Royal Caribbean CIO Bill Martin spoke with Network World about how Royal Caribbean uses various mobile tools to benefit customer service.
Royal Caribbean has deployed iPhones, iPads and handheld systems from Motorola and XRiver Technologies to its cruise ships as well as land based operations. One such use is the kid tracking technology in stripped down iPhones that allow parents to track the movements of their children aboard a ship. The kids wear a Wi-Fi equipped bracelet that uses the ships' Wi-Fi access points to triangulate the position of the child.
Cruise employees use XRiver Technologies tablets to assist customers in enrolling in activities-such as the Waverider, rock climbing and zip lines-by selecting the activity a guest wants, swiping her stateroom key card and having her sign any necessary liability waivers right on the screen. The tablets replace the paper waivers required for each activity and speed up the entire process.
iPads are being used on Royal Caribbean ships for providing a wine list that suggests food pairings and shows photos and videos of the vineyards-but doesn't throw open the doors for any mobile device.
If you're an Android fan, you may be wondering why Royal Caribbean hasn't used any of that software yet and Martin says there are so many iterations of that operating system on many different devices. "We do try to simplify where we can," he says, adding that he's begun testing some Android applications.
