Innovation in the holiday cruise industry is no longer confined to on-board or shore excursion products, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) shows as it launches a patent-pending tool that uses AI to create custom soundtracks based on the mood and content of users’ photos.
Created by the cruise company in collaboration with experts from the Berklee College of Music and technologists from around the world, SoundSeeker uses AI to analyse photos for colour, landscape, backdrop, emotion, body language and facial expression.
SoundSeeker then finds the musical elements corresponding to each mood in the photo to compose an audio and visual photo album, which users can share with their friends without leaving the platform.
To determine the musical pairing to photos, accounting for pitch, tempo and instrumental combinations, Berklee leveraged music theory to create a roadmap.
The Royal Caribbean tool is equipped to generate over one million unique tracks, based on custom base tracks, composed exclusively for the cruise line. The customised tracks are inspired by a variety of music, including 90s hip-hop, rock, modern and electronic dance music.
In a statement, Jim Berra, RCI chief marketing officer, commented: “People of all ages crave new ways to share their best experiences on social media. This unprecedented tool allows you to put a completely unique, multisensory spin on sharing those memories – now friends and followers can see and hear your life’s adventures.”
Earlier innovations by RCI include SeaSeeker, a custom-engineered scuba mask for Snapchat Spectacles; Voom, said to be the fastest internet at sea; virtual balconies, which give interior cabins a view; RFID technology; cocktails served by robots at the Bionic Bar; and a mobile app that boasts smart features like expedited arrival and X-ray vision into behind-the-scenes areas of the ship.
