Royal Caribbean Group has created a new video that highlights several of its technological advances, including those that will help the company safely resume cruising.
"As travelers and travel professionals continue adapting to the world around them, Royal Caribbean Group is dedicated to further evolving cruises into safer and healthier vacations," the company said. "At the forefront of this will be the group's existing digital innovations designed to eliminate what has typically been considered primary pain points of travel - lines, crowds and paper."
Among the highlighted features is the new, reimagined safety drill that was in development for more than a year. The new approach, Muster 2.0, lets passengers review safety information via mobile devices or stateroom TVs, eliminating the need to gather in large groups at muster stations throughout the ship.
At the core of Muster 2.0 is the cruise company's mobile app, first introduced in 2017 and now available on many Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara ships, through each brand's individual app.
Initially developed for guests to make the most of their vacation - letting them book dinner and show reservations, for example - the app's capabilities can integrate today's new health and safety practices, such as physical distancing and minimizing common touchpoints.
A number of features and capabilities currently within the app - released in different combinations across the cruise company's 63-ship fleet - are being built on for current times.
Primary mobile app functionalities include:
Scheduled arrival time. The app helps stagger arrival times for guests to help eliminate crowds by managing the ebb-and-flow in parking lots, drop-off areas and terminals to allow for physical distancing from car to stateroom.
Expedited boarding. By completing check-in with the app, scanning passport information and uploading a selfie security photo, guests can generate a mobile boarding pass and qualify for an expedited boarding process. Debuted in 2018, the digital experience minimizes check-in and security lines at ports, allowing guests to get on board seamlessly and safely in minutes.
Digital key. Guests can unlock staterooms with their smartphones by downloading a digital key, available in just a few taps for select ships and staterooms.
Stateroom automation. Using their smartphone, guests have the ability to control elements inside their stateroom, such as the TV, lighting, window shades and temperature, limiting touchpoints while achieving higher levels of stateroom customization. Stateroom control is currently available on Spectrum of the Seas, Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex. The goal is to roll this out across future newbuilds.
Onboard account. Guests can view onboard charges and credits in real-time from anywhere on the ship without waiting in line or on hold.
Daily planning. Onboard activities, entertainment shows, dining and shore excursions are viewable and open for reservations all through the guest mobile app.
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