It’s no wonder that Carnival Corporation’s CEO Arnold Donald calls today “the golden age of cruising.” Forbes predicts that 27 million people will take a cruise this year, with $65 billion in ships on order over the next decade.

As the industry grows, so does competition, and cruise lines need to deliver personalized, cost-effective experiences to keep passengers coming back to sea on their ships. However, customers feel this is an area where travel providers struggle. According to Accenture Global Consumer Pulse Research in 2018, three out of four travelers feel only a handful of travel companies really excel in relevance.

As the premier innovation partner for Carnival Corporation’s Global Experience & Innovation team, Accenture is helping to elevate and transform the cruise experience by scaling made-for-me experiences for thousands of passengers at a time. Discover how an innovation partner tapped into all five of its businesses – Digital, Technology, Strategy, Consulting and Operations - to provide Carnival guests with the best experience on the seven seas.

Carnival Corp. selected Accenture as its premiere innovation partner to help design the Ocean® guest experience platform.

The approach was to embed smart digital technologies into the physical environment of ships that could sense and respond to guests’ needs. The technology could also empower the crew to build one-on-one relationships with each of the thousands of passengers on board, allowing them to create moments of surprise and delight.

Ocean® is an integrated guest experience platform with a secure Experience Internet of Things (xIoT™) network and streaming analytics currently on board MedallionClass™ ships from Princess Cruises.

All of this centers around the OceanMedallion™ - a wearable device that every guest sailing MedallionClass™ receives for free. It holds each guest’s unique digital identity and connects them to an ecosystem of services and experiences powered by the platform. The Medallion helps crew easily and precisely identify guests for bespoke recommendations and seamless cabin access, while linking to interactive portals and other digital experiences through the ship. The OceanMedallion™ enables everything from frictionless payments to streamlined embarkation, creating a whole new way for guests to enjoy their time onboard.

Accenture Interactive played a key role in reinventing the guest experience, working alongside Fjord, the design and innovation arm of Accenture Interactive, and MATTER, a design firm since acquired by Accenture.