SEAMOBILE® ANNOUNCES NEW WEB PORTAL TO DEBUT ON CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES’ ‘FUN SHIPS’®
WEB PORTAL FEATURES GOOGLE® MAPS, APPLE iTUNES® AND PHOTOWORKS® PHOTO BOOKS TO PROVIDE ENHANCED SERVICES FOR CRUISERS
Miami, Florida (March 14, 2007) – SeaMobile Enterprises, the dominant global provider of at-sea communications, connectivity and content services, announced today the launch of an interactive web portal to allow travelers aboard cruise ships access to important information to customize and enhance their cruising experience. As a partner in the new pilot program, Carnival Cruise Lines® will be the first to integrate the innovative web portal, which will be available on select Carnival ships within its Internet cafes and Wi-Fi networks beginning in April 2007. The announcement was made at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami, Florida. By delivering the SeaMobile Web Portal, cruise passengers will have easy access to relevant travel, leisure, media, entertainment and commerce content to enhance their cruise experience from ship to shore. Access to the shipboard portal is included in the ships’ existing fee-based Internet services. One example of the available information for cruisers comes through a relationship with Google® to provide enhanced information on cruise ship destinations. Through the SeaMobile Portal, Google Maps® and Google Earth® will make available maps of hundreds of ports around the world. This service will help cruise guests and shipboard personnel easily navigate on-shore destinations to find the best local dining, shopping and attractions. . “The development of the SeaMobile Web Portal serves as another example of our commitment to provide at-home quality connectivity to information and entertainment even while vacationing on a cruise visiting exotic ports of call, ”said SeaMobile Enterprises Chief Executive Officer, William D. Marks. “Over time we envision the portal becoming a key information gateway for cruise travelers to enjoy an information-rich cruise experience.” “We are pleased that we will be the first cruise line to integrate the SeaMobile Portal into our shipboard technology offerings,” said Bob Woodry, Vice President of Hotel Commerce for Carnival Cruise Lines. “The Portal will provide our guests with a valuable service while enhancing our ability to provide important and timely information to our guests and staff.” Another fun and unique service available to cruisers through the Portal is the ability to create personalized photo books of favorite travel memories. Through an exclusive partnership with PhotoWorks®, guests can receive instruction on uploading and editing/enhancing digital photos and even publishing a photo book. “PhotoWorks is excited to partner with SeaMobile to provide cruise ship adventurers with an opportunity to document and commemorate their travel experiences while sailing aboard the ship,” said Andy Wood, President and CEO of PhotoWorks, Inc. “We will enable cruisers with sophisticated and creative ways to indulge their passions and preserve their digital memories.” Other services the Portal offers include entertainment options such as Apple iTunes® music downloads and podcasts. The Portal landing site also provides Google search functionality, as well as links to the most popular e-mail domains. “The Portal will help personalize a cruising experience in very unique ways,” said Michelle Saro, Executive Director of Digital Media at SeaMobile and former executive at Real Networks. “Today the Internet is a mainstream tool for accessing information, receiving recommendations, finding directions, personalizing entertainment and self publishing. We are simply taking these mainstream internet applications to the open seas.” In addition to passenger appeal, the Portal also offers distinct marketing opportunities for cruise lines through the promotion of their own onboard stores and online shopping. Guests can access the Portal by using their own laptop WiFi connection on the ship or by visiting the onboard Internet Cafes. Payment options available to cruise lines utilizing SeaMobile technology include credit card, pre-paid, time and packet-based billing, peak/off peak, foreign currency, and an interface to cruise line Property Management Systems. On Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships, guests can conveniently charge Internet access to their shipboard Sail & Sign accounts, on a per-minute basis or in blocks of minutes at a discounted rate. The Portal and Internet Cafés are enabled by SeaMobile’s MTN global VSAT satellite communications network, and provide necessary firewalls and security to ensure a secure environment. Today’s announcement of the latest SeaMobile venture extends the company’s ability to provide numerous at-sea or remote location services.
About SeaMobile Enterprises About PhotoWorks, Inc. PhotoWorks(R), Inc. is an Internet-based digital photo-publishing company. The company's web-based services allow PC and Mac users to share and store their digital and film images, and to create hardbound photo books, customized greeting cards, calendars, prints and other photography-sourced products. Formerly known as Seattle Film Works, PhotoWorks has a 30-year national heritage of helping photographers share and preserve their memories with innovative and inspiring products and services. More information on the Company is available at www.photoworks.com or by e-mailing pr@photoworks.com. |
|
|
|








