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.
For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's new cruise newsletter.
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.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.