Royal Caribbean launches new cruise ship with robot that serves drinks
Royal Caribbean has a new ship in town- and no, it's not your typical run-of-the-mill retirement cruise.
The Ovation of the Seas is part of Royal Caribbean's Quantum fleet of ship that were launched in 2014. The 136-feet wide- cruise set sail on its maiden voyage on April 17, 2016 from Southampton, and is now in Asia, at the tail-end of its 52-night global odyssey. The cruise is set to return to its home port in Tianjin in China, later this month.
Cruise operators have long trumpeted the facilities on board to lure travelers so what's the draw here? Technology.
The $1 billion Ovation of the Seas comes with a bionic bar, where patrons can customize their orders on a tablet screen and collect their cocktail at the bar in just thirty seconds. The twin robotic arms stir, shake and pour cocktails, making up to 1,000 drinks a day.
Guests will also be able to access the internet in the middle of the ocean using high-speed WiFi while the cruise ship also comes with a skydiving simulator.
"Technology is changing the way people travel and we are responding to that," Royal Caribbean's Managing Director Singapore and Southeast Asia, Sean Tracey said in a statement.
The damage? A 3-4 nights onboard the Ovations of the Seas certainly doesn't come cheap- it would set you back at least US$520 per person on a twin-sharing basis.
Royal Caribbean is not the only cruise company that is investing in technological innovations to reach out to millennials and enhance customers' experience on board. Carnival Cruise, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises amongst others are also ramping up their delivery of technological upgrades.
The Ovation of the Seas is targeted for the Asian market with home ports in Tianjin, Hong Kong and Sydney. Royal Caribbean is strengthening its presence in the region with plans to have Singapore as one of the home ports for the Ovation of the Seas in 2017 .