Glow Court, the world’s first interactive LED sports court, can be found on Deck 20 of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Aqua, debuting this April.
It combines LED walls and floors with the latest tracking technology to offer a mix of sports games and immersive media environments. The court can change sporting type at the press of a button. One minute, it can be a basketball court; the next, it can be a football court.
It also includes competitive socialising game modes, such as ‘Stomp’, where guests must stomp out as many targets on the floor as possible without being detected by the lasers that cross the playfield.
Glow Court then transforms from a sports area into an engaging media space as day shifts into night. This can feature an interactive digital art exhibit, a dance floor, or even an aquatic wonderland where visitors engage with bioluminescent plankton.
This innovation comes from the team at CONDUCTR, the UK-based creative innovation studio powered by technology. To learn more about this project – something that has never been attempted on this scale before and certainly not at sea – we speak to CONDUCTR co-founders Peter Cliff, CEO, and Jos van der Steen, COO.
Glow Court
The cruise sector is an interesting area to watch at the moment, with operators investing heavily in innovation and new concepts. Yet, within the themed entertainment world, it also faces unique challenges, with limited space and a high turnover.
“Cruise operators come to us looking for innovative ideas that set them apart and make the best of underutilised spaces,” says Cliff.
“One common but outdated area is the sports court or top deck activity space. Traditionally, these areas feature pools, sun loungers, sports courts, and slides. We looked at sports courts and asked, ‘How can we modernise this space, make it multi-faceted, and cater to different audiences?’”
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Enter Glow Court:
“We replaced all common surfaces with LED, including the floor and walls, and added interactive buttons and game interfaces. This space can now transform from a basketball court to pickleball, soccer, or any sport that fits. It’s not just passive but interactive, tracking the ball and players without wearables.
“We introduced sports drills, like soccer and basketball challenges, and expanded into interactive gaming with skill-based and action-based games.”
The team also added an experiential layer, creating a digital art gallery. At night, the space can transform into a nightclub with real-time VJing.
“It’s become the Swiss Army knife of entertainment venues, turning an underutilised space into a dynamic, multi-use attraction,” he adds.
Innovation in the cruise sector
It also taps into several key industry trends, such as active play, resulting in an attraction that appeals to a wide range of guests. However, while it uses cutting-edge technology, it’s not about futurism for the sake of being advanced. It’s about creating something that people actually use and enjoy, says Cliff:
“Glow Court is highly dynamic. It can be easily re-skinned and re-utilised with great ease of access. Many tracked technologies require bulky suits and headgear, but we wanted to create something truly seamless. That, to us, is the future of entertainment.”
“There’s a lot of focus on ‘next gen’ technology. But success comes when innovation aligns with real guest experience and engagement. Marrying futuristic advancements with something people genuinely care about is challenging, but that’s the goal. If we capture both innovation and human enjoyment, then we’ve succeeded.
“The future isn’t just about doing cool stuff for the sake of it. It’s about making experiences that matter.”
Bringing Glow Court to life
Going into more detail about the specific challenges involved in this technology, particularly around bringing it to a cruise ship environment, van der Steen says:
“Regarding the visitor experience, we faced early challenges with touch sensitivity on screens, particularly for our target demographic. This led us to explore alternative tracking methodologies, ultimately using a combination of approaches to provide the gameplay variability we needed.”
From a content and media perspective, ensuring the graphics could adapt to different lighting conditions was crucial. “LED screens work well in the dark, but we had to design visuals that remained effective even in bright daylight.”
Another major challenge was the maritime environment:
“These ships travel everywhere from the Arctic to the Caribbean, exposing the technology to extreme temperature variations, humidity, and salt air. Those are some of the most challenging conditions for electronics. We partnered with UK-based firms to conduct rigorous stress testing, ensuring the technology could withstand heat, corrosion, and constant exposure to the elements.”
Additionally, gameplay tracking had to be precise and reliable.
“In interactive experiences, inconsistent tracking can be worse than having no interactivity at all. It breaks immersion and frustrates players. Ensuring accuracy across all elements was a key focus during development and testing.”
While it was a uniquely challenging project, he adds:
“That’s the side of it that we love: taking difficult conditions for some of this technology and making sure that its uptime is as near as 100% as you can and that you can remotely support it while the ship is in the middle of an ocean.”
Active play and competitive socialising
When it comes to the gameplay, the team was able to apply all the knowledge and insights that it gained from developing The Arena, a next-generation competitive socialising experience.
“Observing how people engage with tactile, physical games has been crucial in shaping our approach,” says van der Steen. “Our starting point for developing new game concepts was to build on past successes, identifying what works and then adapting it for a much larger space.”
For this project, the team incorporated additional elements like a basketball hoop, a back wall that functions as a soccer goal, and other interactive features to expand gameplay possibilities.
“The goal was to take what people already enjoy and enhance it with new dynamics, making the experience more immersive and engaging for different audiences.”
The games are designed in four main categories: passive sports, active sports, gaming, and experiential. This structure provides as much variety as possible while keeping everything easy to use.
“The sports games take familiar concepts and give them a fresh look and feel, adapting seamlessly to different group sizes, whether it’s two people, a group of ten who already know each other, or several smaller groups meeting for the first time,” says Cliff.
“We’ve really considered the cruise customer experience and that need for an approachable, inviting activity. We ensured these games worked for solo travellers, couples, and kids alike.”
Gamified and experiential attractions
For active games, there is ‘React’. Up to eight players are assigned colours and must jump onto their spot before anyone else. Each player has three lives, and as players are eliminated, fewer spots remain, making it a fast-paced game of speed, wit, and tactics.
Other games include ‘Pulse,’ ‘Pace,’ and ‘Stomp.’ In ‘Stomp,’ players must avoid lasers in a Frogger-style challenge, dodging obstacles that can damage their health. “These are classic arcade-inspired games but on a much grander, more immersive scale,” adds Cliff.
The final category is experiential, featuring Glow Falls. This a reactive waterfall environment that can be reskinned for special events, club nights, or themed experiences.
“A built-in CMS system allows cruise operators to upload their own content, even displaying movies if desired. This adaptability ensures the space remains dynamic and engaging across different occasions.”
Glow Court – a world first
Glow Court is a world first in terms of interactive sports courts. This means that Norwegian Cruise Line can offer something truly innovative to its guests.
“While illuminated video courts have gained popularity, most notably with the NBA, those remain passive experiences,” says Cliff. “Where interactivity does exist, it typically requires players to wear tracking gear. As far as we know, Glow Court is the world’s first fully self-interactive sports court.
“On top of that, we’ve placed it on an outdoor deck of a cruise ship, making it even more unique.”
This offers guests an experience they can’t find anywhere else. “It’s not just another onboard attraction; it’s a reason to be on the ship. Space is at a premium on a cruise, and historically, activities were limited to kids’ clubs, theatres, and show lounges. We’re transforming underutilised areas like the top deck, giving them new life, especially at night.
“This means more choices for guests, more engaging sea days, and more reasons to revisit and rebook the same vessel.”
For cruise operators, Glow Court creates a dynamic, ever-changing roster of content that keeps the experience fresh and exciting for every voyage.
Just the beginning
When asked whether he sees this type of experience being a part of future cruise experiences, Cliff says:
“This is just the beginning. More cruise ships are being built now than ever before. Major lines like NCL are ordering upwards of 10 to 15 new vessels. Many are operating at over 100% occupancy, meaning demand is as high as their ability to build. With more ships comes the need for greater diversification in onboard entertainment.
“I fully expect to see more innovations like this, as well as an increase in branded activations. While theme parks generate a lot of excitement, the investment in cruise entertainment surpasses that significantly on an annual basis.”
Projects like Glow Court are setting the stage for the future, and it’s exciting to see where this evolution will lead
“This industry might seem like a niche sector, but it’s one of the most creatively and financially ambitious spaces. Projects like Glow Court are setting the stage for the future, and it’s exciting to see where this evolution will lead.”
There is also the opportunity to bring this concept to land-based environments too. “It can be scaled up significantly. Indoors, it becomes much more cost-effective, as it wouldn’t require the specialised technology we had to develop for the unique challenges of an outdoor cruise ship environment.”
Van der Steen adds that, from a demographic perspective, Glow Court offers more than just entertainment:
“It actively promotes physical engagement. In a world where maintaining fitness and health is an increasing challenge, this kind of interactive, movement-based experience has benefits beyond recreation. Its applications could extend beyond cruise ships, aligning well with land-based models that encourage active lifestyles.”
Experienced cruise suppliers
As a first-of-its-kind project, Glow Court has also allowed the CONDUCTR team to both learn valuable lessons and draw on its extensive experience in the cruise sector.
“One of the biggest lessons reaffirmed through this project is the critical importance of preparation, especially in the cruise industry,” says van der Steen. “Shipbuilding is a massive operation with countless moving parts, and delivery teams must remain flexible to meet deadlines alongside other ongoing projects.
“We’ve been fortunate to have experienced professionals in the cruise space, and their diligence in planning and execution has been invaluable. Like in theme parks, where numerous contractors work simultaneously, careful coordination and proactive mitigation have been essential to ensure smooth deployment.”
“We’re in a fortunate position, having delivered on cruise projects for quite some time now,” adds Cliff. “It’s an incredibly unique environment, both from an engineering and planning perspective.”
Working with naval architects, understanding the specific build processes, and navigating the nuances of cruise ship design require a distinct skill set. “It’s like a parallel literacy, similar to other industries, yet fundamentally different in key aspects. Specific processes and requirements must be followed, and once you gain experience in this space, you become a valuable asset to operators.
“Not many people specialise in cruise-based projects, and factors like power management, structural engineering, weight distribution, dynamic loads, and guest movement all require a highly nuanced approach.”
Glow Court sets sail
As the experience makes its debut, Cliff reflects on the project:
“It’s been a massive project. We’ve had a team of around 35 people working on this over the past two years, carefully engineering it and integrating it into this incredible industrial-scale operation.
“It’s been a significant undertaking to make everything work seamlessly, but we’re excited about the result. What’s great is that we already have another one lined up for the next ship, so as we see this one set sail, our team is already moving on to the next vessel, which was just floated for the first time last week.
“It’s been an enormous effort, and in terms of scale, it’s one of the biggest projects our company has ever tackled.”
Van der Steen adds: “It touches all the facets that we love to do as a company, and we could not be more excited to see it go live.”
CONDUCTR’s unique approach
The future looks bright for CONDUCTR, with several innovative projects in the pipeline, including some exciting brand partnerships.
Looking ahead, Cliff says: “Where we want to be perceived in the future, and how many of our partners already see us, is as a unique type of development studio that sits between traditional concept houses and technology-driven studios. If you think about master planners on one side and game studios, media houses, or tech firms on the other, we occupy a space right in the middle.”
CONDUCTR is not just designing attractions but developing experiences that integrate interactive media, future-forward technology, and immersive storytelling. “Our approach is both design and build, which means we don’t just conceptualise. We execute with a deep understanding of how technology can enhance guest engagement rather than being used for its own sake.
“We rarely focus on broad master planning, but when large-scale projects need technology-driven experiences woven in, we become the specialist team that brings those elements to life.”
From creative development to delivery and handover, the team can handle everything. “For projects like Glow Court, we’ve been involved from the very first ideation stage all the way through to commissioning. That end-to-end capability is what sets us apart.”
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