Royal Caribbean Rolls Out New Tech for Quantum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International announced a slew of technological innovations that will be rolled out with its next new ship, including robot bartenders.

The Miami-based cruise line will launch the 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas in November. The ship will debut in New Jersey’s Cape Liberty, sailing from there for six months before heading to its new home port in China.

The company announced some of the ship’s “smart” features on Monday. They include:

— Expedited check-in that allows passengers to download boarding documents, upload a photo and get confirmation from home.

— Real-time luggage tracking thanks to radio-frequency ID tags.

— Wristbands using the same technology that lets guests make purchases and get into their rooms.

— Apps that allow passengers to plan and book reservations on their phone as well as communicate with talk and text options.

— A venue, Bionic Bar, where guests will order by tablet and robots will prepare drinks.

— Microsoft Windows tablets for shipboard employees on Quantum — and, eventually, across the Royal Caribbean fleet.

This article appeared in print in the August 26th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.