Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas sets sail today showcasing for the first time its ‘virtual balcony staterooms.’
Now cruisers who miss out on a coveted sea view suite can enjoy the next best thing – round-the-clock live streaming of the ocean.
Eighty interior staterooms have now been fitted with floor-to-ceiling 80-inch HD screens which relay real-time video from the ship’s deck.
Along with the moving images, exterior microphones also broadcast the sounds of the ocean.
To lend it an authentic touch, images transmitted come with a virtual balcony grab rail in the foreground for "a feeling of safety."
Two all-weather cameras and microphones are mounted at the stem and stern of the ship and a live feed is streamed through fiber-optic cable to the stateroom display screens.
In addition, over 300 virtual balconies will be installed in staterooms on Royal Caribbean’s new ship Quantum of the Seas, which launches later this year.
