STUDY: Cruisers Don't Want Alcohol-Tracking Wearable Technology

A recent study has revealed that cruise ship passengers are excited about the possibility of wearable technology - devices that go in a pocket, around the neck, or on the wrist - to improve their cruise experience, according to a study by Qualtrics.

In the study, 1,600 cruisers were surveyed and indicated they would use a wearable for Information about food line wait times (47%) and onboard activities (42%), as a boarding pass (46%), to locate friends and family on ship (41%) and to open cabin door (38%).

Only 7% of cruisers would want a wearable to notify them when they have had too much to drink, and surprisingly, only 15% would want staff to use the technology to call the guest by name. 56% of passengers who have worn a wearable on a ship expected it to enhance their experience a great deal, but only 47% said it did enhance their experience a great deal.

Wearable technology is gaining a foothold in the cruise industry, with Princess' OCEAN Medallion program, MSC's MSC for Me wristband, and Royal Caribbean's WOW bands are being released to at least a portion of each line's fleet, though apparent technical issues have slowed down Princess' rollout of the OCEAN Medallion.

Disney Cruise Line, surprisingly, has not embraced wearables on its ships, despite the company's major investment in wearable tech at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.