In addition to offering thrilling experiences at sea, Royal Caribbean cruise ships are also known for their many amenities and cutting-edge technology. However, for passengers on board, sudden changes to familiar features, such as elevators, can lead to confusion.
That’s exactly why one woman decided to step in and help out fellow Royal Caribbean cruise-goers.
TikToker and travel content creator Marissa Willman (@marissawanders) shared a tutorial on how to navigate the new elevators on Royal Caribbean cruises.
How do you operate the new elevator system?
In the clip, which has garnered 527,500 views at the time of writing, Willman begins by asking, “Would you like to not look like an idiot when you get on your cruise and try to use the elevator?”
She then walks over to the touchscreen elevator control panel, explaining how it works.
“You select your deck before you get on and then it assigns you an elevator,” she says.
Upon choosing deck 11, the letter A shows us on the screen, and Willman makes her way toward the elevator marked A.
“So we are assigned elevator A,” she explains. “Your elevator will light up. Comes right to you.”
Making her way inside the elevator, Willman points out, “And then when you walk in, you’ll notice there are no buttons.”
“Don’t be like the rest of us on the first day who couldn’t figure out how to use the elevators,” Willman concludes.
Why did Royal Caribbean make this change?
According to an article published by The Street at the beginning of 2024, Royal Caribbean “quietly” rolled out this update on their ships.
The article explains that large crowds forming around waiting areas had become a significant issue on Royal Caribbean ships, prompting the change.
The rollout isn’t just solving a customer annoyance. Large crowds in enclosed spaces can be dangerous because there’s not enough room for everyone to move safely. If something goes wrong, people can panic, leading to accidents like pushing, falling, or getting hurt.
“We know a lot about the flow of people. We know a lot about how to create a delightful experience that also moves people around,” Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley told The Street.
@marissawanders It took too many of us too long to figure this out on the first day, so ill be the one to show you how to avoid looking silly when you board Utopia of the Seas 😅 @Royal Caribbean #utopiaoftheseas #royalcaribbean #cruise #familycruise ♬ original sound – Marissa Wanders
Commenters weigh in
In the comments under Willman’s video, some users are thankful she shared the tutorial, while others share their own experiences with this new elevator system.
“I’m going on this cruise in December so this helpful!” wrote one user.
“A hospital by me has this function too,” shared another. “Definitely confusing at first.”
“My hotel in NYC was like this,” wrote a third. “But worse because the elevator doors were in like a circle with more in the center so you had to run around a loop to find them.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Marissa Willman (@marissawanders) via email and Instagram Direct Message for further comment, and Royal Caribbean via email.
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