Streamlining the guest experience for cruisers joining excursions ashore, Carnival Cruise Line announced plans today to bring an innovative digital platform to its tour operator partners that eliminates physical tickets and provides enhanced functionality.

Carnival is now piloting its new mobile application with select tour operator partners in some destinations in The Bahamas and the Caribbean after successfully integrating the platform in Australia earlier this year and plans to deliver it on all shore excursions available from its new exclusive destination, Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, by the July 19 opening.

Instead of utilizing paper tickets, guests can check in for shore excursions operators using their Sail & Sign card. Even before check-in, the new platform will link with Carnival’s HUB App and provide guests with a digital confirmation. In-app notifications will put important details, like meeting times and locations, at guests’ fingertips. Guests can also easily access shore excursions with last-minute availability, since the platform enables tour operators to make real-time sales and register guests in the moment.

“Our new ticketless platform prioritizes convenience for our guests and equips our tour operator partners with better tools, making the shore excursion experience more seamless, efficient and enjoyable,” said Sam Ackrill, VP of shore excursions for Carnival Cruise Line. “Eliminating the need for physical tickets and streamlining the process of checking in for shore excursions will be a great benefit, but the real-time functionality that’s built into our platform will give tour operators more opportunities and guests more choices.”

As Carnival rolls out its ticketless system at popular destinations most visited by its fleet of 29 ships, the cruise line’s team is working directly with partners to train operators on using the new tools. Once the platform is fully functional for all shore excursions at Celebration Key, the Carnival team will continue collaborating with operators across The Bahamas, the Caribbean and Mexico to fully implement the new platform throughout the remainder of the year. By next summer, the platform is scheduled to be available on cruises to Alaska and in Europe.

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