The app will be used to help with social distancing and minimising common touchpoints
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Royal Caribbean Group has adapted its customer-facing mobile app to facilitate new health and safety procedures that will protect guests and crew against Covid-19.
First introduced in 2017 and now available on many Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara ships, the app was originally designed to help guests customise their cruise experience, Now, the app will be used to help with social distancing and minimising common touchpoints throughout the cruise.
Royal Caribbean Group will use the app to provide guests with scheduled arrival times, which will help it to eliminate crowding in parking lots, drop-off areas and terminals to. Guests will also be able to check in via the app by scanning their passport information and uploading a photo for security to generate their own mobile boarding pass. This will remove the need for guests to wait in check-in and security queues or interact with terminal staff, which will also expedite the boarding process.
Once onboard, guests will be able to use the app to unlock their stateroom doors and control elements such as the room’s lighting, window shades, temperature and TV, reducing the number of touchpoints they come into contact with.
In addition, guests will be able to manage their onboard account in real time, access a daily schedule of onboard activities, entertainment, dining options and shore excursions, and make reservations.
Royal Caribbean Group has also transformed the muster drill experience with Muster 2.0, which allows guests to review key safety information via their own personal mobile devices or their stateroom TV, rather than assembling in large groups on deck. Once guests have viewed this information, they will be required to visit their assigned assembly station, where a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer any questions. This process must be completed prior to the ship’s departure to comply with international maritime law.
“As Royal Caribbean Group continues to evolve the cruise vacation, additional advancements will be released, some of which will make the greatest impact from behind the scenes,” said the company in a statement. “These innovations will further demonstrate the group’s commitment to exceeding guests’ expectations as well as their standards for health and safety on a cruise.”