TPG Editors' Choice Award for innovation by a cruise company: Royal Caribbean Group's eMuster
Royal Caribbean Group, the world's second largest cruise company, is known as the great innovator of the cruise industry. It's been the pioneer of everything from interior mall areas on cruise ships to such gee-whiz deck-top attractions as outdoor water theaters and surfing simulators.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the parent company of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Azamara is behind what may be the biggest innovation in cruising in years: A new system to greatly shorten and simplify the safety drill process.
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Called eMuster, it's not as sexy an innovation as robot bartenders in cruise ship bars or skydiving attractions atop cruise ships — two more things that Royal Caribbean Group pioneered. But it's perhaps more significant to the overall experience of passengers at sea.
It is for this reason that we've decided to give Royal Caribbean Group a special Editors' Choice Award this year for the development of eMuster, as part of Cruise Week in our annual TPG Awards. We're calling it The Innovation in Cruising Award.
The new eMuster system will let passengers complete most of the safety drill that is held at the start of every cruise on a mobile device or interactive cabin TV instead of in a big, crowded, unwieldy muster station.
Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean
Under the new system, passengers will review all the same information as they did before, including details on what to expect and where to go in case of an emergency, and instructions on how to properly use a life jacket. But instead of doing so in a group setting, they'll do it on their own in the hours leading up to departure.
After reviewing the safety information on a mobile device or cabin TV, passengers will complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station, where a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer questions.
Every passenger still will be required to complete the safety drill process before departure, as required by international maritime law.
Royal Caribbean Group is calling the new process Muster 2.0.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
Royal Caribbean Group began working on the new technology long before the coronavirus outbreak began. But its development is an elegant solution to one of the biggest hurdles to bringing cruising back in this new era of coronavirus-related safety measures: How to keep passengers socially distanced during safety drills.
On a typical cruise, the safety drill is one of the times when passengers are in the closest proximity to each other, as every single passenger must assemble in a limited number of spaces.
Royal Caribbean Group said it worked with international regulators — including the U.S. Coast Guard — to ensure the new process met all safety requirements.
Related: A guide to Royal Caribbean's loyalty program
The company has patented or is in the process of patenting the eMuster technology in countries around the world and plans to license it to other lines. But it's waiving licensing fees during the coronavirus pandemic so other brands can use it free of charge. It already has granted a license for such use to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The technology already has debuted on the ships of German line TUI Cruises, which resumed limited cruising out of German ports in July. Royal Caribbean owns part of TUI Cruises through a joint venture.
So if you dread the typical safety drill prior to a cruise's departure, you may find that your next sailing gets off to a much better start — and it's for this reason that we're honoring Royal Caribbean Group's eMuster technology with this year's Innovation in Cruising Award.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.