Royal Caribbean Digital Companion App
Overview
Royal iQ was Royal Caribbean’s original digital companion app, introduced on Quantum-class ships. It allowed guests to manage their cruise experience from their phone or tablet. Key features included digital check-in, viewing daily schedules, booking shore excursions, dining, and entertainment, as well as managing onboard reservations. It also offered onboard messaging and calling, plus the ability to keep track of spending.
Role:
UX/UI Designer
Timeline:
8 weeks
Tools:
Balsamiq, Photoshop
Team:
Development, Project Management
Problem
Royal Caribbean needed to support a wide range of onboard functions (i.e. dining, shows, excursions, and schedules) without overwhelming guests. The challenge was to serve both users seeking quick access to specific information and those wanting to browse and explore.
Solution
We created a scrollable home page anchored by modular widgets that highlighted the most useful features up front (i.e. upcoming activities, dining options, or excursion highlights). Each widget offered a snapshot of content with a path to more detail, making the app simple for task-focused users while still encouraging exploration.
Ideation
Widget User Flows
Below are some examples of the home page widget user flows. We had to account for many different states of the app per guest:
Users might be interacting with the app before their cruise with or without having linked it to a specific booking.
Users might be in a foreign port of call without cellular or WiFi service.
Different features needed to be displayed on different days of the cruise (i.e. showing information about restaurants reservations on the last day would not be useful, since the guest was leaving the ship).
Design
High Fidelity Screens
After finalizing the wireframes for Royal Caribbean's Royal iQ app, we developed high-fidelity screens to showcase the final visual design. This detailed screen incorporated typography, colors, imagery, and spacing to bring the design to life. We maintained a consistent and cohesive brand identity throughout the screen by adhering to the established style guide and brand platform. The high-fidelity screen provided an opportunity for client feedback and collaboration, ensuring that the final design accurately captured their vision for an engaging and visually appealing companion application.
Outcomes
Impact & Results
The Royal iQ app delivered measurable business and customer experience impact. Financially, it drove nearly 50% of onboard purchases, while guests who booked pre-cruise experiences spent 2.5x more overall. Royal Caribbean also saw a 4% lift in mobile conversion rates alongside reduced bounce and abandonment, and the company’s digital platforms have surpassed 30 million downloads, showing strong adoption. From a customer experience perspective, the app enabled personalized messaging and offers, streamlined the onboarding process, and improved satisfaction through features like deck plans, menus, and event calendars. Together, these results demonstrate how thoughtful digital design can drive both engagement and revenue growth.
