Why Princess needs to invest more in tech...

[Loonbeam]

These are some of the items RCCL is putting on their new ship classes (and I am sure some will be retrofitted during dry docks in the future...) Imagine if just the communication system was on the Royal and Regal? Think opinion of the ships in some quarters might be different?

 

This is important not only because of the impact on the passenger experience, but the crew experience as well..

 

Italics are my emphasis.

 

 

• Improved check-in and boarding process. In addition to the typical online check-in process, passengers can upload photo IDs ahead of their cruises. They'll be issued digital boarding documents, which Royal Caribbean says will help them get on the ship in less than 10 minutes, with no lines and no forms to fill out when they arrive to port. Also, suitcases will be tagged with radio-frequency ID devices at port that will allow passengers to use their mobile devices to track their luggage en route to their cabins. The same devices will be used to allow for luggage tracking when passengers disembark.

• Apps for better scheduling and onboard communication. Two new apps will help passengers plan the details of their cruises. Cruise Planner is designed to be used ahead of the sailing, giving passengers the opportunity to book spa appointments, shore excursions and dinner reservations from their mobile devices ahead of their sailings. Once onboard, passengers can use Royal iQ in lieu of the printed daily schedule. Royal iQ will also allow passengers to communicate with one another while onboard Quantum of the Seas. Passengers will also use RFID wristbands rather than the traditional keycard to gain entry to their cabins and make purchases onboard.

• Super-fast Internet. Partnering with Ob3 Networks, Royal Caribbean has hooked into satellites that will allow passengers to experience Internet speeds akin to what they might find on shore: Fast enough, the company says, that passengers could watch streaming video, share vacation photos via social media and video conference with loved ones at home, options almost unheard of when it comes to Internet on cruise ships, which is notoriously slow.

• Tablets for the crew. Royal Caribbean is giving Microsoft tablets to every crewmember on Quantum of the Seas, theirs to keep as well as use to better track passenger preferences. Crewmembers can also use the tablets to communicate with their families at home. The line will eventually give tablets to every shipboard employee fleetwide -- 40,000 total.

• Robot bartenders. While Royal Caribbean has revealed little about the bars and lounges on Quantum, today's announcement provided a glimpse into at least one space, dubbed Bionic Bar. Here, passengers order cocktails via tablets, then watch as robots mix their drinks.

• A green commitment. All lighting on Quantum of the Seas will come from LED or fluorescent lighting, and hallways will feature motion-sensitive lighting; when no one is around, the halls will dim, conserving energy. Cabins, too, will feature environmentally sound lighting systems.

[Cruise Junky]

I love the sound of this ship. The new tech features announced today are awesome. RCL is leaving the rest in the dust when it comes to technology.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited August 25, 2014 by Cruise Junky

[PescadoAmarillo]

Geesh, Princess, could I just see my onboard account on my cabin TV, please?? Time to get with the 1990s!

[lljost]

It would be nice to see many of these tech updates on Princess ships. However, I have no desire to watch a robot make a drink for me. Instead of paying an employee, lets charge the same price for drinks and let the profit go straight to the company, including the cost of the tips added on every drink order. I would refuse to order drinks this way and would definitely avoid this bar altogether. Just my opinion of course...

[-Lew-]

I'm about as geeky as they come and would love to see high-tech improvements. But coming off a recent cruise onboard the Allure of the Seas, I'd appreciate it if Princess trained their employees better in the areas of product knowledge and customer service.

 

It would also be nice if the laundry would stop ruining our clothing. :mad:

 

Lew

[cpcanuck]

It would be nice to see many of these tech updates on Princess ships. However, I have no desire to watch a robot make a drink for me. Instead of paying an employee, lets charge the same price for drinks and let the profit go straight to the company, including the cost of the tips added on every drink order. I would refuse to order drinks this way and would definitely avoid this bar altogether. Just my opinion of course...

 

I agree on this one! I would hate to see a whole bunch of great staff being laid off just so the company can make a bigger profit. I enjoy interacting with the crew and staff. No robots please!

[RickEk]

Well, as been noted before in another thread, Princess will allow pre-booking of specialty restaurants soon. Pre-booking of shore excursions and spa appointments has been available for years...

 

And, from what I understand, the Princess@Sea app that is now available on Royal and Regal (and I think on Diamond or Sapphire) allows passengers to see their folios and the Patter. I'd bet they are looking at extending the capabilities of that app to include messaging, booking reservations, etc.

 

But definitely, it'd be great if they upgraded the Internet connectivity to something resembling modern broadband speeds.

 

And some of those innovations seem to be a bit squirrely. RFID wristbands for cabin access? Robot bartenders? I'm sure they're looking into ways to have the cabins clean themselves too.. :rolleyes:

[shredie]

Will the robot listen to your troubles? :) I can see that as a one-time curiosity, but I don't know how many people would want to sit and watch a "robot" make a drink.

 

Faster Internet sounds good.

[helenb]

The RFID wristband sounds like the MagicBand they now have at Disney World in Orlando.

[Loonbeam]

I'm assuming the RFID bands will be similar to the Magic Bands now in use a Disney parks. Having been there last year, they are SO much more convenient than cards, plus they don't demagnetize. They can also hold a lot more information, like food allergies (the headwaiter could store your next meal info on the band so all an AD waiter needs is a scanner to pull it up for example), or be used for access to kids clubs (Disney does this for certain ages to control whether kids can leave or need to be pciked up).

 

There are benefits to the cruise line as well. They can tell by placing an RFID reader at an entry who enters venues and how long they stay, allowing them to judge the popularity of various acts and shows, for example (and yes, there is a dark side potential to 'Big Data' which could be another full discussion.

 

As far as robot bartenders, I'd like to see them with a human interface. A robot drink mixer will give consistent pours, always an issue, and allow a human bartender more time to focus on customer service.

 

 

 

 

Well, as been noted before in another thread, Princess will allow pre-booking of specialty restaurants soon. Pre-booking of shore excursions and spa appointments has been available for years...

 

And, from what I understand, the Princess@Sea app that is now available on Royal and Regal (and I think on Diamond or Sapphire) allows passengers to see their folios and the Patter. I'd bet they are looking at extending the capabilities of that app to include messaging, booking reservations, etc.

 

But definitely, it'd be great if they upgraded the Internet connectivity to something resembling modern broadband speeds.

 

And some of those innovations seem to be a bit squirrely. RFID wristbands for cabin access? Robot bartenders? I'm sure they're looking into ways to have the cabins clean themselves too.. :rolleyes:

Edited August 25, 2014 by Loonbeam

[Thrak]

I can just imagine the increased cost of the cruise if Princess made all of these updates. I already have to budget carefully in order to cruise at all. Changes of this magnitude might well increase the price to where I wouldn't be able to cruise at all. :(

[-Lew-]

 

RFID wristbands for cabin access?

A pain in the butt... :rolleyes:

 

Walt Disney World has instituted these for their resort guests and they're more trouble than they're worth. When making a purchase you need to enter a pin on a pin pad in addition to placing your wrist in close proximity to the sensor...and the wearer needs to twist his wrist in an uncomfortable manner to unlock his hotel room door. Also, when off property you're branded as a WDW guest.

 

Lew

[SteveH2508]

Robot bartenders?:eek:

 

So if the drink you want is not programmed into its database or you want a variation you are SOOL.

 

No thanks!

[tjwa]

Robot bartender - no need to pay 15% gratuity.:D

[Thrak]

I have to wonder what the RFID wristbands would look like. Would they be all one color since the passenger "level" would be encoded? (Some people might not like that...)

 

How would it work in the casino? Currently you put in your card. They would need to change out or modify all of the slots to recognize the wristband and then you would need some sort of extra ID process to make sure the person next to you didn't get to play off of your wrist band.

 

It would certainly eliminate the problem many women have with no pockets for their cruise card but as a "fashion accessory" it might also annoy many women. Of course the lanyards would then be a thing of the past. What about ships like the Royal where you have to have a card to put in the slot to keep the lights on? Perhaps it would read the card and just know that the lights should be allowed to be on when you are in the cabin?

 

I guess the other line must have already figured this stuff out. I just have to wonder how it would all work.

[PescadoAmarillo]

RC is not just investing in technology; they are investing in their future. Sorry, but senior cruisers are NOT the future; young cruisers are. Younger people don't want to be told they need to disconnect for a week a sea; they expect to be able to be connected wherever they are. Cruise lines are competing with all inclusive resorts for that generation's business, and needed to step up to the plate. As I've said before, RC is doing so much right when it comes to securing their future, and this is just another example of that.

 

It would also be nice if the laundry would stop ruining our clothing. :mad:

This. TV displays of our on board accounts and a kinder, gentler laundry. I'm not a member of the younger generation, so if I can just get these two things, I'd be a happy Princess cruiser.

[Loonbeam]

As noted - I liked them at WDW.

 

The pin pad was going to be security for the swipe cards as well, due to some other issues, so no net change there,

 

As far as the door, once I got the hang of it with a little shimmy, it was a lot easier when hands are full. I found the trick was to use my non dominant hand.

 

And you can take them off and on, so no need to wear them off property. They don't shackle to you.

 

Have you actually used them or just been reading reviews by the 'we hate any change at Disney' review crowd - full disclosure, I hated the idea before we used them.

 

A pain in the butt... :rolleyes:

 

Walt Disney World has instituted these for their resort guests and they're more trouble than they're worth. When making a purchase you need to enter a pin on a pin pad in addition to placing your wrist in close proximity to the sensor...and the wearer needs to twist his wrist in an uncomfortable manner to unlock his hotel room door. Also, when off property you're branded as a WDW guest.

 

Lew

[wineandbeach]

I am not sure I like the robot making my drink because I enjoy personalities but....

on the Caribbean Princess ship we just returned from technology sure could use a boost:

1) no shipboard account on TVs

2) I had a charge on my account that shouldn't have been there so I went to Guest Services. She brought out a stack of receipts to go through to find the charge. She went through that stack and had to go get another (at that point I just stayed because it was so backwards it was comical.) She finally found it. I had signed for a glass of wine in the dining room - yes I had - no price on the receipt - I had the beverage package. Should be no charge.

3)Face recognition for photos and being able to look at them as on many Royal Carib ships is a great upgrade.

4) Midweek of our cruise, a bartender asked for a license of a 23 year old in our group. She also had the beverage package. This was not in a night club, it was in a bar with her parents. The hand held technology that would have enabled the bartender to see her picture on her card would have been helpful.

 

All these really don't mean much to me but we did decide on place the CB shows her age is in technology.

[azdmelani]

Well, as been noted before in another thread, Princess will allow pre-booking of specialty restaurants soon. Pre-booking of shore excursions and spa appointments has been available for years...

 

And, from what I understand, the Princess@Sea app that is now available on Royal and Regal (and I think on Diamond or Sapphire) allows passengers to see their folios and the Patter. I'd bet they are looking at extending the capabilities of that app to include messaging, booking reservations, etc.

 

But definitely, it'd be great if they upgraded the Internet connectivity to something resembling modern broadband speeds.

 

And some of those innovations seem to be a bit squirrely. RFID wristbands for cabin access? Robot bartenders? I'm sure they're looking into ways to have the cabins clean themselves too.. :rolleyes:

 

I think the technology aspect is great, but personally go on a cruise to escape, including from being beholden to technology. I take advantage of the platinum internet to write emails to family but i dont need it 24/7

 

Both the Royal and Regal have intranet sites that are accessible while on the ship that have a soft copy of the patter, and you can view your onboard account as well. It also has dining venues and hours (and menus) All yo uneed to do is connect to the ship's wifi without signing in, therefore not taking up any internet minutes.

[-Lew-]

 

And you can take them off and on, so no need to wear them off property. They don't shackle to you.

 

Have you actually used them or just been reading reviews by the 'we hate any change at Disney' review crowd - full disclosure, I hated the idea before we used them.

We used them for 31 days while we were at Old Key West during February and March of this year. I know they're not shackled on, but we go off property quite often and find taking them off and putting them on to be much more inconvenient than simply carrying a card in a pocket.

 

Lew

[toberman]

I'm guessing that you would have to buy a wifi package in order to use these products?? Just asking, don't know.. but if so, the cruise lines could actually make money by implementing these improvements.

[toberman]

senior cruisers are NOT the future; young cruisers are.

 

So.... you're getting closer to being on the outside?? :)

[USNUZULOOSE]

I won't be sailing if using RFID chips.

[Vexorg]

The main area I'd like to see is improvements in intraship communication. It can be tough to find someone aboard. I could see having some sort of app that you download to your smartphone ahead of time and use it to send messages over the ship's intranet between handsets.

[hawkeyetlse]

I'm guessing that you would have to buy a wifi package in order to use these products?? Just asking, don't know.. but if so, the cruise lines could actually make money by implementing these improvements.

I expect they will charge for these local wireless services, but it should (I hope) be less expensive than the per minute fees for connecting to satellite internet. Personally, while I understand the desire to disconnect from the rest of the world during a cruise, I don't like being unable to communicate with the people I'm traveling with onboard. Just to ask things like "Hey where are you? You want to get lunch now? Where? I'm about to buy a $50,000 Rembrandt unless you come in the next 5 minutes and stop me. Oh you're about to bingo? OK I'll be right there" etc. So a ship-wide IM service like Royal iQ or NCL's iConcierge would be great, and it's something I would be happy to pay for. (Well, depending on the price.)

 

As for the bartending robots, I'm fine with that as a gimmick. Sounds more fun than an automatic wine dispenser. And I'm sure they will still charge the 15% bar gratuity, which is also fine with me, since it is supposedly pooled and distributed to the ship's (human) bar staff.

I won't be sailing if using RFID chips.

I know, plus I heard that they're going to implant them permanently in passengers' bodies. :eek: Edited August 25, 2014 by hawkeyetlse