Why cruises are the perfect playground for XR

For years, XR was seen as novelty tech—fun at trade shows, limited in real-world application. But as we enter 2025, the narrative is shifting. Once a curiosity, XR is powering real training and maintenance solutions across industries.

Cruise lines, uniquely positioned at the intersection of hospitality, entertainment, and transportation, are already exploring what’s possible. Royal Caribbean, for instance, has been using VR for ship design since the late 2010s, allowing teams to virtually walk through spaces before a single wall is built. It also piloted guest-facing AR games and VR dining experiences—experiments that are no longer confined to concept videos, but featured on actual ships.

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re heralds.

Cruise ships are controlled, self-contained environments with a clear appetite for innovation—making them an ideal lens through which to examine XR’s potential. Want to gamify a family’s sea day with an AR scavenger hunt? You control the hardware and the experience. Need to train 400 crew members on safety procedures? You can issue VR headsets and run modules at scale.

Most importantly, XR allows cruise lines to do something that’s long been a holy grail in the guest experience: make every journey feel personalized, premium, and memorable—without needing to triple the staff or overhaul infrastructure.

This is especially timely given the competitive push toward connected ships and next-gen amenities. XR isn’t just part of that future—it could define it.

The convergence of maturing hardware, growing consumer comfort with AR/VR, and operational pressures makes 2025 a strategic window—one where the next chapter of immersive travel begins. Airlines and hotels are moving on XR’s applications, yet the cruise industry stands out with its capacity for comprehensive XR integration, spanning every aspect from guest experiences to internal processes, offering a compelling proving ground for the technology’s value.

But here’s the kicker: you don’t have to wait for someone else to write the playbook. The tools are here. The partners exist. The ROI is no longer speculative.