MSC gone digital?

MSC Cruises unveiled its new ‘connected’ guest experience digital innovation programme, MSC for Me. It include a dedicated app to help guests tailor their holidays at any point on their journey, whether they are booking their excursions prior to embarkation or a specialty restaurant whilst relaxing by the top-deck pool.Interactive bracelets will provide access to cabin, payments on board, wayfinding on the ship, within a five metre precision, and sharing accurate whereabouts of guest’s children onboard and will activate geo-located suggestions through 3,050 Bluetooth beacons. It’s not the first cruise line to launch an app for it’s guests but this one seems a very sophisticated one with more features than the average cruise line app and it’s going to make life a bit easier for the cruiser.First ship to sport MSC for Me is MSC Meraviglia, coming into service this June.The company envisions a fleet-wide roll-out of the programme to its existing 12 ships, and the addition 10 next-generation mega ships planned to be delivered between 2017 and 2024.Research study carried out in partnership with Deloitte Digital identified some of the following key findings: ‘technology must enable our crew in providing an even better service to our guests, and ultimately must enrich human contact; with 170 different nationalities sailing with us, the challenge for communicating effectively with guests is complex and there is  a need to provide relevant information based on the guest profile, and the digital channels must facilitate the effective delivery of this information.’Additionally, MSC Cruises shared the Deloitte research showed that more than one in two guests are increasingly looking at customising their holiday experience both before and during their cruise (59%), with one out of six guests (17%) claiming to do so only once they’re on-board. Nearly three quarters (73%) of guests claimed to be interested in a holiday at sea on a more connected ship. I look forward to try this app as seems to be an advanced one!