Carnival Cruise Line fixes a major passenger pain point
The cruise line has embraced this fix which improves one of the worst parts of cruising.
Carnival Cruise Line has been slowly making technological improvements that subtly improve each passenger's experience.
Not every change works for every person. Some passengers, for example, consider putting menus and the daily Fun Times schedule in the Hub app a positive, while others prefer the paper version.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line rejects beloved Royal Caribbean offering
The same is true when it comes to using the cruise line's Hub app for things like messaging and setting your disembarkation plans. Some passengers liked that old manual system for deciding what happens to their luggage on the last day, while others preferred leaving notes on whiteboards or simply not knowing where their relatives might be.
In many cases, however, the best technological improvements are the ones we don't see. Investments made in behind-the-scenes technology can do things like help cruise lines move passengers around more efficiently and make it so your elevator does not stop on every floor.
Little things that passengers might not even notice can improve your cruise experience. In this case, Carnival Cruise Line has been fixing an uncomfortable part of crusing and making it exceptionally easy.
That's something Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald explained in a recent post on his popular Facebook page.
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Carnival makes the end of your cruise better
Disembarkation, getting off the ship at the end of your cruise, is to most, the worst part of cruising. Passengers have to leave their rooms before 8 a.m., which is an earlt morning if they emjoyed the final night of their cruise.
In addition, they have to either walk their luggage off the ship or pick it up in the terminal before having to wait to go through a customs line.
Even though the process of showing you passport (or alternative documents) to a customs officer generally goes smoothly, it's still a slow, nerve-wracking process. Nobody knows why a customs official might order added scrutiny, but it happens, and many passengers hold their breath while their passports are being scrutinized.
That's a system Carnival has been workiong to improve.
"Yesterday ( February 24th), we added facial technology debarkation for guests cruising on the Carnival Sunshine from Norfolk, Virginia," Heald shared. "This means we have successfully rolled out this technology in Miami, Tampa, Port Canaveral, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Galveston, Long Beach, New York, Baltimore, and Mobile."
Using this technology allows passengers who hold a U.S. passport to simply look into a machine, get scanned, and, in most cases, simply walk forward.
"It really does help get guests who have a passport to be able to proceed quickly through the debarkation process," Heald added.
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Carnival passengers love the new system
Heald's post got over 1,600 comments and nearly all were positive.
John Marx, however, did have a small complaint.
"Just did this in Tampa on Sunday. Works great! My only complaint is the cameras are setup too low. I am 6'8" tall and when I walked up it was more belly button recognition than face recognition. I had to squat to be seen," he shared.
That's an issue that won't apply to most passengers who seem very happy with the speedier process.
"Yes. We used the facial recognition software in Galveston, New Orleans, and Mobile. I learned if I remove my hat and glasses it turns green in about three seconds," he shared.
Some passengers used their love of the facial recognition tech to complain about other things.
"Yes! Loved that it was really quick and easy. Now let's work on upgrading & fixing the carnival hub app messaging John Heald. It's slow and barely works. I've missed so many conversations and meet ups," Queenm Johnson posted.
Most commenters, however, simply shared their positive experiences.
"Just disembarked on Sunday in Tampa. This is our 3rd cruise that we've just walked off the ship and kept on walking to the car. For a family of 5 it's great. For parents on a kid free vacation it's even better," wrote Stephanie Jogan.
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