Measuring guide · Cruise and ferry
Measuring for cruise ship and ferry curtains
Curtains at sea are made to the rail, not the window. Measure the fixing, note what is in the way, and give the yard a schedule it can check.
What is different at sea
The curtains, roman blinds, pelmets and tracks and poles guides cover how to take every measurement. This page adds what is different about measuring in this sector and gives you the schedule we need.
Cabin windows are round, square with radiused corners, or full-height on balcony cabins, and none of that matters: the curtain hangs from a rail fixed to the deckhead or a bulkhead and is measured from there. What does matter is the curved bulkhead behind the rail, the bunk, sofa or vanity under the window, and the ship's motion, which calls for weighted hems and captive gliders.
Cabins
Measure the rail
Measure the rail end to end. Where the rail follows a curved bulkhead, measure along the rail rather than straight across; a flexible tape or a strip of card laid along the rail works. Give us the rail type so the gliders and hooks match.
Drop to the finish point
Measure from the rail to where the curtain should finish: 20mm above the bunk, sofa or vanity where one sits under the window, or 10mm above the deck on a balcony cabin. Deckheads are not always level; measure at both ends.
Blackout and returns
Cabin blackouts need returns and an overlap. Give us the rail's projection from the bulkhead and specify an overlap arm; on a curved bulkhead the return follows the curve, so a photo helps.
Voile and blackout
Double rails are standard in outside cabins. Measure each rail separately; the voile is made 20mm shorter.
Lounges, restaurants and atria
Deckhead tracks on wide glazing
Public rooms use deckhead-fixed tracks over long runs of glazing. Measure the track along its full length, note any change of direction and the angle, and allow stack-back past the glazing where the layout allows. Drops over 2.8m suit wide-width fabric.
Curved and angled runs
Measure each straight run and the angle at each change, or supply the GA drawing with the track line marked. Curved tracks are bent to template.
What the yard needs
Marine schedules travel through the yard, the owner's project team and the classification society. Give every curtain a cabin or space number and a deck, and state the IMO FTP Code 2010 Part 7 certificate reference on the schedule; we supply the MED certificate with the order. Note the fire zone where the specification differs by zone.
The schedule we need
One line per window, all figures in millimetres. Send it as a spreadsheet, a PDF or a photo of a marked-up plan.
- Deck / cabin / space
- Deck number and cabin or public space reference.
- Rail
- Type, length along the rail, projection from the bulkhead, curved or straight.
- Drop
- Rail to finish point, in mm, both ends.
- Under the window
- Bunk, sofa, vanity, deck.
- Fabric and make-up
- Fabric, lining, heading, weighted hem, voile.
- Certification
- IMO FTP Code 2010 Part 7; MED certificate reference.
Rather we measured?
For larger projects we can measure on site. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked. Site surveys and installation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you make to the window shape?
No, and nor does anyone else: curtains are rectangular and hang from the rail. The window shape only matters for a roman blind fitted inside a recess, which is unusual at sea.
Which standard applies?
IMO FTP Code 2010 Part 7 for curtains and drapes on SOLAS passenger vessels, with a MED (wheelmark) certificate. Every fabric in the cruise and ferry collection holds it.
Can you survey on board?
Yes, in port or during a dry dock. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked.
Send the cabin schedule
Send the cabin list by type with rail lengths, or the GA drawings, and we quote with MED certification. For larger projects we can measure on site. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked.