Carnival Cruise Line Trials Ticketless Excursion System
by Dori Saltzman
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Lines is piloting a new mobile app that eliminates the need for physical shore excursion tickets. The program is being trialed with select tour operator partners in some destinations in The Bahamas and the Caribbean, after successfully integrating the platform in Australia earlier this year.
The program is expected to be fully operational for all shore excursions available at Celebration Key by the island’s opening on July 19. Travel advisors with clients heading to Celebration Key this summer might want to let their clients know about the new system.
The way it works is this: instead of using paper tickets, guests will be able to check in with their shore excursion representative simply using their Sail & Sign card.
For guests that use Carnival’s HUB App, they’ll be able to see a digital confirmation right in the app, as well. In-app notifications will also have important details like meeting times and locations.
The app will also allow guests to easily see if there is any availability on a particular excursion, since the platform enables tour operators to make real-time sales and register guests in the moment.
“Our new ticketless platform prioritizes convenience for our guests and equips our tour operator partners with better tools, making the shore excursion experience more seamless, efficient and enjoyable,” said Sam Ackrill, vice president of shore excursions for Carnival Cruise Line. “Eliminating the need for physical tickets and streamlining the process of checking in for shore excursions will be a great benefit, but the real-time functionality that’s built into our platform will give tour operators more opportunities and guests more choices.”
Once the platform is fully functional for all shore excursions at Celebration Key, the Carnival team will continue working with operators across The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico to fully implement the platform throughout the remainder of the year. By next summer, the platform is scheduled to be available on cruises to Alaska and in Europe.
