Carnival Corporation Introduces Game-Changing Guest Experience at CES

We’ve been teasing it for days and now we can officially let the cat out of the bag. Here is the full press release from Carnival Corporation on a game-changer for the cruise industry.

Carnival Corporation Introduces Game-Changing Guest Experience at CES

Company Unveils Highly Personalized Concierge Services through Ocean Medallion

World’s largest leisure travel company develops interactive guest experience platform to enable elevated service levels through enhanced guest interactions before, during and after cruise vacations

A next-generation wearable device, personal digital vacation concierge and an Internet of Things network of intelligent sensor technology combine to elevate guest experiences in the travel industry, and beyond

CEO Arnold Donald will be first travel industry executive to deliver opening CES keynote at the world’s largest consumer technology trade show

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company with 10 global cruise line brands, today announced it has developed the world’s first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service for millions of guests.

The company unveiled the Ocean Medallion , a first-of-its-kind wearable device that enables a personal concierge by bridging the physical and digital worlds to deliver a new level of personalized service not previously considered possible — including sophisticated wayfinding, food and beverage on demand, an array of interactive gaming, personalized entertainment experiences and more. The quarter-sized, 1.8-ounce disc can be accessorized with jewelry, clips, key chains and bands or simply carried in a pocket or pocketbook.

Powered by proprietary technology developed by Carnival Corporation that features an Internet of Things (IoT) network of intelligent sensors and experiential computing devices, the Ocean Medallion revolutionizes guest service not only for the cruise industry, but the broader vacation industry. It will be officially introduced by CEO Arnold Donald on January 5 when he becomes the first travel industry executive to deliver the opening keynote address at CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show.

The Ocean Medallion goes well beyond the growing number of wearables used by theme parks and other vacation companies by leaving behind the required action of “tap” and ushering in a new paradigm for guest interactions.

Some of its benefits will:

streamline and expedite the port embarkation and disembarkation process

allow guests to access their staterooms as they approach the door (no keycard required)

locate friends and family around the cruise ship

enable guests to purchase merchandise without any transaction, cards or paper

deliver enhanced dining experiences based on food and beverage preferences

power an array of interactive gaming and immersive entertainment experiences

significantly enhance interactions with crew members and guests.

“With this interactive technology platform, we are poised to have our global cruise line brands at the vanguard of forever changing the guest experience paradigm – not just in the cruise industry but in the larger vacation market and potentially other industries,” said Carnival Corporation’s Donald. “Our focus is on exceeding guest expectations every single day and consistently delivering great experiences, and we do that extremely well. Now we are in prime position to take the guest experience to a level never before considered possible and build on cruising’s popularity and value as the fastest growing segment of the vacation sector.”

The Ocean Medallion is the only accessory needed to elevate the guest experience before, during and after each cruise in what the company is calling Ocean Medallion Class .

The Ocean Medallion pairs with an optional personalized digital concierge called the Ocean Compass , a digital experience portal available online, on smart devices, on kiosks in home ports, on stateroom TVs, on interactive surfaces located throughout the cruise ship and on devices carried by all guest service hosts.

Both innovations combine with an invisible network of proprietary sensors and computing devices embedded throughout the ship, home ports and destinations that collectively form the “Experience Innovation Operating System” – xiOS .

The proprietary xiOS uses a guest-centric, Internet of Things approach to enable guests to maximize their experiences in real-time based on their choices and preferences – delivering enhanced personalization across every aspect of their cruise vacation. The xiOS seamlessly leverages hardware and software to enable all experiences including access, lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, retail, navigation, payment and media.

The new guest experience platform will debut on Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess in November 2017, followed by Royal Princess and Caribbean Princess in 2018. The new Medallion Class on Princess Cruises will be rolled out over multiple years on the entire Princess Cruises fleet.

The guest experience platform is a key element of O·C·E·A·N or One Cruise Experience Access Network , a bold new effort by Carnival Corporation focused on expanding the cruise vacation market through guest experience innovation, the development of original experiential media content that includes new TV programs airing on national TV, and expanding its portfolio of exclusive and unique destinations.