Azamara Woos Luxury Cruisers With Virtual Reality App

It’s not quite a step into The Matrix, but Azamara Club Cruises has launched its first mobile app and it features a virtual reality rendering of ship amenities and destination experiences.

The Azamara 3DI app, which is now available for Apple iOS devices, has the ability to use a Google Cardboard headset to create a 3D virtual reality experience built around Azamara’s ships.

“When perfecting our first app, providing this sensory journey was not negotiable,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises. “Having an app is important, but more important is the content it provides.”

Users without any virtual reality gear can view 360-degree video of ship tours on two vessels, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, along with destination videos at ports of call in South and Central America.

Azamara is looking forward to the future of consumer technology with the introduction of the new app.

“We do not think there is a significant differential between luxury cruisers and traditional cruisers when it comes to engaging with this type of technology,” said Raul Parquet, a social media strategist for Azamara. “What this does allow us to do is connect with new tech-savvy travelers who use this type of tech to engage and immerse themseleves in travel.”

Earlier this year, Azamara launched a new marketing campaign showing off its destination experiences instead of its ships.

Destination videos available right now for the 3DI app include a canopy tour in Costa Rica, a horse and carriage ride in Cartagena, Colombia, and a video of a Panama Canal crossing. All the content is also available through web browsers.

The brand is looking to develop its marketing content as more virtual reality devices enter the consumer marketplace.

“We are only at the beginning with this new technology; more content is planned for the app, the website and the live event virtual reality experiences for 2015 and 2016,” said Parquet. “As technology changes, Oculus and Facebook have announced new headsets to be delivered at the start of 2016. The quality of these headsets will allow consumers and brands to gain further access to HD 360-degree video and showcase products to potential buyers.”