The Costco Connection - December 2014

DECEMBER 2014 ;e Costco Connection 81

By Ralph Grizzle

ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S NEW ship may be officially called Quantum of the Seas, but you’d be forgiven for calling her the most technologically plugged-in ship afloat.

Throughout its history, Royal Caribbean has never shied away from innovation. Royal Caribbean confounded shipbuilders in 1988 by adding a soaring, multistory atrium to the then-new Sovereign of the Seas. The company changed the way people thought about what could and could not be placed aboard a ship in 1999, when it revealed that Voyager of the Seas would feature an ice-skating rink. Oasis of the Seas proved in 2009 that big could be beautiful, and Allure of the Seas proved it could also be profitable.

Now, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship is poised to be a quantum leap beyond anything that has come before her. She’s the line’s first SMART ship.

Before guests even get to the pier, they can completely check in for their cruise vacation from the comfort of their own homes. Guests will be able to generate all the necessary documents for embarkation and can check-in online, down to uploading a digital photo ID that eliminates the need to have photographs taken at the pier. They then print their documentation and bring it with them to the pier, where Royal Caribbean promises to have guests onboard from “sidewalk to ship” in 10 minutes. No lines, no forms and no check-in counters required.

The way guests access their staterooms
will also be changing. Quantum of the Seas
will offer guests the ability to use a brand-
new radio frequency identification (RFID)
equipped wristband to open their stateroom
door and make onboard purchases. Standard
magnetic keycards will also be available in
addition to the WOWband wristbands, but
chances are good that most will sport the
new white-and-blue devices.

Curious as to when your luggage will arrive in your stateroom? Track it with your smartphone: All luggage will be tagged curb-side with new RFID technology that allows the movements of your baggage to be traced in real time. At the end of the cruise, the process is reversed and guests can digitally monitor their luggage’s journey from ship to pier.

Royal Caribbean is banking on little enhancements like this to ultimately improve the cruising experience even further, particularly as ships get larger and accommodate more passengers.

Royal Caribbean’s SMART enhancements also apply to the day-to-day activities guests might want to enjoy. Using two brand-new apps—Cruise Planner and Royal iQ— passengers will be able to book dining reservations, shore excursions and spa appointments before their ship ever sets sail, which eliminates the need for waiting in traditionally long queues at reception. Additionally, the line is placing Royal iQ stations throughout the ship that will let guests manage their experiences without needing a smartphone.

Quantum of the Seas will also have state-
of-the-art onboard Internet with what the
line is calling “unprecedented bandwidth”—
so much so, in fact, that guests will be able to
stream video and share images on social
media, and even operate telecommunications
software like Skype or Face Time.

The real wow factor, though? Robot bartenders. They’re coming soon to your friendly watering hole aboard Quantum of the Seas, the Bionic Bar. Simply place your order via the interactive tablets, and the robotic bartenders will fix your drink.

Robots also play an important role in another onboard venue, known as Two70, which will be home to a playful group of six “Roboscreens” that stage surprise performances during each cruise. Sometimes they’ll perform solo, or unite as one, soaring and twisting as they do so.

What are the Roboscreens? They’re giant flat-panel screens mounted to robotic arms like those you’d see on an assembly line in a car factory. Only here, they’re not building a car; they’re making performance art. Royal

Caribbean bills this feature as the most com-
plex animatronic theater production at sea.
Two70 is an area of the ship you might
have seen before: It takes up the glass-enclosed
lounge that features prominently on the ship’s
stern. But this is no ordinary theater. Eighteen
projectors change Two70’s expansive sea view
into any backdrop, real or imagined. Paired
with performance artists, the Roboscreens
and the ability to change the look of the set-
ting, it’s a complete immersion experience.

The SMARTest ship at sea sails the blue waters of the Caribbean from New York this winter before repositioning to Asia next spring. The world of cruising will never be the same. C