Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises to Add Guest Experience Platform to Two More Cruise Ships

As a new era of cruise personalization and game-changing guest service nears, Carnival Corporation & plc’s (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) international premium brand, Princess Cruises, will soon prepare two more vessels with the world’s first interactive guest experience platform as the Caribbean Princess and Regal Princess transition into Medallion Class ships during dry docks taking place over the next six weeks.

Carnival Corporation’s proprietary xIoT network, which is enabled by the Ocean Medallion™, will be installed on the Caribbean Princess during an extensive two-week dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas, March 26-April 6, followed by a dry dock of sister ship Regal Princess April 14-30 in Hamburg, Germany.

During the upgrades, work teams will run roughly 75 miles of cable, install almost 7,000 sensors, 650 experience-edge computing devices and 1,780 in-cabin Wi-Fi access points on each ship.

In addition, a total of 4,030 additional guest portals – in the form of stateroom door access panels, interactive touch-screen TVs and public area displays – will be added throughout each ship, allowing guests to easily access their own personal digital concierge featuring an endless number of guest experiences customized uniquely for them.

Medallion Class vacations debut in November aboard the Regal Princess at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, followed in spring 2018 by the Caribbean Princess. The Royal Princess, which underwent its transition during its dry dock last fall in Paloma, Italy, will make its first Medallion Class voyage in January 2018.

Announced at CES 2017 in January, the Ocean Medallion goes well beyond the growing number of wearables used by theme parks and other vacation companies by leaving behind the required action of “tap” and ushering in a new paradigm for guest interactions.

Medallion Class will make cruising more personal, immersive, simple and seamless than previously considered possible. At the heart of this personalized experience is the Ocean Medallion, which enables endless vacation possibilities. The Ocean Medallion has no discernible technology – no on-off switch, no charging, no menu to navigate – and can be worn as a pendant, on a wristband, in a clip or simply placed in a pocket to reveal enhanced services and personalized experiences without guests having to push a button or take any action. The pre-cruise engagement will allow guests to provide preferences that detail their wants, needs and desires so that their onboard experience can be personalized.

Pairing with the Ocean Medallion is the Ocean Compass™ – a personal digital concierge accessible by all guests using interactive displays throughout the ship, on stateroom TVs, via guests’ own smart devices or through a crew member. For example, guests can find their way to venues around the ship; make reservations at the Lotus Spa, specialty dining restaurants and shore excursions; arrange celebrations; view photographs; learn about the destinations they will visit and activities at each port of call and more. The Ocean Compass will invite guests to experiences based on their individual needs, wants and desires.

Some of the initial service innovations include:

•OceanReady™: Guests’ cruise vacation can begin sooner with an expedited embarkation process made possible by required information added to their profile at home.
•Stateroom Access: The Ocean Medallion will unlock a guest’s stateroom door – replacing the traditional key card.
•HERE & NOW™: Guests can place food and beverage orders and have them delivered to select locations.
•THERE & THEN™: Guests can place select food and beverage orders and have them delivered to where they plan to be at a designated time.
•OceanNavigate: Accessed through the Ocean Compass, guests can learn the whereabouts of their family as they enjoy activities throughout the ship and be guided seamlessly in finding their way around the ship. Friends and family will also be able to easily communicate with each other through a seamless messaging service.