In recent years, technology has more rapidly become present in our day-to-day lives than ever before, with new advancements quickly moving from the realm of science-fiction, into the real world. One such breakthrough that has somewhat flown under the general public’s radar compared to the likes of AI and VR, is radio frequency identification (RFID) chips. These chips have quickly become integrated into various industries, products and services, such as contactless cards, using radio waves to provide security, inventory control and tracking benefits quickly, without the need for physical contact.
The increased efficiency gained from this technology is attractive to cruise lines, especially when considering the ever-growing capacity of many modern cruise ships. Easing crew burden is important when dealing with increased numbers, while passengers expect a painless, seamless experience with little wait time, in order to maximise their time on the ship. Read on to discover how the cruise industry is integrating RFID technology, and how innovations bring further advancements to its passengers and crew, beyond what other industries may experience on land.
RFID on land
In our everyday lives, RFID chips have become commonplace. Warehouses and postal services use the technology for tracking purposes, attaching it to shipments as they move from location to location. In healthcare, RFID chips are used for tracking of medical supplies and medication, increasing efficiency in an often complex industry. Other commonly known uses include pet microchipping, and the inclusion of the chips in ‘biometric’ passports for faster border control.
Leading parks and resorts have also incorporated RFID technology into their guest journeys. At Super Nintendo World, part of Universal Studios Hollywood, guests can choose to purchase a wearable Power-Up band fitted with an RFID chip, allowing them to interact with various RFID readers around the park. Through tapping the reader with the band, the guest can play games, view previously hidden images, and collect virtual coins. Through the use of RFID chips in this capacity, the guest gains a greater level of interaction with the park, and a heightened sense of immersion.
Multi-purpose wearables
Some cruise lines have already tapped into the power of RFID technology, deploying it on board to enhance their guests’ experience. While many applications of RFID in on-land industries are for a single purpose at a time, cruise lines are finding multiple uses for the chips. Wearable bands like the Power-Up band are already in use on cruises. Like its on-land equivalent, the Disneyband+ provides easier, hands-free boarding, allows the wearer onboard a Disney cruise to buy items, food and drink with a tap, and grants access to rooms as a standard keycard would. Similarly to the Power-Up band, wearers can also experience a great level of immersion through the band lighting up and vibrating in specific locations such as the dining rooms, or during certain situations including firework displays.
Royal Caribbean’s WOWband is a similar example to the Disneyband+, representing an easier option for guests than carrying a keycard through its focus on the streamlining of payments and easier access to rooms.
OceanMedallion delivers guest experience
On Princess Cruises, the OceanMedallion takes multi-purpose RFID implementation a step further. While it contains similar features to the Disneyband+, this wearable focuses on personalisation, with the Medallion able to influence Princess Cruises to curate a particular experience based on individual preferences, such as music choice. This is courtesy of the Medallion’s location tech and aggregate data, with the ship able to adapt an experience to suit a majority of people, when that majority congregates in the same area of the ship. Location technology also enables the user to find family members on board and engage with them on the MedallionClass app using an accompanying non-wifi based messaging service.
Directions can bring parents back to their lost children and, paired with the latest advancements in face recognition and biometrics, the Medallion can also help the crew locate passengers, greatly increasing efficiency of food service and passenger safety while on board. Housekeepers can use the location data provided by the Medallion to determine which passengers are in their rooms at any given time, improving guest privacy while speeding up the room cleaning process.
The future of RFID on cruises
In the years to come, RFID technology is likely to gain further traction among cruise lines, with the multiple problems solved by the technology representing an attractive proposition for an industry that continues to grow more complicated. The novelty of the cruise experience and its suitability for interactive experiences also adds an attractive avenue for cruise lines to explore using the technology. Using wearables to interact with the environment in a deeper way, as has been achieved at Super Nintendo World and touched upon with the Disneyband+, could therefore be a focus in the future. Cruises already focus on immersion more broadly, with spaces such as Norwegian Cruise Line’s Glow Court and VR experiences such as Royal Caribbean’s 4D game, Swashbuckler.
There will also surely be even greater possibilities for data collecting wearables like the OceanMedallion in future years as individual experience becomes more important. Studies show that passengers crave a more bespoke cruise holiday, with 56% of cruise passengers becoming repeat customers after experiencing greater personalisation, a stat that has been increasing by 7% each year.
Cruises also will need to keep up with standards set by other industries. With RFID technology continuing to be adopted, passengers will increasingly expect a certain level of parity between their on land and at sea experiences. When considering the luxury status of cruise holidays, expectations for speed of staff service, efficiency of the boarding process, and streamlining of payments would likely be beyond their equivalent experiences in everyday life. RFID is here to stay, and cruises will need to continue to iterate on the technology in order to consistently provide the premium service that cruise holidays are associated with.
Want more of this?
For more technology insights and the latest in the evolution of guest experience, visit Cruise Xperience Innovation Summit (CXI) Americas. CXI Americas is the event for cruise lines, shipyards and suppliers to showcase, demonstrate and unveil cutting-edge & innovations, taking place 3 – 4 June at the Miami Beach Convention Center.