Spoiler: The robot bartender doesn’t judge your third piña colada. #0013

Hey there,

Once upon a time, going on a cruise meant you’d wave goodbye to the modern world and settle in for a week of spotty Wi-Fi, paper itineraries, and a few arcade games that hadn’t been updated since the ‘90s.

But not anymore.

Today’s mega cruise ships are floating smart cities, packed with innovations that rival some of the world’s top tech hotels—and in some cases, surpass them. Whether you're the type to geek out over touchless tech or just appreciate anything that makes your vacation smoother, what cruise lines are doing now is pretty incredible.

So grab your keycard—or your phone, smartwatch, or face scan—and explore what today’s smartest cruise ships have to offer.

Smart Cabins: Your Room, Upgraded

Gone are the days of fumbling for a room key while balancing two daiquiris and a beach tote. On newer ships like Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, cabins come equipped with RFID door locks you can open with your wristband or smartphone. Step inside, and many rooms now greet you with motion sensors that automatically adjust the lights and air conditioning to your preference.

Virgin Voyages takes this even further with its “eco-mode” smart cabins, where you can control mood lighting, temperature, curtains, and the TV from a tablet provided in-room. Want the lights to glow purple while “Smooth Jazz: Volume 2” plays softly in the background as your curtains slowly open to reveal a Bahamian sunrise? There’s a setting for that.

Even the beds are convertible—from sleeping mode to “lounge mode”—with the touch of a button.

This isn’t just luxury for the sake of it; it’s part of a broader trend toward energy efficiency, automation, and guest personalization. And it's fun. Like, surprisingly fun.

Facial Recognition & Frictionless Boarding

Carnival, MSC, and Royal Caribbean are all using biometric facial recognition to simplify embarkation and disembarkation. MSC’s World Europa, for example, uses facial recognition to speed up boarding and re-entry after shore excursions. You don’t even need to show your passport—your face is your ID.

Royal Caribbean’s app lets you check in by taking a selfie. You upload a photo, scan your passport, and get a digital boarding pass before you even leave home. When you arrive at the terminal, facial recognition cameras match you and—bam—you’re on board in minutes.

It’s not just faster. It also feels wildly futuristic, like stepping onto a spaceship. And in a post-pandemic world, touchless tech is more than convenient—it’s comfort.

Next-Level Internet at Sea (Yes, Really)

Let’s be honest: cruise ship internet used to be the punchline of every joke. Painfully slow, comically expensive, and completely unreliable the moment you left port.

Enter Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet system, which is being rapidly adopted by cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian. These low-Earth orbit satellites bring stronger, more stable signals to ships—enough for video calls, streaming, uploading content, and even gaming.

On ships like Icon of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), guests can stream Netflix from their stateroom, hop on Zoom calls (if they must), or share content in real-time to their socials without wanting to hurl their phone into the ocean.

Is it as fast as your home Wi-Fi? Not quite. But it’s so much better than it used to be, and in most cases, more affordable too.

Next-Level Internet at Sea (Yes, Really)

MSC Cruises rolled out the MSC for Me wristband—an NFC-enabled wearable that acts as your room key, payment method, and location tracker. It even links to the app so you can keep tabs on your kids or travel buddies. Misplace your partner on a ship with 7,000 passengers? Just pull up their location.

Royal Caribbean has the WOW Band, a similar wearable you can use to check in at restaurants, unlock your room, and pay for drinks—all without digging into your bag. It’s waterproof, sleek, and makes you feel like you’re living in 2040.

Carnival’s OceanMedallion tech, available on Princess Cruises, goes even further. It not only unlocks your cabin as you approach but lets crew members greet you by name, personalize your experience, and even deliver food and drinks to wherever you are on the ship.

Imagine this: you’re in a hot tub, craving fries. Your OceanMedallion tells the crew where you are, and five minutes later—voilà! Fries delivered to your soaking wet hands. Now that’s innovation.

Next-Level Internet at Sea (Yes, Really)Virtual Queues & Digital Daily Planners

Remember racing to the dining room to reserve a specialty restaurant or lining up for a spot at the spa? Apps have changed that forever.

Most major cruise lines now have robust mobile apps where you can book activities, reserve dining times, check show schedules, and even chat with other passengers. Norwegian’s Cruise Norwegian app lets you manage every detail of your trip, while Virgin’s app is fully integrated with your onboard profile and preferences.

No more printed daily planners or sticky notes on your stateroom mirror. Your entire cruise experience is right in your pocket—plus push notifications to remind you it’s time for your mixology class or escape room adventure.

Real-Time Ship Navigation for Passengers

Mega ships are massive—like, small-city-with-a-post-office massive. So cruise lines have developed indoor GPS and ship maps that help you find your way around.

On ships like Odyssey of the Seas and MSC Meraviglia, touchscreens throughout the ship help you locate your cabin, your next activity, or your favorite bar. Some ships even let you type in “ice cream” and show you exactly where it is and how to get there. Priorities.

Norwegian’s newer ships also feature ship-wide navigation through their app, using Bluetooth beacons to help you find your way around deck by deck.

Robot Bartenders & AI-Enhanced Dining

Royal Caribbean’s Bionic Bar is a full-on robot bartender experience. Two robotic arms mix, shake, and serve cocktails ordered through a touchscreen. You can customize your drink, give it a fun name, and watch the robotic arms go to work like something out of The Jetsons.

Meanwhile, dining rooms are using AI to tailor menus, track preferences, and recommend wine pairings. On Celebrity Cruises, for example, the Le Petit Chef dining experience uses projection mapping to animate your plate with a tiny chef who "prepares" your meal in a whimsical animated show.

Virgin Voyages’ "no buffet" rule is supported by its smart kitchen system, where guests order fresh, made-to-order food using tablets or the app, and servers deliver meals directly to your table. It's like fast-casual cruising, but elevated and with sea views.

Sustainability Tech That’s Actually Making Waves

Some of the most exciting innovations aren’t just about fun—they’re about the future.

Ships like MSC’s World Europa and Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas are powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), which emits significantly less CO₂ than traditional marine fuel. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Prima class ships are designed with energy-efficient hulls and systems that recover waste heat.

Many ships now have advanced water treatment systems that recycle nearly all wastewater, and incinerators that drastically reduce onboard waste.

There’s also movement toward shore power—allowing ships to plug into the electrical grid when in port, cutting engine emissions entirely. Celebrity’s newest ships, for example, use shore power where available, dramatically lowering their carbon footprint.

Whether you’re a die-hard techie or someone who just wants to avoid paper cuts from the daily newsletter, cruise ship tech has come a long way. What used to be clunky and inconvenient has become smooth, elegant, and borderline magical.

Your stateroom adjusts the lighting when you walk in. You order drinks from your phone and have them delivered poolside. You navigate a 20-deck ship using GPS like it’s a shopping mall. And you do it all while floating in the middle of the ocean.

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re well-thought-out, guest-friendly advances designed to make cruising more personalized, more efficient, and yes—more fun.

I can’t wait to see what the next generation of ships brings. But for now, I’ll be in the hot tub with a robot-delivered mojito, wondering how I ever traveled any other way.

Catch you next issue,
Tara