• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, October 13, 2017

The Internet of Things continues to set sail on the high seas.

Consumers taking a future cruise are likely to run into robotics, virtual reality, digital way finders, digital personal advisors, interactive bracelets, 3D movies and facial recognition.

In the latest series of connected ships being introduced, Royal Caribbean’s newest, Symphony of the Seas, reportedly the world’s largest cruise ship, will come with plenty of new Internet of Things features.

Travelers will check in with a combination of facial recognition, bar codes and beacons for faster, frictionless boarding.

The Royal Caribbean cruise ship, which can carry 5,500 passengers in 2,777 staterooms, also will feature robot bartenders at its Bionic Bar. The ship also will sport state-of-the-art wayfinding and virtual balconies.

This is the latest in a trend of cruise ship companies tapping into the newest connected technologies to enhance a cruise.

MSC Cruises, which bills itself as the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line, and the ships of Carnival Corp.’s Princess Cruises, both have been retrofitting ships to include the latest IoT technology, as I wrote about here earlier this year (Cruise Ships Get Wired For Connected Customer Experiences).

Some of those features include virtual reality trip planning, interactive bracelets, interactive screens and RFID and NFC access technologies.

Some passengers could also opt to skip all that, and just hang out at their balcony and remain disconnected.