Case Study: Princess Cruises – Life Safety
This case study describes a life safety system retrofit performed on vessels operated by :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}. The project focused on restoring and integrating life safety functionality for cold storage rooms on aging ships, without disrupting normal ship operations or requiring extensive new installation work.
The primary technical challenge was to replace a failed and obsolete life safety system while maintaining compliance with operational and safety requirements in a confined-space maritime environment.
Application
The application involved integrating life safety equipment, control logic, and annunciation for multiple cold storage rooms distributed throughout the ship. These systems were required to interface with existing infrastructure using LonWorks and Modbus communication protocols.
The cold storage rooms are confined spaces used for food, beverage, and materials storage. Due to safety regulations, personnel are only permitted to enter these rooms when a functional life safety system is in place. Each room required reliable monitoring and annunciation to ensure safe entry and operation.
Problem
The vessels were approximately 25 years old, and the original life safety system had failed. Replacement components were no longer available from the original manufacturer, leaving the ships without a supported upgrade path.
A major building automation vendor proposed a replacement solution with an estimated cost exceeding $300,000 per ship. In addition to cost, the proposed approach involved significant installation work and risked interfering with ongoing ship operations.
The customer required a solution that met the following constraints:
- Significantly lower cost than the quoted replacement system.
- Minimal physical installation and reuse of existing wiring and components where possible.
- No interruption to ship operations during implementation.
Solution
Each ship contained approximately 20 cold storage units located in different areas. CAS performed a detailed analysis of the existing cold room control systems to understand their behavior, interfaces, and failure modes.
By reverse engineering the existing controls, CAS designed a fail-safe life safety solution that leveraged the remaining functional components and existing cabling. This approach avoided large-scale rewiring or equipment replacement.
A new annunciator was designed and installed in the engine control room to provide centralized visibility of cold room safety status. The solution integrated with existing LonWorks and Modbus networks to ensure consistent communication and monitoring.
CAS provided detailed drawings and written installation instructions, allowing ship personnel to perform the physical installation with remote guidance.
Implementation
Installation and commissioning were completed with minimal onboard resources. Two people performed the installation and testing over a two-day period while the ship remained in operation.
Remote support was provided by CAS via phone and email throughout the installation process. This ensured correct wiring, configuration, and validation without requiring on-site engineering presence.
The system was tested to confirm proper annunciation, fail-safe behavior, and reliable communication with all monitored cold storage units.
Results
The implemented solution reduced costs by more than $220,000 per ship compared to the originally quoted replacement system. Two ships were retrofitted using the same approach.
The project met all customer constraints: minimal installation effort, no operational disruption, and a fully functional life safety system based on existing infrastructure.
This case demonstrates how reverse engineering, protocol integration, and careful reuse of legacy systems can extend the operational life of critical safety infrastructure in maritime environments.