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.