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I Finally Caved and Tried the Buzzy Tech Feature on Royal Caribbean’s Latest Ship—Here’s What I Liked and Didn’t

When I boarded Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Star of the Seas for a media preview cruise last week, I knew there would be splashy new features to try: killer waterslides, fresh dining concepts and the Broadway-worthy Back to the Future production show. But one tech upgrade promised to make the cruise experience smoother from the moment I stepped on board, and I was first in line to give it a whirl.

Whether you’re a diehard rider of the high seas or just a curious potential cruiser, you’ll want to know what I found out about this exciting perk. I’ll take you through what it is, how you can get it and the pros and cons of using it on your next Royal Caribbean cruise. And you won’t believe what they have in store for later this summer—parents will love it! Keep reading to learn more.

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What is this cool tech feature?

It’s the WOW Band, a wearable wristband that replaces your SeaPass card (aka your room key) and does a few other surprising things.

Royal Caribbean’s WOW Band is a reusable, waterproof wristband equipped with RFID technology. It allows guests to access their staterooms, make onboard purchases and enter certain lounges with a simple tap of the wrist. It’s currently available on more than a dozen Royal Caribbean ships, including the newest ones like Icon of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and Star of the Seas.

How do WOW bands work?

Once linked to your SeaPass account, the WOW Band functions just like a cruise key card—but with an RFID chip. You can open your stateroom door, pay for drinks, scan in at dinner and shop around the ship without ever digging through your bag. It’s water-resistant and designed to stay on 24/7, even at the pool or in the shower.

What I liked about the WOW Band

There was a lot to like here, including:

  • Hands-free convenience: I loved not having to carry my SeaPass everywhere, especially when I didn’t have pockets or I didn’t want to carry a purse. The WOW Band worked seamlessly at bars, shops and my stateroom door.
  • Swim-friendly: I wore it in the pool and at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, without issue. No soggy card, no worries about losing it either.
  • Minimalist vibe: For casual daytime cruising, it was nice to leave the lanyard or wristlet behind and go fully hands-free.
  • Multiple colors: The bands come in white, blue, yellow and black, so you can choose whatever hue makes you happy.

What I didn’t like about the WOW Band

Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Here’s where it fell short for me:

  • It’s not free: You’ll have to pay $9.99 each to use a WOW Band in place of their SeaPass card. Exceptions: Star Class passengers get complimentary Star Class–branded WOW bands, and Royal Suite Category staterooms get complimentary WOW bands, though your choice of color is based on availability.
  • It clashed with formalwear: On elegant nights, the plastic band didn’t exactly complement my outfit. I ended up removing it for dinner and shoving it in my purse, which means I might as well have just had the SeaPass card.
  • You still need the SeaPass in port: For a wearable designed to replace your key, it’s frustrating that you can’t use it to disembark and reboard the ship.
  • The scanners weren’t always convenient: I stopped by a bar for a drink one afternoon, and the scanner behind the counter didn’t have a long enough cord—so I had to remove my wristband and hand it to the bartender to scan and then put it back on again. I wish they had handheld scanners instead.

What revolutionary feature will WOW Bands offer soon?

Check out this awesome safety feature, which just launched on Star of the Seas: Find My Kid! When children aged 3 to 12 check into the cruise line’s kids program, Adventure Ocean, parents can opt to buy an Adventure Ocean WOW Band that pairs with the Royal Caribbean app. It lets you see your child’s general location onboard—as long as you’re on the ship’s app. The band also shows muster station info and allows kids to make limited purchases with parental controls.

Reader’s Digest editor Anne Fritz recently had the chance to test it out with her two kids (ages 10 and 12) on a preview cruise on Star of the Seas. “My kids are tweens, so I wanted them to have some freedom to explore the ship, including checking themselves in and out of the kids’ club,” Fritz says. “It gave me peace of mind to know that I could locate them on the Find My Kid! feature, and it saved me from physically hunting for them—a big plus on this huge ship! Once when I was looking for them, I could see that they were on their way back to the room, so I knew to stay put.”

The kid’s version of the WOW Band comes in a tie-dye print and also costs $9.99.

Do you have to use a WOW Band?

No. The WOW Band is optional and costs extra unless you’re in a suite category that includes it. If you do buy one, you can reuse it on future WOW Band–enabled ships. As of now, there’s no indication that SeaPass cards will be phased out, but the WOW Band feels like a nudge in that direction.

Which other cruise lines offer wearables?

Royal Caribbean isn’t alone here. Disney Cruise Line has its DisneyBand+, which includes interactive elements, on select cruises. Virgin Voyages issues a wearable wristband called The Band, which is made of recycled ocean plastic. And Princess Cruises offers the Medallion, a coin-sized disc that enables contactless everything onboard. Not every cruise line is moving in this direction … yet. But it sure seems like the future of cruising is here.

Final verdict

Would I use a WOW Band again? Definitely—especially on a casual Caribbean cruise. The convenience of tapping my way through vacation was worth the $9.99 (especially since I take several Royal Caribbean cruises each year). I will leave it off on dressier evenings, but overall, it added more ease than the traditional SeaPass card. If you’re the type who constantly misplaces their key card, the WOW Band is a smart upgrade.

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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

Avoid This Mistake on Your Next Cruise

Carnival Bans This Item on All Sailings

Cruise-Tipping Trend: Etiquette Faux Pas?

The post I Finally Caved and Tried the Buzzy Tech Feature on Royal Caribbean’s Latest Ship—Here’s What I Liked and Didn’t appeared first on Reader's Digest.



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