Royal Caribbean WOW Band Brings Contactless Convenience to Cruising

During a late-June Royal Caribbean International cruise, Charity Bradley found out how much simpler life aboard the ship can be without having to dig around for a keycard. The 45-year-old Kentucky traveler, who was on the Utopia of the Seas, bought a Royal Caribbean WOW Band — a wearable wristband that serves as a SeaPass card.

With the wristband, light enough to be worn all day, Bradley was able to buy drinks, shop onboard, and unlock her stateroom door without digging for her wallet. "I loved that I didn't have to dig for my room key," said Bradley, a corporate marketer who posts her travel escapades on TikTok.

Royal Caribbean has been working in the background to expand its wearable tech, and passengers will soon be able to view an improved version on the line's newest vessel, Star of the Seas, which sails later this month.

The cruise line confirmed that it will roll out an Adventure Ocean WOW Band for kids, so parents can view where they are using the Royal Caribbean app's "Find My Kid" feature. The system will roll fleetwide beginning August 31 after successful testing.

Cruise Lines Welcome Wearable Technology

The Royal Caribbean WOW Band is only one instance of the methods in which cruise corporations are changing guest convenience.

·         Disney Cruise Line will offer the rechargeable DisneyBand+, which will be used to unlock staterooms, make purchases, and even at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.

·         Virgin Voyages uses "The Band," a band made from recycled ocean plastic. It is used to access cabins, pay, and board the ship and also as a keepsake.

·         Princess Cruises offers the Medallion, a coin-sized technology that guests wear as a bracelet or necklace that automatically opens doors when guests arrive.

·         MSC Cruises provides the MSC for Me wristband, with contactless cabin access and onboard spending a feature on its Meraviglia, Seaside, and World Class fleet.

Benefits of Cruise Wristbands

Travelers who've worn wearables such as the Royal Caribbean WOW Band all swear by the convenience as the biggest benefit. The device remains on your wrist, so you don't have to rummage through bags or lose a keycard. Waterproof models allow guests to swim, use the spa, or participate in shore excursions without concern.

Others, like Princess' Medallion, offer hands-free access to rooms, and others offer GPS child location. To parents, that added security is a big plus.

Disadvantages and Problems

But not all are ready to give up the old keycard. "Some of our clients don't like to have their whereabouts monitored," said Jared Feldman of Jafeldma Travel. "More traditional cruisers may just prefer a good old-fashioned keycard." Others avoid the wristbands on grounds of appearance, preferring to have their access stored discreetly in a pocket or purse.

In addition, not all wearables replace a keycard. The current Royal Caribbean WOW Band, for example, will never be employed to scan on and off the vessel — guests will still need to keep their SeaPass card on hand during port.

Cost of Cruise Wristbands

Pricing is quite varied. The Band is complimentary on Virgin Voyages. Royal Caribbean WOW Bands are $9.99 each, and DisneyBand+ is $34.99 for solid colors or $44.99 for theme prints. Some of the wristbands can be reused on a future cruise, so it's worth investing in buying once.

Bradley plans to bring hers along with her on her future Royal Caribbean cruise. "It was a big convenience not having to carry that card around," she said.

The Future of Cruise Technology

Wearable technology will expand even more, industry players say, as ships are getting larger and more of their operations are computerized. Wearable technology like Royal Caribbean's WOW Band will become the new standard for check-in, spending, safety, and even customizing the guest experience.

For cruise passengers who desire convenience — and maybe a dash of technological flair — the WOW Band and its counterparts might be as common as sunscreen in the not-too-distant future.