On board the world’s smartest cruise ship | Travel

I have just ordered a martini. Nothing especially noteworthy about that, it must be said (it’s after midday, after all). But what’s interesting about this particular drinks order is that I’ve placed it, via an app on my phone, without leaving my seat — which is in a quiet corner of the Crown Grill bar on the Sky Princess cruise ship.

This sparkling new, 3,660-passenger vessel is pioneering the idea of a “smart city” at sea. Virtually all cruise ships operate a cashless system on board, charging purchases to a cruise ID card. But the Sky Princess is cardless as well, thanks to its OceanMedallion technology, unique to Princess Cruises. There are two elements: the app, MedallionClass, on my smartphone, to which I’ve uploaded a…