-wide media system.

For Tuomas Niemelä, Business Director of Shipbuilding at Media Tailor, Star of the Seas was an opportunity to refine and expand upon a blueprint first realised aboard Icon of the Seas.

“We’re proud to say that, for Star, we designed and implemented the entire broadcast and media system for the ship,” Niemelä explained.

At the core of these media operations is the Broadcast Center, home to two production galleries and a main rack room. It houses all the signal routing, recording, playback, post-production, and graphics tools needed to support live shows, ship-wide announcements, and internal productions. The scope of Media Tailor’s work spans nearly every major entertainment area onboard, from the Royal Theater and the AquaDome to the Music Hall, Royal Promenade, Absolute Zero ice arena, and around 25 smaller venues.

Each space integrates seamlessly into the same decentralised network, ensuring smooth coordination across departments and flexible support for any type of production.

To achieve this level of interoperability and reliability, Media Tailor relied heavily on Riedel’s MediorNet and Artist platforms, which Niemelä noted are proven technologies in both live production and maritime applications. “Creating a broadcast environment of this scale requires a unified system that functions as one,” Niemelä said. “That’s what Riedel enables. Its decentralised architecture allows us to route video, audio, and data in real time across the entire ship without relying on point-to-point cabling. It’s incredibly efficient and resilient, which is vital when you’re working in the middle of the ocean.”

The Star of the Seas installation includes 20 Riedel MediorNet MicroN UHD and MicroN nodes, providing distributed routing, signal processing, and multiviewing across the ship. Each unit combines multiple functions that traditionally required separate devices, optimising space and power consumption, both of which are crucial in a maritime context.

Integrated with MediorNet is the hi human interface (hi) control system. On the ship, it operates through three servers and multiple hardware and web-based panels, giving operators centralised, intuitive control over every AV signal on the ship.

“Through hi, all SDI and Dante audio sources are unified,” Niemelä explained. “It gives operators complete flexibility to manage routing and monitoring, whether they’re handling live entertainment, video playback, or shipwide communications.”

Complementing the broadcast infrastructure is Riedel’s Artist intercom platform, which forms the backbone of onboard communication for production teams. The Star of the Seas deployment features an Artist-1024 matrix with more than 50 SmartPanels (RSP-1216HL and DSP-2318), 55 Bolero wireless beltpacks, and PunQtum wired partyline systems.

“The combination of Artist, Bolero, and PunQtum creates a unified and scalable intercom ecosystem,” noted Niemelä. “It means stage crews, broadcast engineers, and technicians across multiple decks can communicate clearly and reliably, whether during a live show or routine operations.” For Philippe Genar, Regional Sales Manager at Riedel, Star of the Seas marks the latest chapter in a partnership with Royal Caribbean that began over a decade ago.

“Our relationship started in 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature Riedel’s video and intercom systems,” Genar explained. “That project was made possible through our collaboration with Media Tailor, which is an alliance that continues to drive innovation today.”

Since then, Media Tailor has deployed Riedel technology on eight Royal Caribbean ships, including the upcoming Legend of the Seas.

“Through this ongoing partnership, Riedel and Royal Caribbean, together with partners like Media Tailor, have continuously advanced shipboard communications and video solutions, ensuring seamless connectivity, enhanced operational efficiency, and an exceptional guest experience across the fleet,” said Genar.

Reliability is paramount at sea, where maintenance access can be limited and system downtime is not an option. Riedel’s technologies are engineered to handle these challenges.

“Artist and MediorNet are built for 24/7 operation,” Genar explained. “They use industrial-grade components designed to withstand vibration, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. Their distributed, software-defined architecture ensures redundancy and scalability, so operators can adapt quickly to evolving requirements and maintain optimal performance under any conditions.”

Working alongside other onboard installers like Control AV, Media Tailor served as the connective tissue between numerous AV systems.

“We make it all work together as one ecosystem,” Niemelä stated. “That requires close collaboration with every supplier involved. The more components there are, the more essential it is that both technology and people communicate seamlessly.”

Thanks to lessons learned from Icon of the Seas, the Star build went more smoothly, he added. “Every ship has its own story, but after the first one, processes naturally refine. The feedback from Star has been extremely positive, and we haven’t had to return for any fixes, which is the best feedback of all!

“A big thank-you goes especially to Royal Caribbean’s Christopher Vlassopulos, Manager, Sound & Light, New Building & Innovation, and installer Tennagels, whose trust in our expertise over the past 26 years has been truly invaluable.”

Genar then concluded: “Being part of Star of the Seas is both an honour and a testament to the quality, robustness, and versatility of Riedel solutions. It showcases how our technology, and our partnerships with teams like Media Tailor, can travel the world and perform flawlessly, even at sea.”