Virgin Voyages

Anders Karlsson, Vice President, Virgin Voyages, and the team have been providing excellent service with the help of technology. It started with studying various clients’ journeys for 3-4 years. Based on the results, they have been focusing on providing technological solutions to support the trip. Since working with Disney Cruise Line in 1998, Anders Karlsson has worked in various positions, from restaurant manager to senior manager of hotel operations. With his ingrained business insight, Ross then affiliated with Virgin Voyages since its inception.

In an interview with the Travel and Hospitality Tech CIO Outlook magazine, Karlsson discusses enhancing travel management standards using upgraded technology and how businesses could improve customer service with its aid.

From your perspective, what major trends can play a crucial role in enhancing travel management standards?

Tech innovations would be a trend that can enhance travel management standards. The modern traveler, or in our case, cruiser, is very tech-savvy. Hence, I think there is already a high expectation for cruises. We have built technology that helps our well-trained staff to elevate the experience of traveling. It is applied in pre-voyage, during the voyage on the ship, and even post-voyage.

Another trend coming out of the pandemic is contactless technology, which we have utilized. Virgin Voyages has introduced a smart-wear technology called The Band. Our passengers use it for features like accessing the cabin, paying for purchases onboard and at the casino for guests in our RockStar suites.

We also have a feature called ‘shake for champagne’ for our customers. They use their devices to shake the Virgin Voyages app, resulting in a secret champagne button showing up. Passengers tap the button, and a bottle of champagne will be delivered to their current location.

We also provide free essential Wi-Fi for passengers to stay connected on social media or even check work-related mail. Our crew members make the most of it by staying connected with their family & friends.

What is your opinion on the impact of technology upgrades on travel management?

Technology Upgrades are required to stay relevant in the industry. We evaluate factors like language and ways to integrate tech to intensify the experience. With the app and reservation system, we are able to quicken and ease the services for our passengers and crew. The customer can interact with the team for service requests such as ordering food to the room or booking a spa.

“My advice would be to find the right mix between technology and human connection. Companies that strike upon it would be winners in getting more customers that’ll stay loyal”

Another feature called a virtual queue helps our passengers get a reservation in a restaurant instead of lining up by adding themselves to a virtual queue and continuing with their work. The app will then notify them of their turn. Upgrades like this can make the cruise more enjoyable.

Cabins use geo-sensors to control energy consumption, allowing passengers to adapt to the lighting, air conditioner, and other appliances at the push of a button.

Any thoughts on how some of the new innovations can help businesses enhance their customer service and encourage more people to travel?

From the traveler’s perspective, we can see that they can book dining, fitness classes, and other activities, helping them curate their day to enhance the experience. For our side, it gives us valuable data to see what is working and allows us to decide on our next step. We can aggregate a vast amount of information to view the questions passengers ask and find more unconditional ways to answer them.

Our number one priority is ensuring people feel safe to cruise, and technology has helped us ensure we run the smoothest and most reliable safety systems. We’ve also developed an innovative passenger safety drill on board for our travelers. Travelers can find critical information on us and share their reviews, which will help in adapting to what we think and see that can help us.

What advice would you like to give for other senior leaders and CXOs in the travel management sector?

One of the many things I’ve learned with working for Disney Cruise Lines and Virgin Voyages is when one starts something new, there will be a lot of tasks to sync and complete. It is good to have a robust change management system to ensure things like financial budgets and deadlines are met and synced. Honest conversations make employees feel valued, allowing them to express their thoughts freely. Invest in crew members to give the perfect human connection and operate the technology efficiently. The leaders should stay curious to learn more to apply the knowledge gained to advance the company.