What kind of carpet is that?

[LordWinston]

I am always so amazed by how good carpet looks on cruise ships, especially Celebrity ships, even though it takes such a beating.

 

Does anyone know what brand/type of carpet this is? It is so durable, I would love to have it in my house -- maybe just in a more neutral color! lol!

 

Thanks!

 

Alan

[USNUZULOOSE]

I have not been on celebrity. But alot of carpets could be nylon, or could be berber carpeting.

[caribsun]

Most likely a polypropylene wool blend with superior support padding.

[BBH]

What a great question! I've read these boards for years and it's always fun to see something unusual and different. :)

[gisnered]

I am always so amazed by how good carpet looks on cruise ships, especially Celebrity ships, even though it takes such a beating.

 

Does anyone know what brand/type of carpet this is? It is so durable, I would love to have it in my house -- maybe just in a more neutral color! lol!

 

Thanks!

 

Alan

 

As you can imagine, the carpet you admired is specifically designed to hold up under some pretty horrendous soiling conditions. Axminster looms are used mostly for large patterns such as you may have seen in the restaurants or lounges. The smaller patterns, such as those used in staterooms, are made on Wilton looms or computer controlled tufting machines. The yarn will be wool, nylon or wool/nylon blends. You can find these products at higher end carpet and specialty flooring shops. Just explain what you are looking for.

 

Finding more neutral coloration may be a challenge however, since the stronger coloration and patterning helps to disguise soil until it can be cleaned. Also, you will find that the pile is quite low but very dense, so soil mostly stays on the surface. It feels much firmer underfoot than most carpet made for residential use.

 

Carpet made for upper end of the hospitality industry is premium quality, so be prepared to pay the big bucks. :D

 

Al

[gelo7]

As you can imagine, the carpet you admired is specifically designed to hold up under some pretty horrendous soiling conditions. Axminster looms are used mostly for large patterns such as you may have seen in the restaurants or lounges. The smaller patterns, such as those used in staterooms, are made on Wilton looms or computer controlled tufting machines. The yarn will be wool, nylon or wool/nylon blends. You can find these products at higher end carpet and specialty flooring shops. Just explain what you are looking for.

 

Finding more neutral coloration may be a challenge however, since the stronger coloration and patterning helps to disguise soil until it can be cleaned. Also, you will find that the pile is quite low but very dense, so soil mostly stays on the surface. It feels much firmer underfoot than most carpet made for residential use.

 

Carpet made for upper end of the hospitality industry is premium quality, so be prepared to pay the big bucks. :D

 

Al

Wonderful question and an even better answer.

[dzcruisers]

As you can imagine, the carpet you admired is specifically designed to hold up under some pretty horrendous soiling conditions. Axminster looms are used mostly for large patterns such as you may have seen in the restaurants or lounges. The smaller patterns, such as those used in staterooms, are made on Wilton looms or computer controlled tufting machines. The yarn will be wool, nylon or wool/nylon blends. You can find these products at higher end carpet and specialty flooring shops. Just explain what you are looking for.

 

Finding more neutral coloration may be a challenge however, since the stronger coloration and patterning helps to disguise soil until it can be cleaned. Also, you will find that the pile is quite low but very dense, so soil mostly stays on the surface. It feels much firmer underfoot than most carpet made for residential use.

 

Carpet made for upper end of the hospitality industry is premium quality, so be prepared to pay the big bucks. :D

 

Al

 

Spot on! You must be in the floor covering business also.

[gisnered]

Spot on! You must be in the floor covering business also.

 

 

Not exactly. I do interiors. :)

[cindy58]

I liked the carpet in the lounge on the 14th floor of Solstice.

[Freecall]

I liked the carpet in the lounge on the 14th floor of Solstice.

 

Well you can't have it, other people want to use it.

 

 

:D:D

 

.

[LordWinston]

Thanks for the great replies! Very informative!

[dmwnc1959]

Here's another carpet question for you. On two separate times on the Celebrity MERCURY ten years apart the carpet in the public areas was identical in the Cova Cafe, near the Martini Bar, and in the MDR. Did they stock up on a particular pattern or go back to the original manufacturer and have them make more? And how many times during that ten years would they have replaced the carpeting? Every 2-3 years? And the carpet pattern was identical? The carpeting was specific tonthat ship and doesn't appear to have been mass produced for any other ship in the Celebrity fleet.

[Gracie115]

I'm in the hospitality industry and have to purchase carpet. I'm betting it is "solution dyed Nylon" which is unbelievably hardy. You can pour bleach on it and it will not affect it at all.(not that I recommend that but accidents happen) It is pricey but the life of a carpet is extended well past the norm and the price is worth it.

 

Agree with the interior design person who mentioned that it is low but very dense pile too....

[dzcruisers]

I'm in the hospitality industry and have to purchase carpet. I'm betting it is "solution dyed Nylon" which is unbelievably hardy. You can pour bleach on it and it will not affect it at all.(not that I recommend that but accidents happen) It is pricey but the life of a carpet is extended well past the norm and the price is worth it.

 

Agree with the interior design person who mentioned that it is low but very dense pile too....

A solution dyed nylon is not what I would put in an area as well traveled as the interior of a ship, particularly the halls. Go back and recheck your info. Sounds like you are talking about a polypropylene with the bleach.

Solution dyed nylons can work well in some hotel applications and hold up well in a home.

You have to depend on your carpet sales person. I would not trust the one that said you could pour bleach on nylon and not have it stain. The interior designer was correct.Also the fact that the ships are built in Europe leads me to believe that would be at least a very good wool blend.

[gisnered]

Here's another carpet question for you. On two separate times on the Celebrity MERCURY ten years apart the carpet in the public areas was identical in the Cova Cafe, near the Martini Bar, and in the MDR. Did they stock up on a particular pattern or go back to the original manufacturer and have them make more?

 

Stocking the quantity needed for complete replacement is generally not cost effective. In most cases the purchasing agent will simply go back to the original supplier and reorder the same carpet.

 

And how many times during that ten years would they have replaced the carpeting? Every 2-3 years? And the carpet pattern was identical? The carpeting was specific to that ship and doesn't appear to have been mass produced for any other ship in the Celebrity fleet.

 

It depends on the usage, but regular replacement without reselection/redesign is normal for a ship. Many of the mills in Europe are set up to accommodate relatively small runs of carpet, and are prepared for re-orders. They go into their archives, pull out the specs and samples and go to work. It's nice bread and butter work.

 

The harder (and more expensive) process is designing a new pattern for a ship and getting approval, doing samples and getting approval, and then setting up production and getting acceptance of the finished product.

 

Also, routine replacement would likely be handled by a purchasing agent. The decision to select a new carpet pattern would probably also involve reselection of other finishes such as upholstery and curtains, and would require the involvement of a designer/design team and, ultimately, headquarters. A good deal more in terms of $$$.

[CuriousMind]

Thanks for the interesting question as well as the great answers. Now I learned another way to appreciate the beauty (and all the hardwork behind it) of Celebrity ships.

 

CM

[gisnered]

A solution dyed nylon is not what I would put in an area as well traveled as the interior of a ship, particularly the halls. Go back and recheck your info. Sounds like you are talking about a polypropylene with the bleach.

Solution dyed nylons can work well in some hotel applications and hold up well in a home.

You have to depend on your carpet sales person. I would not trust the one that said you could pour bleach on nylon and not have it stain. The interior designer was correct.Also the fact that the ships are built in Europe leads me to believe that would be at least a very good wool blend.

 

Actually, since the dye is in the solution before it is spun into fiber, solution dyed carpet generally does withstand bleach as well as harsher cleaning agents quite well. Many apartment buildings and condominiums use solution dyed carpet in hallways to avoid discoloration from the spills that happen on trips to or from the laundry room. It is however, very limited in the color range available, so it wouldn't be the first choice for an upscale cruise ship hallway.

 

While polypropylene will certainly withstand bleach, it is too pliable to be used for upper end hospitality work. It can hold up well in a dense low level loop construction, but in a cut pile it crushes too easily. (Unless some breakthrough modification of the fiber has been made in the last twenty minutes. :D In today's industry, that's always possible. )