Royal Caribbean is set to change the way you cruise

Gone are the days when cruising was simply about relaxing on the ship deck, sipping cocktails by the pool or reveling in the on-board entertainment every night. Thanks to leaders in the industry, it looks like the future of cruising is digital. 

Royal Caribbean Cruises have revealed their own vision for the future of cruising and it includes anything from virtual reality dining experiences, stateroom light shows, facial recognition check-in and driverless shuttle buses.

Imagine popping a green globe into your mouth and watching the Japanese paper walls shatter in front of you. That is one of the virtual reality experiences Royal Caribbean Cruises revealed, but that’s just one of the digital concepts by the cruise company.

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Passengers simply pop on a pair of virtual reality glasses and they’re taken on a digital journey that their cruise ship could never possibly reach.

“In today’s world, technology and making things easier is no longer a very nice thing to have,” Royal Caribbean Cruises chairman and CEO, Richard Fain, said. “The truth is technology is simply something that people expect. It’s an entry requirement, it’s not an option.”

But the digital landscape doesn’t end there, Royal Caribbean also revealed their new app that allows passengers to order drinks, no matter where you are on the vessel. But how will the waiter know who the drink is for? Well, facial recognition check-in allows servers to locate you based on a photo of you flashed on their devices.

For those moments of retreat in your room in the morning and night, or perhaps for an afternoon nap to get you through the evening, the Royal Caribbean staterooms will stream light shows and images – from night sky shows to sunrise videos – that might have you relaxing in your cabin more than on deck.

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But the digital developments don’t stop on board the vessel. Saying hello to the bus driver during your excursions on land could be a thing of the past with the introduction of self-drive shuttle buses. Royal Caribbean has partnered up with French company Navya to create a fleet of driverless buses that will take you to your day trip locations and resorts.

It’s already operational at the University of Michigan and in Las Vegas, where it was involved in a minor accident on its first outing.

Take a look at some of the developments below: 

What do you think of Royal Caribbean’s new developments?