The world of cruise travel sure has come a long way over the years.  Sorting through some old photos the other day, shot when cameras used film, ‘portable’ phones were not ‘smart’ and TWA was our hometown Kansas City airline, I thought of how far technology had come too.  That same day, I explored a cruise ship on a 360° virtual tour, answered phone calls on my watch and chatted with a friend in Europe as though they were sitting across the desk from me.  With nearly all the seemingly far fetched promises of my youth kept or exceeded, I could not help but wonder where we will be in that arena 20, 30 or 40 years from now.  Then I opened an email that gave a glimpse of what that future might look like.

 

 

While tropical breezes and beaches may be out of reach for many, the Carnival Corporation family of brands are looking to change that, virtually.  Already proficient at physically delivering cruise travelers to exotic destinations around the world, Carnival Corporation is partnering with AT&T and Samsung to bring a fully immersive virtual reality cruise experience.

Leveraging some of today’s best technology by using Samsung Gear VR, visitors to AT&T stores can put on a headset and be surrounded by the sights and sounds of a warm and sunny cruise vacation. The virtual reality content is first-of-its-kind and exclusively developed by Carnival Corporation and its 10 global cruise line brands.  Basically, it’s like being there. But that’s just the beginning.

 

Click here to learn more about Samsung VR

 

Shopping For A Cruise Using Virtual Reality

Say you’re a fan of Carnival Cruise Line but might be thinking of trying Holland America Line or Princess Cruises.  Walk into a participating AT&T store, slap on a headset and virtually walk around the ship to get a feel for it before booking.  Now there’s an interesting tool for helping match the right cruise line with the right traveler.

Consumers will also be able to enter a sweepstakes to win one of 10 seven-day cruises on Carnival Corporation’s Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line brands by checking the virtual reality experience, signing up via an in-store tablet or by visiting www.vrcruisewlcl.com through March 11, 2016.  Buy a Samsung phone and get onboard credit for that future cruise.

 

 

Carnival Corporation is the largest leisure travel company in the world with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).  Together, these brands operate 99 ships with 17 new ships scheduled to be delivered between now and 2020. Carnival Corporation also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon.

Cover photo– Flickr member Deb Hultgren