First-of-its-kind wearable device enables guests to enjoy a personalised cruise experience
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Corporation & plc has unveiled the Ocean Medallion, a first-of-its-kind wearable device that enables guests to enjoy a fully personalised cruise experience.
The quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce disc is powered by proprietary technology developed by Carnival Corporation, which includes an internet of things network of intelligent sensors and experiential computing devices. The medallion can be accessorised with jewellery, clips, key chains and bands, or carried in a pocket.
Guests will be able to use the Ocean Medallion to locate other passengers on the cruise ship, access their staterooms as they approach the door (eliminating traditional keycards), and enable guests to purchase merchandise without any transaction, cards or paper.
In addition, the medallion will deliver enhanced dining experiences based on individual guests’ food and beverage preferences, power multiple interactive gaming and immersive entertainment experiences, and significantly enhance interactions with crew members and guests. It will also streamline and expedite the port embarkation and disembarkation process.
“With this interactive technology platform, we are poised to have our global cruise line brands at the vanguard of forever changing the guest experience paradigm – not just in the cruise industry but in the larger vacation market and potentially other industries,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “Our focus is on exceeding guest expectations every single day and consistently delivering great experiences, and we do that extremely well. Now we are in prime position to take the guest experience to a level never before considered possible and build on cruising’s popularity and value as the fastest growing segment of the vacation sector.”
The Ocean Medallion pairs with an optional personalised digital concierge called the Ocean Compass, a digital portal that can be accessed online, via guests’ smart devices, stateroom TVs, interactive surfaces throughout the cruise ship, on devices carried by guest services hosts, and on kiosks in homeports.
Both innovations combine with an invisible network of proprietary sensors and computing devices embedded throughout the ship, homeports and destinations that collectively form the Experience Innovation Operating System (xiOS). The xiOS leverages hardware and software to enable real-time personalised experiences for all guests, including access, lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, retail, navigation, payment and media.
Ocean Medallion and Ocean Compass will debut on Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess in November 2017, followed by Royal Princess and Caribbean Princess in 2018. The new Medallion Class will be rolled out over multiple years on the entire Princess Cruises fleet.
The Ocean Medallion will be officially showcased by CEO Arnold Donald on 5 January 2017 when he becomes the first travel industry executive to deliver the opening keynote address at CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show.