by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:27 AM ET, Wed October 21, 2020
Royal Caribbean International has reportedly filed a trademark application for a new device dubbed the "Tracelet."
According to Cruise Critic, Royal Caribbean filed the claim with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which described the devices as "rubber or silicone wristbands in the nature of a bracelet" under the subcategory of cruise ship services.
With the cruise industry investing heavily into bringing passengers back onboard despite the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, contact tracing has remained a pivotal way to battle COVID-19 and the new device could be a tool to help in that fight.
As part of MSC Cruises' successful return to sailing, the cruise line adapted its existing "MSC for Me" bracelet for contact-tracing purposes, allowing employees to properly quarantine guests if there is a COVID-19 outbreak onboard.
Princess Cruises also altered its Ocean Medallion technology to allow contact tracing.
Last week, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of sales Vicki Freed said she expects a potential restart of cruise operations announcement to come soon. She said the cruise line has put the necessary health and safety protocols in place to be ready to sail again, but officials are still waiting for approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain also recently addressed travel advisors to discuss the resumption of cruising, saying the "winds of change are in the air."
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