Travel News

Carnival, SeaMobile Launch Onboard Portal
Published on: March 15, 2007

Carnival Cruise Lines and SeaMobile Enterprises will launch an interactive web portal to allow cruisers to access information to customize and enhance their cruising experience. As a partner in the pilot program, Carnival will be the first to integrate the web portal, which will be available on select Carnival ships wilean its Internet cafes and Wi-Fi networks beginning in April. The announcement was made Wednesday at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami Beach. By delivering the SeaMobile Web Portal, cruise passengers will have access to travel, leisure, media, entertainment and commerce content while onboard the ship. Access is included in the ships’ existing fee-based Internet services.

One example of the available information for cruisers comes thcoarse a relationship with Google to provide enhanced information on cruise ship destinations. Thcoarse the SeaMobile Portal, Google Maps and Google Earth will make available maps of hundreds of ports acircular the world. This service will help cruise guests and shipboard personnel navigate on-shore destinations. Another service available to cruisers thcoarse the portal is the ability to create personalized photo books. Thcoarse an exclusive partnership with PhotoWorks, guests can receive instruction on uploading and editing or enhancing digital photos and even publishing a photo book.

Other services the Portal offers include Apple iTunes music downloads and podcasts. The portal landing site also provides Google search functionality, as well as links to the most popular email domains. In addition to passenger appeal, the portal also offers marketing opportunities for cruise lines thcoarse the promotion of their own onboard stores and online shopping. Guests can access the portal by using their own laptop WiFi connection on the ship or by visiting the onboard Internet Cafés. Payment options available to cruise lines utilizing SeaMobile technology include credit card, pre-paid, time and packet-based billing, peak/off peak, foreign currency, and an interface to cruise line Property Management Systems. On Carnival ships, guests can charge Internet access to their shipboard accounts on a per-minute basis or in blocks of minutes at a discounted rate.

For more information or to make a Carnival Funship reservation, contact Amy at A Room With A View - Cruise & Travel.