Dive Brief:
- Privately-owned cruise line, MSC Cruises, rolled out a fleet-wide digital innovation program called MSC for Me after spending three years working with more than 11 digital, tech and behavioral science experts such as Deloitte Digital, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Samsung, per a company press release.
- The program was designed to put “guests at the heart of every step of the development, design and construction of its cruise ships," per the release. The program will be integrated into MSC’s 11 upcoming next-generation cruise ships as well as rolled out to its existing 12 ships.
- The first ship outfitted with the MSC for Me technology will begin service this June in the Mediterranean and will include interactive bracelets that connect guests to the ship's services and will activate geo-located suggestions through 3,050 bluetooth beacons, mobile check-in concierge and organizer tools and a digital wayfinder.
Dive Insight:
The program is the latest indication of the hospitality industry trend of using technology to enhance and personalize the customer experience. MSC for Me covers a range of customer experience including: navigation within the ship, real-time concierge booking capabilities, a virtual reality capture via interactive screens that cruisers can share in real time, a mobile device organizer tool, and a digital personal advisor called “TailorMade” that personalizes guest experiences through smart bracelets and facial recognition for cruise staff.
While a number of brands have invested in digital innovation, the MSC program is noteworthy for its scope, with the entire program boasting 130 smart features to optimize the guest experience, 16,000 points of connectivity, 700 digital access points, 358 informative and interactive screens, and 2,244 staterooms with RFID/NFC access technology. According to the cruise line, the length and scale of its investment in digital innovation is unprecedented in the cruise industry.
"Technology at the service of the guest experience is advancing at a rapid pace and that is why we've already invested about $21 million in the first two ships alone, to develop technology and infrastructure that is capable of meeting the needs of guests for years to come," said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, in the press release.