The cruise industry is changing its course and in its fourth Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) webinar panelists discussed both technological and operational aspects needed to chart the way ahead.
This was the last webinar before the summer holiday.
Together with host Fredrik Johansson, TDoS and co-host Per Eriksson, TDoS, the panelists shared their thoughts and ideas regarding hospitality post Covid-19.
The questions asked included how can the cruise experience from a guest point of view be improved after a pandemic? What changes can be foreseen in the logistics onboard cruise ships and do we foresee an increased automation as a means to reduce cost were some question raised.
Edie Rodriguez, Member of the Board of Directors of RAND Corporation and a former travel industry executive, mentioned that modern persons of today will accept the new rules of engagement. Technology is not the complete answer to everything happening around us, interaction between people will need and want to emerge from this new world. Smile might be a luxury if everyone is wearing a mask.
Julian Hughes, V Ships Leisure, Head of Ship management - Saga Fleet cell, mentioned in his ideas for the future that technical innovation will have to expand especially with some sort of air purity system.
Hannes Lindthaler, Founder & CEO of MarineXchange. MXP offers a complete suite of cruise and marine specific software solutions to optimise business processes and revenues across the entire organisation, estimated the ships’ programming will have to be adapted to planning and technology.
Any food outlet or public space onboard will have to expand the hours by opening earlier and close later in order to deal with the current requirement of social distancing. The challenge is to make people spread out through the whole ship.