Synopsis: Amanda Razani speaks with Albert Roux, EVP of Product, Identity at Microblink, about how AI is impacting cruise and travel industries.
In this interview, Amanda Razani speaks with Albert Roux, EVP of product at Microblink, about how artificial intelligence is transforming the cruise industry. Microblink provides AI-powered digital identity solutions that help verify customer identities through document scanning, biometric matching, and compliance checks. These tools are especially useful in hospitality and travel, where cruise lines face challenges like managing high-volume onboarding, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining a seamless guest experience. AI helps reduce friction during boarding by verifying documents and biometrics quickly, and can even integrate with wearable tech like cruise wristbands.
Roux shared practical examples of how AI is already delivering ROI for cruise companies, particularly in optimizing the passenger journey from the moment of booking through disembarkation. AI tools are embedded in mobile apps used to check in, verify identity, authorize purchases, and control access to services. These tools also function during the cruise to manage access to adult-only areas or private islands, and perform real-time checks for fraud or regulatory compliance. Importantly, Microblink has developed offline-capable AI models to meet the challenges of at-sea connectivity limitations.
Looking to the future, Roux sees both opportunities and risks in the adoption of AI. While technologies like large language models could offer personalized guest experiences and automate service roles, there is also the risk of advanced fraud through fake documents or identities. He predicts the evolution of more intelligent digital assistants and potentially even robotic customer service agents onboard. Ultimately, Roux emphasizes that AI has the power to dramatically improve guest experiences while enhancing safety and compliance—a transformative win for the cruise industry.
