Whether it’s ordering that midnight snack or connecting with the world back at home. Many passengers want the convenience that technology brings whilst they are cruising. Expecting passengers to sacrifice their connectivity is nowadays a sizable request; as technology becomes more and more entwined in people’s day to day lives cruise providers are realising they must quickly get in the tech game.
A changing demographic
With the passenger demographic continuing to evolve cruise providers are bringing the technology from our homes out to sea – creating a whole new cruising experience. From super fast broadband to apps which allow passengers to tailor the cruise experience we are beginning to see a seismic shift. As a minimum these tech-savvy passengers want free connectivity so their daily lives can continue whilst at sea.
Pioneering technology
The emergence of pioneering technologies will bring the ability for cruisers to experience a diverse range of onboard activities. As providers look to get ahead of the digital curve and appeal to a tech-savvy demographic industry experts are predicting the rise of exciting innovations such as the virtual reality headset. Norwegian Encore has already installed a 10,000 square metre virtual reality complex which has been well received.
No doubt each cruise provider will be looking at different ways to innovate – technology now impacts every element of the cruise experience. At the end of 2019 we supported Carnival Cruises in a first of its kind project with cabling and sensors to make the ingenious Ocean Medallion technology a reality. The circular coin can be worn at all times by passengers – enabling a smooth embarkation process, acting as a personal concierge, allowing passengers to track their friends, unlock doors and order drinks or meals to their exact location.
Voice apps such as Google, Siri and Alexa continue to rise in life on land and we are already seeing this technology implemented at sea by MSC – their onboard voice activated assistant named Zoe can communicate in seven languages and can answer over 800 cruise related questions.
Whilst its not possible to predict where the industry is heading over the next decade trends suggest that we will see the cruise experience modernised further to attract a growing number of young tech-savvy passengers. With such innovative technology on board cruise ship companies will only benefit from increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.