We’ve been talking to the cruise ship interior and guest experience experts ahead of the upcoming Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo conference. Ryan Simpson, Head of Technology, Ambassador Cruise Line will be joining us at the Excel on 4th December to discuss the future of technology-enabled service.
We got stuck into the realities and possibilities of technology on board cruise ships, how to be strategic when considering your guest demographics, and how to equip both your crew and your guests with the tech they need.
Hello! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role?
I’m currently the Head of Technology for Ambassador Cruise Line. I joined Ambassador before the launch of our first ship, Ambience and have been leading the technology implementation for everything post booking including guest platforms and physical hardware on board our ships. I’ve been working in the travel and cruise industry for some years and having the opportunity to work for a new cruise line like Ambassador is very exciting.
You’ll be discussing the role of technology in enabling service and empowering guest service. What do Ambassador Cruise Line’s guests expect when it comes to their experience?
We’re quite an interesting cruise line because of the age demographic of our guests, who are primarily aged 50+. Traditionally technology isn’t at the forefront of our guest’s mind, so we have to be really mindful about what technology we deploy. It must be super simple to use and must work seamlessly across all touchpoints.
We also must equip our crew to support our guests with the variety of technology we have on board, because it might not be a familiar environment for them. I think that covid led to our demographic becoming far more accustomed to technology, as they used it to stay in touch with friends and family. Despite this we are still very considerate whenever we do anything to ensure it adds value to guests, crew and our operation. We always ask ourselves, how are guests going to use it? Is it easy to access? And will it improve the experience? This is the key to our success so far.
Back of house technology has its own role to play in how a brand develops their guest experience. How do you split the development of technology between back-of-house and front-of-house projects?
The guests always take priority. We ensure that the crew have the information they need in order to be able to service the guest at all times. But we always ensure that the guest has that same information so that they can self-service. That’s the balance we ultimately strive for. A recent example is the launch of an event management system.
Guests enjoy cruises not only because of the itineraries but the amazing onboard entertainment provided. This makes it critical that event information is consistent and correct across digital and printed channels. Crew are now able to plan events days and weeks in advance and have the confidence that all content is aligned and guests now have more detailed information about our events at their fingertips.. I think this is a great example of how technology has been delivered to not only improve the guest experience but to streamline onboard processes for our crew.
Is there a development to technology that’s going to have a powerful impact on your job role in the future?
I think AI is on everyone’s agenda. For a cruise line of our size and with our demographic, we’re constantly reviewing the technologies we use to ensure they meet both Ambassador’s and our guests’ needs, given that the landscape is changing so quickly. With regards to AI, we are starting to use it in our contact centre to support email queries which is ensuring our agents always have the correct information. AI is helping us in this instance to reduce response times and provide a more consistent experience.
We are being really careful with guest-facing AI tools . We have to consider the legal standpoint of it. What are the guardrails that surround AI? How do we ensure that whatever information we’re providing is safe and on brand and then the responses coming out are appropriate? I think AI is the biggest topic of conversation, which I’m sure will come up at some point during the speaker session.
Without giving too much away, could you give us a preview of what you’ll be discussing at your session, ‘What is the future of technology-enabled service?’
Technology is already at the heart of every cruise line operation and is relied on heavily to provide information to guests. During the session we will be exploring the way technology is helping personalize a guests time on board, new trends and exciting opportunities to take the guest experience to the next level.
I look forward to seeing everyone who attends the session. Whether their guests are familiar with the cutting edge of technology or they appreciate the impact of tech-enhanced experience, I think they can benefit from taking part in the conversation.
Want more of this?
Check out the Cruise Ship Interiors (CSI) Design Expo Europe blog for more design insights and the latest industry updates. CSI Design Expo Europe is a specialised conference and exhibition catered exclusively to the European cruise interior design industry, with a unique focus on Europe’s luxury ocean, river, and expedition cruising. The next event will be taking place on 3 – 4 December 2025 at Hamburg Messe & Congress.