How do the Cruise Lines Keep Track of the Passengers?

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If you are taking a cruise you might be wondering how the cruise line knows where their passengers are.

 

All cruise lines have to know where the passengers are at any given time so that they don't leave anybody behind or let anybody onto the ship that shouldn't be.

Most cruise lines keep track of the passengers through the use of key cards.  Some cruise lines have come out with wearable technology.

Each card/bracelet is linked to a guest and is scanned when they enter or leave the ship.  This provides them with an accurate picture of who is onboard the ship and who is onshore.

Wearable technology such as Princess' Medallion or Virgin "the Band" has taken this a step further.

What are Cruise Cards?

When embarking on the ship every guest will be given a card.  The card is the size of a credit card and it will have information on it about the passenger.

Most cruise cards include:

- Passenger Name

- Ship Name

- Loyalty Status (if you have one)

- Cruise dates

- Muster Station number

Each card will have either a magnetic strip or a barcode which is scanned by the ship's crew.

A photo of the passenger will either be added by the passenger at check-in or it will be taken when you get to the terminal.   The photo allows the crew to check that the correct person is using the card.  When the card is scanned the crew will see the guest photo.

Below you will see a few of my cards and the Wearable bracelet from my Virgin Voyage cruise. 

Cards are used to order things like drinks so this photo function is important to ensure that guests are not sharing the drink packages.

Some cards such as Norwegian and MSC have barcodes on the front.  

If you lose your card, a replacement can be obtained from guest services.

      IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EVERY GUEST ON A CRUISE KEEPS THEIR CARD

                                     WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES!

Wearable Technology (Princess and Virgin)

Wearable technology has taken the tracking of passengers to a new level!

These cruise lines have technology built into each deck which allows them to track and trace their passengers through the use of wristbands.

Princesses has spent years installing this technology on their ships.  Virgin Voyages ships are all relatively new and pride themselves on the use of the new technology on their ships.

I am looking forward to my cruise on the Discover Princess to try out the Ocean Medallion technology.

The photo below is what the Medallion looks like for Princess.  The band is not included you can either purchase through the cruise line when you get onboard or you can look at Amazon for other options.

The great part of the cards or the wearable is that it is useful if the ship is due to depart soon.  The crew will know who is on and who is still onshore, and they will be able to locate them very easily.

Call me for more information on cruise travel or all inclusive resorts.