Today Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, parent company to Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises had their first quarter earnings call, and in case your wondering, it seemed good news for shareholders. For cruisers there earnings calls don't generally offer much, so there wasn't any huge news, but interestingly, most non-financial comments were about onboard technology and Celebrity Edge...
"I believe the Celebrity Edge will be yet another transformational ship which will influence the design of ships for years to come. Everything about the Edge class is new and exciting. The decor is highly unique and the new spaces are totally inspired." said Richard Fain, CEO of Royal Caribbean Ltd. Speaking of the new Infinite Verandahs (which we're excited to try out in 656 days...not that we're counting), Fain reminded those on the call that, "..Edge's standard verandah cabin is 23% larger than the [current] ones. This is due to an innovation in the way cabins are designed and built, it involves changing the very structure of our rooms so that all the verandah space can be converted into air conditioned living area at the push of a button."
Celebrity Edge, as we discussed in our past posts was designed completely in 3D, which means technology has, from the inception, allowed Celebrity to see and tweak designs before steel is even cut - a point Fain drove home several times. "[The 3D Innovation Lab] allows us to fully design ships in three dimensions, which also allows us to involve more creativity and our people's expertise in the process."
Fain also discussed Project Excalibur, which is a high-tech project allowing guests to use their phones for some great tasks, like requesting a beverage, real time, from the comfort of your lounge chair. This is exciting stuff, and as we've seen great innovations from Carnival's Ocean Medallion program, it will quickly become table stakes in modern the cruise industry. Checkout this and more points specifically about Royal Caribbean International over on The Royal Caribbean Blog. We're willing to bet however, that this tech will see light across the brands, including Celebrity.
"Based on the experience we have gained over the last two years of our 'smart ship' programs we are now embarking on a new generation of technology to increase our competitive advantage in this area.", Fain noted. We live in a world where technology drives our decisions and activities more every day, and it is more clear than ever that this extends to how ships are built and designed as well as how we enjoy them. As tech enthusiasts and cruise junkies, we're okay with this.
How do you feel about the ubiquity of technology in cruising? Reach out on Twitter or Facebook, or comment below!