Cruise wearables get personal

Princess Cruises’ OceanMedallion and other wearables are key components of cruise line tech ecosystems designed to aid wayfinding, reduce friction and create personalized experiences.

BY ANDREA ZELINSKI
JANUARY 29, 2024

A s the cruise editor of Travel Weekly, I take a lot of cruises. Each one requires I upload a lot of information about myself into the cruise line’s registration portal, like a photo of my passport, where I was born and credit card numbers. Guests do it, too, accepting that they are giving up those details in exchange for the vacation they want.

But asking who my favorite musician is? That’s a new one.

At least one cruise line is getting more personal with the information they ask of incoming guests. Before guests step aboard, the line is asking questions like what they like to drink, their music preferences and general interests to curate one-of-a-kind experiences specific to each passenger. 

And the key to using that intel to create a highly personalized cruise experience is a quarter-size wearable device.

YOU ARE HERE

About a week before embarking on my sailing with Princess Cruises, a seven-day Alaska itinerary, my father, joining me on what would be his first cruise, was working his way through the online check-in process. He looked at me quizzically. Why did the cruise line need to know what music he liked? 

Logic says that experiences on large cruise ships are less personal than they are on small ships, said John Padgett, Princess Cruises’ president. But he wants to turn that reality on its head. Gathering information like a guest’s favorite musicians, drinks, food allergies and preferences gives Princess the tools to turn its big-ship cruise experience into something personal. 

This is possible because all Princess guests are given the OceanMedallion wearable disk. The device, which also serves as a key card, works in conjunction with some 7,000 sensors installed throughout Princess ships that enable the crew and servers to know where guests are at all times, including, for instance, who is at the bar listening to music. 

The location-sensing technology in the Medallion lets entertainers know the favorite musicians of the passengers who are at the venue where they are playing. They are then encouraged to select songs those guests like, Padgett said. 

“That music could likely be something that you were really, really interested in because you were there. But if you weren’t there, it would be different music because someone else would be there,” Padgett said. “The point is, when you leave a Princess experience, you can’t understand why it was so special because you forget that you’re in this unique, connected world that is built to take into account your needs, wants and desires.”

Like my dad and me, guests who enter that information into the line’s app precruise can choose what they want to share. 

“Then the way you experience that, and the way you respond to that and the way you interact throughout, also builds upon that profile to make it richer and richer,” Padgett added. “So, every single time you go on a Princess ship, it gets better and better and better because we’re not restarting from zero every time.”

PERSONALIZATION AT SCALE

The goal is personalization at scale, said Padgett, who during 18 years at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts was on the team that created the MagicBand. 

While every person is unique and every interaction can be personalized, Princess uses this aggregate of their preferences to inform decisions at a port, in a stateroom, at a dining table, in a bar or in the context of entertainment like comedy shows, he said. 

Rolled out seven years ago, the Medallion also unlocks cabin doors without the guest having to tap a sensor: The technology picks up the Medallion — which can be worn on a lanyard or, for an extra $7 to $45, as an accessory, including in a band or a necklace — when the passenger approaches. 

The device also triggers a tablet-size screen by the door that identifies the guest and notes any celebrations that day, like an anniversary or birthday. 

In addition to making purchases throughout the ship, the Medallion can be used for off-ship purchases at participating retailers. Passengers who make purchases using Medallion Pay in ports, which they can do at some 400 retail locations in Alaska and the Caribbean, get back 7% of sales in onboard credit.

Guests can also use the Medallion’s location technology to find members of their party on the ship, either via the line’s app or at kiosks throughout the vessel, a feature passengers can choose to turn off.

Members of their party are not the only ones who can see a guest’s location. The Medallion enables guests to have food and drinks delivered to them wherever they are. The technology helps servers identify guests at the bar and see what they like to drink or lets restaurant servers know guests’ food allergies so they don’t have to restate them every time they sit down for a meal.

While Princess collects valuable information about each cruiser on each sailing, Padgett said that information would not be sold, such as my preference of an old fashioned to bourbon companies.

“The experience is our product. … Your information is not something we would sell or use otherwise. It’s sacred to the experience and what we’re creating for you,” he said. 

RAISING PRIVACY CONCERNS

Travel advisors have mixed reactions to the wearable technology, particularly to the advanced functions of the Medallion. 

Ashley Hunter, senior vice president of partnerships at Avoya, called the Medallion an “incredible piece of technology” that can be especially beneficial to guests who are not tech-savvy smartphone users by offering them a solution with a chip rather than requiring them to use an app. 

And while she said the technology is a helpful tool to pitch to clients, it does not itself drive sales. 

“Do I think that people are actually purchasing a Princess cruise over other lines specifically because of the Medallion? No, I don’t,” she said. 

While it’s convenient to wear a band instead of needing a key card, it’s the ability to track someone that gives other agents pause. 

Henry Dennis, an advisor with Frosch in Charlotte, likes how wearable devices can make it easier for guests to access their room without digging for a key card when their hands are full, but he worries about times when the technology doesn’t work or that some people seem to struggle with new tech. 

He also worries about the privacy issues around tracking a guest’s whereabouts. 

“Now they will know not only where you go but how you got there, how long you spent there and who you were there with,” Dennis said. 

Another advisor voiced concern about guests oversharing information, not knowing how it will be used later.

“People are happy to swap privacy for convenience without really thinking about the long-term ramifications,” said Todd Lehmacher, a Phoenix-based managing partner of Select Sailings. 

I explained to my father recently how Princess used his entry about his favorite musicians to shape his experience on the ship, and he was shocked, calling it “ingenious” and “devious” but adding that it had worked. He had a good time. 

“I want to be suspicious about it, but it’s a good thing,” he said. “It feels a little creepy, but it works for me.” 

While my dad and I can’t know for sure if a song was played because we told the app we liked a particular artist, my stateroom attendant gifted me a small, yellow keychain of a sea turtle before I left. He said his cousin made it in the Philippines, and his name was written on the bottom. 

Was this gift because I indicated I like adventure when I filled out my precruise preferences? I guess I’ll never know.

What cruise passengers are wearing these days

Wearables are becoming increasingly common in the cruise industry, but they are not all created equal. 

Cruise editor Andrea Zelinski looks at some of the different devices and what they can — and can’t — do:

VIRGIN VOYAGES

My first experience with a wearable device was on the Valiant Lady. A crew member slipped a red bracelet around my wrist, complete with a gray device in the middle. 

The band, which was included in the cost of the cruise, enabled me to unlock my stateroom hands-free by touching it to a sensor and get on and off the ship without having to worry about a key card and allowed me the privacy of paying for drinks without having to tell anyone my room number. If I were a gambler, I could also have used it to play games at the casino.

But that was where the functionality of the bracelet ended. At Virgin Voyages, the wearable is just one piece of the line’s IT platform, and probably the least impressive. The line’s latest innovations can be found on its mobile app, said Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages CEO. 

While using the Virgin Voyages app, guests on the adults-only cruise can shake their phones to trigger a screen with a Champagne button, which when pressed will result in the delivery of a bottle of Moet & Chandon Imperial to wherever the guest is. 

“The technology doesn’t run on the wearable,” Saverimuttu said. “It actually runs on other pieces of technology we’ve built within the vessel, but we’re still able to find you.”

Guests are locatable using a combination of technologies, he said, like radio frequency identification, known as RFID, which uses radio signals to track people or objects. Bluetooth is also used in some cases, and he said the Virgin Voyages team is discussing the use of short-range wireless technology called NFC, or Near-Field Communication, for further innovations.

“We are all looking at how to use technology to enhance the experience. The wearable is one piece of it, but it’s one piece of a broader IT ecosystem that we built that allows us to do things like shake for Champagne, which I just think is such a fun and glamorous experience,” Saverimuttu said.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE 

Disney last year rolled out the DisneyBand+, an optional waterproof wristband meant to streamline the cruise ship experience with much of the same functionality as Virgin Voyage’s band, like unlocking stateroom doors and making food, drink and retail purchases. Guests can also use the band to link photos taken by ship photographers to their account. Children can use it to access the kids clubs.

The band, which also works on the line’s private island, Castaway Cay, is similar to the MagicBand+ used at Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort. Guests who already have a MagicBand+ can use it on their cruise, and Disney Cruise Line DisneyBand+ can be used at the resorts.

The most unique feature is what the band does when guests aren’t expecting it. The bands light up or vibrate during interactive moments, such as fireworks shows, in the kids clubs or during specialty dining experiences, a feature that can be switched off. 

The band also helps streamline embarkation. When ordered and delivered ahead of time, guests with their information already paired with the device can board more quickly once it’s activated at the port terminal. Like a smartwatch, the band is reusable, rechargeable, waterproof and pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth, which enables guests to check its battery life, customize settings and update software.

While the line said the bands are not GPS-based and do not collect continuous location signals, they can be used to locate guests at select Disney parks, hotels and experiences. 

Guests who purchase the DisneyBand+ before sailing can choose from around 50 designs, such as a retro Mickey Mouse from the “Steamboat Willie” cartoon. Plain bands cost $34.99, and themed designs cost $44.99 and are usable on all ships except the Disney Wonder.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL 

Royal Caribbean’s wearable is called the Wow Band and works like a key card, using RFID chips to enable guests to unlock their stateroom door, make purchases and give suite guests and Crown & Anchor members access to lounges. The band costs $9.99 but is free for Star Class members. 

Their functionality is limited, as passengers still need key cards when getting on and off the ship. The bands are only available on select ships: the line’s three Quantum-class vessels (Quantum, Anthem and Ovation of the Seas), four Oasis-class ships (Harmony, Oasis, Symphony and Wonder of the Seas) and both Quantum Ultra-class ships (Spectrum and Odyssey of the Seas). The Wow Band is also available on the Icon of the Seas, which made its inaugural sailing on Jan. 23.