Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has been awarded the contract to upgrade the fire detection system on the M/V
Marco Polo. The cruise vessel is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line/Orient Line in Miami, a part of
Star Cruises.
The contract includes 1500 Detectors, 800 ‘smart buzzers’ and the Autromaster 5000 Color Graphic Workstation. The Autromaster 5000 offers
a color graphic indication, monitoring and control system that has been approved by the maritime authorities and classification societies, and will replace the traditional LED panel system.
The ‘Marco Polo’ is a world traveler built with an ice-strengthened hull making it perfect for Antarctic expeditions. The 22,000 ton luxury
liner continues the traditional values of luxury cruising taking up to 700 passengers. Marco Polo’s mid size allows her to enter smaller ports
around the world where the giant ships cannot go.
In 2001 the US National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) strongly recommended that all cruise ships in the U.S. should install local buzzers in all
cabins. The problem that faced owners was that the only systems available required extensive additional cabling at a massive cost.
The class approved ‘smart buzzer’ will give off a sound of approximately 80dB and automatically switch off after 90 seconds, pre-warning the
passengers and allowing the Public Address system to be heard. Pål FlØtten, Vice President, Fire and Safety at KMSS commented ‘the smart buzzer from KMSS is a unique product that we developed to meet a specific need in the market place. At KMSS we pride ourselves in being able to find the best way of solving a problem while considering both safety and
cost’.