However the cruise industry is actually innovating and pushing the boundaries with the incredible technologies they are adopting on board their liners. Here are just some of the incredible amazing new technologies currently being used on board some of the cruise liners sailing our oceans right now.
The Bionic Bartender
Queuing at the bar and waiting for a drink suddenly became a lot more interesting! And the process suddenly became a lot faster too. The Bionic Bartender is the latest innovation from Royal Caribbean cruise liners: considered to be the leading innovators of cruise liner technological innovation. Two of their new ships are now equipped with so called 'bionic bars': bars that are staffed solely by two robotic bar tenders who are programmed to produce drinks from an extensive cocktail menu. Guests simply choose their drinks via a tablet and the bionic bartender mixes it. Each robot is able to produce one drink every minute, and can make up to an incredible 1,000 drinks every day. `
The Interactive Animation Restaurant
This is technology that is sure to impress illustrators, children and technology fans alike. Disney Cruises have used impressive new technology to create an interactive animation restaurant that really brings your dinner to life. When the cruise liners guests sit down at their dining table, they are each given a black sheet and a series of marker pens which they can use to draw characters of their choice. All they have to do is keep their drawings within the lines given. As a sub plot, during dinner the restaurant changes both its colour and its design through a shift of lighting and digital walls: this will set the scene for what happens next. By the time dessert is served, the entire restaurant will come alive. The interactive screens that were formerly changing colour and style throughout the restaurant will then display movie clips featuring the hand drawn characters created by the diners in the restaurant: incredible.
Virtual Balconies
One of the main concerns from those cruisers who can't afford a room with a balcony or a window, or for those cruisers who find this amenities isn't available on their liner, is that they will feel claustrophobic and that the room will feel dark and enclosed. Royal Caribbean have created an innovative new room technology to ensure that this is no longer a concern. In 2014 they added virtual balconies to their liners to ensure that those staying in their inner states rooms could still see the incredible views that the ship was passing as it travelled. These 80 inch LED screens are attached to the inside wall of the cabin (where you might expect to find a window) then use cameras to project a real-time view of what is happening outside into the cabin. They screen style virtual balconies work both in port and at sea so guests can experience exactly what it is like to have an outside stateroom, and won't have to miss a minute of the view or the travel experience of their holiday.
Sky Dive at Sea
Sky diving simulators aren't new technology: in fact, you can simulate the experience of sky diving for a relatively small cost at several locations around the country. What is innovative about sky diving on a cruise liner is that that technology has been translated into the notoriously difficult sea based environment. What's even more impressive is the location that has been chosen for these ski diving simulators: Situated at the back of the ship and offering a 23 foot tall glass cylinder, when you enter the sky diving simulator you will enjoy incredible views of the miles of ocean spreading before you before you are lifting by wind speeds of around 160 miles per hour. You can then enjoy the view whilst you float and fall, creating the illusion that you are falling into and floating above the sea.
