RC Official App retired

[HallOfPromise]

I just found an interesting quote by Richard Fain when explaining the possible uses of Project Excalibur. He mentioned RCI has "found intuitive digital applications to make the guest experience simpler and more comfortable. You'll be able to open the door to your room without pulling out a card or key, request a beverage real-time from the comfort of your lounge chair and get recommendations for your traveling companion based on their preferences. We take our guest's vacation time seriously, and technology is a great enabler to improve the use of that."

 

Fain mentions ordering a beverage in real-time from a lounge chair and opening a door without having to pull out a card. This sounds a whole lot like Carnival's Ocean Medallion. Carnival is bringing the heat with their new interactive technology with Ocean Medallion. Maybe RCI is planning the same or something close to it with this new app paired with a wearable that goes beyond a WOWband. He mentioned ordering a drink from a lounge chair. This would need tech like the Medallion, which uses a serious of antenna that acts like both GPS and RFID chips that communicate in real time with the ship. The ship would need to know exactly where the guest is located for this to work. (This will probably spark privacy concerns.) I can see this being integrated in new ships but a huge task adding this to current ships, unless they're in dry dock.

 

But I like where their heads are at. I can just pull up a drink menu on my phone, hit order, and wait (I'm guessing forever) for my drink to come to me.

[steamboats]

That was the interesting part of the Excalibur announcement - it would be rolled out to other ships in addition to the ones that already have Royal iQ (I'm guessing Allure and Oasis).

 

Yes, I know, but I think that Quantum Class and Harmony will have it first and then Allure/Oasis will follow up.

 

steamboats

[Biker19]

The ship would need to know exactly where the guest is located for this to work. (This will probably spark privacy concerns.)

Can't wait for that thread to start. :rolleyes:

[Biker19]

Yes, I know, but I think that Quantum Class and Harmony will have it first and then Allure/Oasis will follow up.

Of course this begs the question; if Allure and Oasis can support the next gen app, why can't they have Royal iQ now?

[bUU]

Can't wait for that thread to start. :rolleyes:

I think that people are reasonable enough to recognize that a hotel (and a cruise ship is effectively a hotel) has a right to know who is in what room of the hotel. Disney's got a bigger challenge, since they're probably aiming to do this throughout their parks, which are outdoors, and despite being just as much private property as every square inch of a hotel, some people get it in their heads that being outdoors means that they have some kind of right to privacy about where they are (on someone else's private property). :rolleyes:

[nolesrule]

An app makes sense for an onboard interface so that one doesn't have to deal with a URL in a browser, and it can still be just a wrapper for a mobile-optimized web interface on the ship intranet.

 

But I think the original RCI app was just intended as a website replacement but without actual booking capabilities? That doesn't require an app that will get lost in the clutter. Google search, browser history or browser bookmarks to pull up a site are good enough for that, even on a mobile device.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Of course this begs the question; if Allure and Oasis can support the next gen app, why can't they have Royal iQ now?

 

 

Great Point. It would be interesting to know.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums