Role
- Product Management
- Service Design
- Interface Design
- Client management
Problem
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise industry took a big hit. As operations began to resume, they were faced with three fundamental problems: Different countries had different testing and vaccination requirements. Guests were confused about what they needed to do outbound and inbound. Travel operators did not want to be involved in an outbreak.
Proposition
Objectives
- Allow guests to upload their health records easily.
- Keep guests aware of their clearance status.
- Minimise queue times at the port.
- Minimise help desk demand.
Solution
Sail Screen comprises four main activities that enable a smooth pre- and post-embarkation experience.
- Guest management - Guiding guests through the necessary activities before embarkation.
- Validating - Automatic and manual review of uploaded guests' health documents.
- Testing - Setup and operation of international testing centres.
- Reporting - Communication of pre-embarkation and testing data to travel operators and national authorities.
Benefits
The service is designed around the needs of travel operators and guests and is based on Prenetic's experience in supporting the travel industry throughout the pandemic.
For travel operators
- Set COVID-19 requirements that are communicated to guests
- Track port pre-arrival status so that guests can be prompted to complete any necessary actions
- Monitor pre-embarkation testing statistics
- Access testing reports after cruises have set sail
For guests
- Clear guidance for meeting the testing requirements
- Easy upload of health reports via mobile or desktop
- Access pre-embarkation status at any time
- Receive important notifications via email or within the app
- Direct access to customer service
Core experience
Adding reservation details
Uploading Health Records
Email notifications
Dashboard
Arrival at port
Outcome
The primary measurement for success was the elapsed time between guests arriving at the testing centre and being approved for embarkation - 'waiting time'. The secondary measurement was the count of guests per cruise who arrived at the port without a 'Clear to Sail' status. A low count indicated that the app and the comms were performing well in guiding customers through the approval process before arrival at the port.
While I cannot report on the numbers, Sail Screen surpassed the expectations of the cruise operators we supplied it to.