Ocean-More Than a Body of Water

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Part of the fun of being a travel agent is learning about all the great travel opportunities out there. They come in many forms whether it’s a new travel destination, a new resort, or a new gadget that makes our lives as travelers more interesting.  I love learning about them all.  We’ve all heard about the wrist bands at Magic Kingdom and we all use key cards, but have you heard about the newest innovation in travel? 

Princess Cruise Line has announced the newest technological advancement in how we travel.  Imagine walking onto a ship and the crew members already know your favorite beverage.  Or they already have the perfect type of pillow waiting for you in your stateroom.  Need a snack delivered to the show you will be attending in 30 minutes?  Done!  It’s called OCEAN.  So what is it and why do you want to use it?

 

Launching in November of 2017 on the Regal Princess will be the Medallion cruises.  Each guest will be issued an encrypted medallion.  This medallion can be carried on their person as wearable technology or simply in a pocket.  This little medallion can be used as your room key or as a credit card on board the ship, but when connected to the hundreds of touchscreens on the ship or your personal devices it becomes so much more.

 

Before even leaving on your cruise you will be invited to complete your passenger profile on Ocean Ready.  Completing this is completely optional, but by doing so, you make your cruise more personalized.  It gives the crew the ability to anticipate your needs and have at hand your likes.  It also speeds up the embarkation process!

 

Features like “Here and Now” and There and Then” make life on board the ship more comfortable.  If you are sitting by the pool and would like to get your drink refreshed, simply send a request through your personal device and voila! It magically appears along with a very friendly crew member, of course.  Let’s say you are rushing to get to a show and really want something to eat.  Simply make the request for a snack to be delivered to your seat at the show and presto chango!  It arrives there, when you want it!

 

Besides taking relaxation to new levels, how about having your own personal messaging and guidance system?  From anywhere on board the ship you can find out where your travel companions are and how to get there.  Want to go on vacation but want to allow the teenagers a little bit of freedom?  Now you can and keep tabs on them at the same time!  How about traveling with a group but you don’t want to be joined at the hip at all times?  Now you can message other members of your group for meet up times and locations.  You are still part of the group but you’re not in a herd.  This new system grants you the best of both worlds.

 

Princess offers a variety of shows, classes, and workshops on board their ships.  Have you ever found out about an activity only after it was over?  Now your medallion will alert you to activities that you have shown interest in – before they occur instead of after!  It will also tell you where on the ship it is located and how to get there.  I have been late to classes that I really wanted to attend because I walked past the meeting area three times before I found the room.  There is so much going on during a cruise it is hard to keep track of it all.  Now, that is taken care of for you!  It will also offer activities that it thinks you would like based on your likes and preferences.  For example, I love photography, so my medallion would inform me of any photography classes going on during my vacation and direct me on how to get there.  No more being late for me or missing out because I didn’t know the event was being held.

 

All of this sounds like a lot of work on your end, right?  Having to fill out your profile each time you take a cruise can take a lot of the fun out of vacations.  No worries.  Your profile is filled out ounce and follows you from vacation to vacation.  This truly is a remarkable new technology designed to make your experience each and every time the best it can be.  I am really looking forward to testing this one out!  Let’s see, what does my calendar look like in November…