Let’s face it, embarkation has to be the least fun part of any family cruise. Anyone who has had to cool their heels in a giant terminal waiting for their group number to be called can now take heart. Carnival Corporation just finished a multimillion-dollar upgrade of Cruise Terminal 2 at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, the terminal used exclusively by the company’s Princess Cruises brand.
How will these changes affect your boarding experience?
“When our guests arrive at the terminal excited about their cruise, that’s a great opportunity for us to begin immersing them in a more personalized and hassle-free vacation experience,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer, Carnival Corporation. “We have completely transformed the arrival so that our guests can board at a pace that’s more relaxed and convenient for them. Our focus is on the entire guest experience with a special emphasis on making the arrival experience exceptional.”
Upper deck of Princess cruise ship. Photo: Meunierd | Dreamstime.com
The transformation includes the addition of Carnival Corporation’s proprietary Experiential Internet of Things (xIoT) network, activated by the Ocean Medallion. As a result, guests sailing on Medallion Class ships will enjoy expedited boarding and a more personalized arrival experience as soon as they enter the terminal.
That includes interacting with their Ocean Tagalong avatars on a gigantic — 8’3” tall by 53’5” wide — LED screen that surrounds the Ocean Portal area where guests enter after clearing the security and check-in area.
Regal Princess. Photo: Morfeo86ts | Dreamstime.com
Ocean Tagalongs are digital companions that guests create and personalize using the SocialOcean app — available for download through the Apple App Store and GooglePlay. Guests can select from among three sea creatures — Sea Turtle, Seahorse or Butterfly Fish — to best reflect their personality or mood, then further customize their Ocean Tagalong by body shape, color, pattern and markings.
Also new in Terminal 2 is Carnival Corporation’s MedallionNet, a connectivity service that delivers robust, easy-to-access, high-speed WiFi, which extends from the terminal to guests’ staterooms on board Medallion Class ships.
In addition, the company’s portfolio of original mobile games that guests can use before and after boarding, the PlayOcean Everywhere, features four social casino games with virtual currency and an in-app purchase function.
On the first floor of the terminal, guests can relax in the OceanView Theater — a comfortable cinema that features originally produced Ocean Original travel series, while the second floor boasts views of Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal Waterway and the Princess Cruises ships docked for departure.
It also includes another interactive Ocean Tagalong experience that allows guests preparing to board to direct avatars through a series of screens by moving their arms and hands to control the creature’s swimming motions and directions.
The 141,000-ton Regal Princess will be the first ship to depart from the newly redesigned terminal, as she begins a series of preview cruises introducing Ocean Medallion Vacations.
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