Barcelona, November 14, 2017 – Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) has unveiled its pioneering technological innovations that will be implemented at all levels of its business to provide travelers with a seamless experience free of unexpected delays or incidents, from booking to disembarkation. These cutting-edge innovations will also improve the energy efficiency of the fleet's ships and facilitate the work of the crew.
On November 8th, the company presented this new international strategy in New York at the Sea Beyond event, sponsored exclusively by EY. Richard D. Fain, the company's president and CEO, emphasized at the event that “The pace of change is relentless, and we intend to keep up. We are leveraging new technologies to improve every level of our business, every minute of our travelers' vacations, and every inch of the ships we build.”
Among the technological innovations are a smartphone app designed to enhance the passenger experience, which will be implemented on all 48 ships in the RCL fleet within the next two years; a system that will eliminate waiting and queuing for check-in at ports; and a program that will enable crew members to anticipate passengers' needs. Furthermore, innovation will also be applied to energy efficiency to make the ships in their fleet more sustainable and reduce their environmental footprint.
During the event, Fain noted that “Consumers today want experiences, not just things to buy. That's why we're looking for ways to make their vacations more enriching and create memories tailored to their expectations. Our strategy for continuous improvement involves constantly updating the traveler experience across our entire fleet.”
For passengers: fewer distractions, more time to enjoy
Jay Schneider, RCL's senior vice president of digital, also emphasized that "the company's vision is to make the passenger experience simple, personalized, and enjoyable," and therefore one of the focuses of these innovations is eliminating the "time thieves" that can negatively impact the onboard experience. To this end, they are working to reduce boarding times by eliminating check-in queues through technologies ranging from facial recognition to RFID tagging, GPS tracking, and Bluetooth-synced luggage that expedite boarding, automatically manage check-ins, and improve wayfinding.
But time is also lost on other tasks such as booking a table or registering for an excursion, and to avoid this, the company will offer the option of doing so from a mobile phone, through an intuitive application that will allow passengers to manage their trip from the palm of their hand. This application allows users to navigate virtually with interactive maps and guides, explore the ships with features such as X-ray vision, and, together with the next generation of WOW Bands, smart wristbands that contain all passenger data to make their travel experience more comfortable and convenient; it will also allow access to cabins to control their lighting and temperature.
Soon travelers will be able to enjoy virtual reality and augmented reality that will allow them to transform spaces and play interactive games, such as replacing the roof of a cabin with a starry sky or transforming the walls of a restaurant into an open-air space.
An initial version of this application is currently available on some ships in the RCL fleet, and the goal is to have it enabled on approximately 15% of the fleet by the end of this year, and on more than double that by the end of 2018.
For the crew: better interaction with passengers and family members
The innovations that enhance the passenger experience on board will also be complemented by a suite of tools to assist the crew. For example, crew members will be able to view available offers on the passenger app to help them check in, complete the necessary procedures to finalize their booking, and monitor the delivery of their luggage to their cabins, anticipating their needs during their vacation.
In addition, the crew will be able to organize their own schedules more easily, stay in touch with friends and family while on board, and remain connected to RCL at all times.
“We are industry leaders in passenger ratings, which is a testament to the outstanding work our crew does every day,” said Fain. “To continue improving, we will provide them with more opportunities to delight and surprise passengers, while also helping them cope with the challenges of being away from home.”
For the fleet: smarter, safer and more sustainable ships
Some of the innovations are aimed at improving fleet maintenance and energy efficiency. For example, the upcoming command centers will use augmented reality to assist with navigation and maneuvering, and there will be new ways to minimize the impacts of weather.
“Our ships always operate with great sensitivity to the limitations that the weather can impose. But having new means to mitigate the impacts of the weather helps us maintain the itinerary commitments that are so important to our passengers ,” Fain added.
RCL is also innovating to reduce fuel consumption across its entire fleet, which not only lowers operating costs but also reduces its environmental footprint. Each new class of RCL vessels is significantly more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. Furthermore, the company is pioneering the use of an air lubrication system that coats its ships' hulls with millions of microscopic air bubbles to further reduce drag and resistance. In initial applications, air lubrication has reduced fuel consumption at speed by 7 to 8%.
RCL is also committed to using alternative energy sources. Some of its ships are already equipped with solar panels that generate enough energy for onboard needs, and it is working on creating a fuel cell and liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion system for its upcoming Icon class of Royal Caribbean ships.
