Embarking on a cruise often means eagerly anticipating those precious port days, a chance to immerse yourself in new cultures and explore captivating destinations. For avid explorers, maximizing their time ashore is key, and the last thing anyone wants is to fumble for misplaced documents.
Traditionally, alongside essentials like sunscreen and your ID, Carnival Cruise Line passengers needed to keep track of paper tickets for any shore excursions booked through the cruise line. This added an extra layer of responsibility, with the potential for stress if those small slips of paper went astray.
However, Carnival Cruise Line is ushering in a welcome change designed to streamline the port day experience. Recognizing that passengers already have their Sail & Sign cards for ship access, Carnival is leveraging this existing system by introducing a new digital platform for shore excursions.
This innovative approach will eliminate the need for paper tickets entirely. Instead of presenting a physical voucher, passengers will soon be able to conveniently check in for their pre-booked adventures simply by using their onboard Sail & Sign card.
This move towards a ticketless system is deeply integrated with Carnival’s HUB app, a familiar tool for many cruisers. Passengers who book shore excursions will receive digital confirmations directly within the app.
Furthermore, the platform will offer helpful reminders about crucial excursion details, such as meeting times and locations, delivered through timely in-app notifications. This digital integration not only reduces the risk of lost tickets but also provides passengers with readily accessible information at their fingertips, enhancing their overall port day experience.
The benefits of this digital transition extend beyond just simplifying check-in for pre-booked excursions. The new platform will also empower passengers who haven’t yet made plans to explore last-minute shore excursion availability directly through the HUB app.
Simultaneously, tour operators will gain efficiencies through the platform, enabling them to manage bookings and register participants in real time. This two-way functionality promises a smoother and more organized experience for everyone involved in the shore excursion process.
Carnival has already begun the rollout of this user-friendly ticketless system, starting in Australia earlier this year. Currently, they are actively testing the mobile application with select tour operator partners in various destinations across The Bahamas and the Caribbean. The cruise line has ambitious plans to have the platform fully operational for all shore excursions offered from their highly anticipated new exclusive destination, Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, by its grand opening on July 19th.
Following this significant milestone, Carnival intends to progressively implement the system across all shore excursions in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico throughout the remainder of 2025, with Alaska and European cruises slated to follow by the summer of 2026.
This digital evolution signifies Carnival’s commitment to enhancing the passenger experience by removing a common pain point and embracing convenient, technology-driven solutions.