Too much technology or a step in the right direction ?

If you haven’t heard the latest news from Royal Caribbean you might be interested to know they will have the first smart ships in their fleet. I don’t mean smart as in well designed and nice décor I mean smart as in IT smart. I am not good with technology, in fact I have a smart phone that my 9 year old daughter can use better than me so I am not sure this is as impressive to me as it would be to others. However for those that do not want to use these features can just carry on as normal so no need for panic just yet.

These are the latest features:

Smart Check-In – shore side to cabin in 10 minutes !! I like this feature because with a ship of this size that is a real achievement. Nobody likes standing in queues so can you imagine turning up at the port and walking straight on board. Even hotel check-in takes longer than that. All you have to do is upload a security photograph before you arrive and print your boarding pass then off you go.

Smart Luggage Another great idea although I am not sure how important this will be to most people. My luggage has always been delivered to my cabin very quickly and I think I would be enjoying myself too much to worry about what time my suitcase is delivered. However for anyone who is concerned it is a nice touch.

Smart Concierge Book everything on board from the flowrider to dinner reservations, keep track of your on board expense account ( or maybe not if you prefer to worry about that when you get home ) I think most cruise lines offer something similar with being able to book dining times and manage you account on a television in your cabin

Wifi speeds Quantam of the Seas will have better bandwith connectivity than all other ships combined I’m sure this would be exciting for some people but not me. When I go on holiday I leave the Ipad behind so I can completely relax without the temptation of looking at my emails. I do use my phone but only to keep in touch with family so for me this is no great benefit

Bionic Bar A bar where cocktails are prepared solely by robotic arms ?? I guess this may be a novelty to begin with but I can’t imagine it would be as much fun as it seems. What happened to a bit of banter with the crew ? I would rather have a Tom Cruise barman preparing my drinks.

Finally they have proved they are good to their crew aswell as they passengers by giving every single crew member a tablet so they can keep in touch with their family and friends while they are away. A great move by Royal Caribbean. Overall I think it’s a good idea making it stand apart again from their competitors. I will be interested to see how the Smart Check-In works out.

What do you think ?