The USA Today Cruise Log reports that Royal Caribbean's new 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas will feature iPhone rentals, which will enable cruisers to keep in touch with one another onboard and to track their wandering kids.
Passengers will be able to rent these Royal Connect-branded phones, which facilitate onboard calling and texting, for $17.50 each starting in January, and about 800 of them will be available for rental in the initial rollout on the new ship.
Such a system is said to be a cruise industry first. So is the Oasis of the Seas, which is the largest passenger ship in the world.
The Oasis of the Seas has a dedicated wireless network to support the devices, and the cruise line is considering readying other ships in its flotilla for the iPhones if the demand is there, according to the USA Today story.
Passengers using the Royal Connect phones will not be able to to place calls beyond the ship, but still the $17.50 per-voyage fee seems a bargain for passengers trying to keep tabs on their friends and family on board the massive ocean liner.
It sounds like a fun plaything, as well.
Royal Caribbean also will outfit the wristbands that kids are required to wear with passive electronic devices, and this will enable their parents to track their kids' whereabouts with the souped-up iPhones.
Talk about mobile applications -- Royal Connect may be useful for high drama and hijinks on the high seas.