Carnival Cruise Line may make big technology upgrade
Carnival cruisers recently weighed in on this possible change.
When sailing on Carnival’s cruise ships, your Sail & Sign card is literally the only thing you need to carry with you. It serves as your room key, your credit card, and even your ID in some situations.
The Sail & Sign card is so functional that I typically put my wallet in the room safe on embarkation day and don’t take it out again until the ship is in port.
That’s not to say that Sail & Sign cards don’t have their drawbacks. For one thing, they’re easy to lose, as they are a simple plastic card that many people often carry loosely in a bathing suit pocket.
And if you happen to lose one at a time when the guest services desk is busy, it can take a long time to get a replacement.
Sail & Sign cards can also be rather inconvenient. In the morning, when I walk to get coffee for my wife and myself, it can be difficult to dig the card out of my pocket and open my stateroom door without putting the coffee cups down in the hallway.
Some people solve that by wearing theirs on a lanyard, but even that's not foolproof. It can be difficult to get the card out of its plastic sleeve when it's time to pay, and when water gets in the sleeve, the card can get damaged.
Carnival Cruise Line is at least considering that there could be a better way.
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Carnival Cruise Line considers tech options
Some cruise lines have started using wristband technology. Royal Caribbean still issues traditional SeaPass cards to all guests, but on certain ships, you can choose to buy a WOW Band to use in place of it for $9.99. Star Class and Royal Suite guests get free WOW Bands, and they are only available on certain ships in the fleet.
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Virgin Voyages, on the other hand, only uses wearable technology when on board. You put the band on your wrist and leave it throughout the voyage.
Related: Carnival reveals an updated loyalty program perk
As a frequent cruiser, I have mixed feelings about wristbands in place of traditional ship cards. When I sailed on Virgin’s Scarlet Lady, I found the wristband was generally easier to keep track of, but it had its pain points. For example, “swiping in” at a slot machine in the casino can be somewhat clunky with a wristband.
Carnival brand ambassador John Heald recently conducted an informal poll on his widely followed Facebook page to gauge interest. Heald’s poll was based on a question he received which read, “When will Carnival get with the rest of the cruise companies and move to wristbands for purchases and to open doors?”
The poll had two choices:
- I agree, I cannot wait for this
- I am in no rush for technology to be offered for these things, I’m quite happy with my Sail & Sign card.
It might surprise you to learn that Carnival cruisers overwhelmingly chose the second option by a margin of more than three to one.
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Why don’t Carnival cruisers want wristbands?
It’s fair to assume that many frequent Carnival cruisers are simply used to the Sail & Sign cards they’ve been carrying for many years.
Some of the poll respondents offered comments as well. Samantha Wagner pointed out that the Sail & Sign cards make nice souvenirs for many cruisers, saying “No wristband. Love my Sign & Sail card. Easier to wear on a lanyard. And love to keep the card collections for memory.”
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Of course, some people like the idea of wristbands.
“I absolutely love having the wristband key access when I have it at resorts,” said Lisa Keleher. “It's just like wearing a small bracelet and it means I don't ever have to think about having my key card with me.”
Other cruisers see the benefits of both, such as Diane Touville-Parkhurst, who commented, “Honestly, as far as wristbands or sail and sign cards, I am indifferent… I have used both for different companies for different things, and they both are OK.
Finally, some cruisers feel that Carnival should take it a step further and move to an app-based system.
“Don't know that I would want a wristband but I'm not a fan of the sail and sign card either,” said Kristi Wilson. “It might be nice if you had the app on your phone that you could scan a QR code for all of this.”
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