Just when you thought Royal Caribbean couldn’t add any more WOW’s

Royal Caribbean have announced this week that not only will the Quantum of  the Seas feature new innovations such as the North Star capsule, a sky diving simulator, dodgem cars and the virtual balcony cabins, but will also have SMART check in,  RFID WOWband wristbands, a Bionic Bar, and Royal Caribbean will also give every crew member a tablet to keep in touch with home.

So what do these new innovations actually mean – SMART Check-in: Before you even board the ship you can still generate your boarding passes online but will also be able to upload your ID photos, and instead of queuing at embarkation for the check in counters you will now be able to be on board within 10 mins. You will also be able to track your luggage on your smart phones. Now this is all well and good for those guests who can use computers easily, but some guests have no computer access, some do but aren’t computer literate and with some coaching over the phone are able to complete their online check in and print of their boarding passes – So what will happen to these guests who uploaded photos is all something alien? I think the luggage tracking is absolutely fantastic and when I mentioned this to my sister (who you may recall in a previous post has serious luggage anxiety) she was absolutely thrilled to bits.

The new RFID WOWband wristbands will serve as your room key, allow you to make on board purchases and also help you to navigate your way around the ship, which will be good to someone who is good with modern technology but again for anyone unsure this could be a nightmare and you could end up walking in the wrong direction.

Now most of us like to take a seat at the bar and watch the barman put on a show whilst making you a potent cocktail, Royal Caribbean have decided to go to the extreme and have built the Bionic Bar –  a bar which you place your order on by tablets (again not great if you aren’t up with technology) and then sit back and watch robotic bartenders make your drinks.

Other innovations include hallways with motion sensors so when no-one is present the lights will dim, all crew will receive their own tablets with apps to help them with guest interaction and also to keep in touch with their families at home.

So whilst all these may sound great to those of us who have been brought up with modern technology and rely on computers/tablets to get us through our day to day life I am concerned at how this will affect those who struggle with modern technology or those who choose not to be in the gadget/computerized reliant world. Will this stop these guests being able to join a Royal Caribbean cruise or to enjoy their time on board? Will this just be a step to far?

What are your thoughts on these new innovations? Are you computer literate and would find all this easy? Or does this put you off from sailing on Royal Caribbean.