CES 2017: Carnival uses wearables, machine learning to make cruises more fun ZDNet

Carnival will give its cruise ship guests the Ocean Medallion so they can access their personalized cruise experience. Carnival Cruise line is betting that a whole host of intelligent, connected services for guests will turn the cruise experience from a "supposedly fun thing" to a truly personal and compelling vacation. "Our sole purpose is... to make our guests happy, to transport them," Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald said at CES 2017 in Las Vegas Thursday. Donald's speech -- the first keynote address on the first official day of the 50th annual CES -- illustrated how technology has become an integral part of just about every industry, with much of it powered by machine learning. The cruise line is partnering with Accenture to deliver a range of new guest services, including an IoT network, a digital "experience" portal and even a new wearable.