We can see signs that the age of technology is only beginning, as we continue to see bigger and more innovative technologies in every aspect of our lives. The cruise industry has been at the forefront of innovation in recent years, implementing the latest gadgets into their services and updating their ships with cutting edge features. These features are available on large ships and small ships, and ships cruising from New York to ships leaving from New Zealand. Let’s take a look at some of the coolest and most unbelievable technological innovations of the past few years!
Operation Improvements
The cruise industry has been working hard to ensure that they’re stewards of the oceans. Recently, the cruise lines have adopted innovations such as electric engines, hydro-dynamically efficient hulls, and new lighting systems like LED and compact fluorescent lighting, all of which utilize energy more efficiently. MSC Cruises has taken things a step further. The Divina will now employ a unique ‘reverse osmosis system’ for fresh water production that uses 40 percent less power than the systems currently in place.
Facial Recognition Technology
Vacations are about memories and fun, so of course you want to have as many pictures to document the experiences as possible. The cruise lines know this and they have been taking pictures of their passengers for years. Now when you are interested in finding or purchasing pictures of you and your family during your time on the ship, you don’t have to search through hundreds of snapshots. Instead of painstakingly looking through the photos in the ship gallery, facial recognition software can sort through the photos, identify your face from everyone else’s, and place those photos into your own personal photo album.
Celebrity Cruises-Interactive Menus on iPads
The wacky and innovative new restaurant Qsine on-board Celebrity’s Solstice class ships offers an interesting take on the classic restaurant menu. When a guest sits down, they are handed an iPad, which serves as a menu. Each menu item, when tapped, will bring up a description with ingredients, and sometimes there is a video as well, which showcases the preparation and presentation of the dish. These features help customers make educated choices, given that there are a so many dishes to choose from, many of which are unique of Qsine. For example, the ‘disco shrimp’ is presented in a glass with a flashing disco light, and the ‘lava crab’ is served over a hot dish of lava rocks! The only way to appreciate these awesome culinary innovations is to see it firsthand (or on your iPad)!
The wine menu is available on an iPod Touch where each wine is listed with a description. Celebrity even modified their dessert menu, which is printed on a ‘hinged, twistable cube’ (in other words, a Rubik’s cube) that guests must twist and turn to discover the tasty selections. This is about as innovative as it gets in the restaurant industry.
Carnival Cruise Lines-EA Sports Bar
EA Sports, the industry leader in sports gaming, has really amped up their experience at the EA Sports Bar aboard Carnival ships. iPad integration allows bartenders and servers to completely control the 16 individual 46-inch TVs, video game consoles, and drink stations. These iPads can operate nearly every feature of the space. They allow staff members to run trivia and game tournaments, permit content changes on the 16 screens, and trigger sound effects so the staff can create an exciting and real-time experience for their guests.
Celebrity Cruises-Luxury ‘Smart Glass’ Shower
Ever wanted to be perched out over the cruise ship’s edge while showering? You may not have thought of it, but Celebrity Cruises figured it would be a hit. This ultra-luxe shower is an extremely innovative technology in a place you wouldn’t usually expect it. Celebrity Cruises has added this unique shower to their most exclusive suites onboard the Celebrity Reflection. This ‘smart glass’, which uses electrochromatic technology, can be activated with simply the flip of a switch. That means that once the switch has been flipped, the glass becomes translucent and the guest can shower while gazing out over the ocean and still retain the utmost privacy. In addition, the incredible technicians who designed the shower added a sensor that can enact the translucent glass automatically.
Royal Caribbean International-WayFinder
Cruise ships are literally the size of cities, with populations to match. In an effort to make navigation easier, Royal Caribbean has added an awesome new feature on their ships, the Wayfinder. The Wayfinder is an interactive screen posted at various locations around the ship. These plasma and LCD touch-screen signs, which are located throughout the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas, have activity times and locations as well as assist cruisers to navigate around the ship.
Carnival Cruise Lines-5D Theater
Expect an unbelievable experience in the new ‘5D’ Theater on the brand new Carnival Breeze. The theater is aptly named the “Thrill 5D Theater.” Start off with a 3D film, add quirky effects like wind in your face or water dripping from above, and then a seat which moves, shakes, and vibrates, and you’ve got the newest movie viewing technology in the cruise industry.
As you can see, the cruise industry is no slouch when it comes to technological innovation, and you can expect to see even more unbelievable and incredible advancements in the coming years.
Think we missed out on a huge technological innovation, or want to sound off about one you’d like to see in the future? Go ahead and comment below, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
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