For 50-plus years, innovation has been a big part of what makes Royal Caribbean cruises memorable for every traveler. This, coupled with the latest technology, is what’s led to bringing to life many of our guests’ favorite signature experiences. From those that blur the lines between tech and entertainment to sustainable engineering and initiatives, not only have innovations enhanced the cruise vacation, but they’ve changed the industry. Technology also makes cruising safer and healthier—a priority we all share.

The Royal Caribbean International mobile app, originally designed to help travelers maximize every moment of their vacation by eliminating lines, crowds and slips of paper, now is a solution that will help encourage today’s important practices—such as physical distancing—and minimize common touchpoints.

Available on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store, the app offers a series of features that come in handy to do things like check in and schedule your arrival time, make dining and show reservations, unlock your stateroom, and much more.

Here are five ways the Royal Caribbean app will help keep you safe and healthy on your cruise vacation:

You can check in and schedule your arrival time in advance to help avoid lines and get on board faster.

Credit: Shutterstock

1. Check-in: Enhanced features and Scheduled Arrival 

Boarding is smoother and even safer when using the mobile app to check in for your cruise. You’ll have the important information you need before you arrive, including health and safety requirements. For most cruises, scanning your passport and uploading a ‘selfie’ security photo will generate a mobile boarding pass that’s going to help make for a better experience at the terminal. You can then choose your arrival time from a list of staggered options, which will help reduce large crowds and ensure physical distancing from the moment you arrive to the time you board.

Pro tip: The app also makes it easy for you to provide the health information that’s needed before you board, and depending on your sailing, you can even register for testing.

Muster 2.0 is both flexible and encourages an even higher level of safety.

Credit: Royal Caribbean

2. Reinvented Safety Briefing

One of the latest innovations on board, Muster 2.0™, reinvents one of the least-favorite (but important) parts of cruising—the mandatory safety briefing. We’ve taken a process that was designed for large groups of people and reimagined it into a more personal approach that encourages higher levels of health and safety standards.

Thanks to new eMuster™ technology developed and patented by Royal Caribbean, the essential information you need to know is available on the app and your stateroom TV, allowing you to start the safety briefing even before you board. To prioritize your health and safety, you’ll just need to visit your assigned assembly station—a designated check-in location—before the ship sets sail, so our crew can verify all the steps are completed (aka more time to relax and enjoy your vacation).

You can plan and manage the details of your cruise vacation, and conveniently find them in a personalized calendar on the app.

Credit: Royal Caribbean

3. Daily Planning

There is plenty to see and do on a Royal Caribbean cruise, whether catching waves on the FlowRider or exploring one of the camera-ready ports. With just a few taps, you won’t miss a beat with the app’s Daily Planner. You can easily browse and schedule activities, entertainment, dining and shore excursions. The best part about this easy-to-use feature is that you’ll save time and avoid lines.

You can unlock your stateroom door with your phone by using the Digital Key feature on the app.

Credit: Royal Caribbean

4. Digital Key & Stateroom Controls

On several ships, like Odyssey of the Seas, the app can also be your very own Digital Key to unlock your stateroom. It’s an easy, three-step setup. Once inside, you can control the TV and even stream content right from your phone. The room temperature, lights and curtains for some staterooms can also be controlled. You can be as “hands-off” as you’d like, taking away the need to use common physical touchpoints and minimizing the chances of ever misplacing your SeaPass card—your official ID on the cruise.

With real-time updates, you can always keep track of your onboard expenses like the cocktails you’ve ordered.

Credit: Royal Caribbean

5. Onboard Account

The app makes managing your onboard purchases easier. From the palm of your hand, you can see all your purchases and credits in real time without having to deal with pesky paper receipts. That means you have every opportunity to manage your vacation while sitting poolside with a cocktail in one hand and your phone in the other.

With more to come, rest assured many of the innovations that have made our cruises easier and more seamless will also help keep you safe.

Start planning your Royal Caribbean cruise now and discover all that each ship has to offer.