Technology is a central facet in most industries. When it comes to cruises, there are several technological innovations that passengers may not think about. Keep reading to explore the different technologies that are being adapted to improve passengers’ overall cruise experience.
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Paperless Boarding Passes
Rarely will you see someone boarding a cruise ship with a physical boarding pass now. While it was popular in the days of the Titanic, the trend these days is to have online boarding passes that can be sent to your preferred smart device. This way, you have easy access and will not be holding up the line while you dig around in your backpack, purse or suitcase.
Some cruises even have a sort of fast pass for boarding similar to the fast passes that you can purchase to get priority treatment at your favourite amusement park. If your cruise has facial recognition, you can even check in with a selfie.
Temperature Taking
To enhance safety in such a packed and enclosed environment, cruise lines are taking measures to innovate how they take people’s temperature. No longer will you have to stick a thermometer under your tongue. Instead, you might find people taking your temperature with electronic thermometers that scan your forehead and display your temperature on a small screen. Some cruise lines have even introduced thermal imaging for this purpose.
This will be instrumental in helping keep track of passengers’ temperatures throughout the journey in case anyone gets sick. Having disease spread in such a small, close-knit environment can be detrimental to everyone on board. If you find yourself feeling sick close to your departure date, please be aware that, if you have a fever, the cruise personnel might find you and those you are travelling with a risk to the other passengers and may not let your party board.
Apps for Days
There is an app for seemingly everything, and it is the same for many cruise ships. You can view your itinerary for your 2022 Mediterranean Cruises, order food and drinks, stream your favourite shows and many other things, all in the same app or set of apps, sometimes provided exclusively by the cruise line itself.
You may be wondering why cruises sometimes have exclusive apps and why you should use those instead of their counterparts. The reason is the apps developed by the cruise work better for your overall cruise experience. You may find it hard to access your Netflix app while on the water, but the cruise streaming app is guaranteed so you can watch your favourite shows and movies uninterrupted.
Make Your Voice Heard
Like apps, there are also any number of virtual assistants, such as Siri and Alexa, that are available. Many cruises have developed their own virtual, voice-activated assistants designed to help passengers with what they need. This is especially helpful when you cannot find a member of cruise personnel to help you with any questions or concerns.
Augment Your Reality
Move aside, shuffleboard, there’s a new kid in town! AR, or augmented reality, games are gaining popularity on cruises. The possibilities are endless, and there is no shortage of virtual entertainment to keep all kinds of guests happy.
While visiting the pool or casino is always fun, cruises, like everyone else, have to bring new and exciting experiences to introduce to their passengers. AR is an amazing way to do so without having to dedicate too much space to the experience.
Begone, Germs!
To minimize the spread of bacteria, cruise lines are now featuring different sanitizing protocols, including hand sanitiser stations and disinfecting tunnels. There are also disinfection schedules being developed so passenger hygiene can be kept high.
Cruises are already fun, but companies are upping the ante in many areas by implementing technology to make them even more fun. Keep an eye out for any new tech that your preferred cruise line may have adopted, and don’t be afraid to interact with it!