Google Street View is at it again, and its latest creation involves the Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's flagship and the world's largest cruise ship.
Over 20,000 images were taken for the virtual tour of the Allure of the Seas, which took eight days to piece together and complete. The amount of work that went into Google Street View's latest project isn't surprising given the cruise ship had a capacity for 5,400 passengers.
The virtual tour is available through Royal Caribbean and Google Maps. As the Allure of the Seas unfolds, various decks are revealed including the Boardwalk with its hand-crafted carousel and two rock-climbing walls, the boulevard called Royal Promenade and rows upon rows of restaurants and boutiques, and Central Park and its lush foliage of more than 12,000 plants and trees. Not to be missed as well are the AquaTheater, an aquatic venue for performances; a Pool and Sports Deck with 15 pools,surf simulators, and a zipline; and the Entertainment Place, an elaborate entertainment destination with a theater, jazz and night clubs and an ice skating rink.
"Consumers go online to research their vacations and this is the closest they can get to actually being onboard. We are confident that once people get virtually immersed in Allure of the Seas' various decks and features thanks to Google Street View technology, they'll be eager to experience the real thing," said Jo Briody, director for PR and marketing of Royal Caribbean International.
When Street View was launched in 2007, it was appreciated for its novel way of helping people find their way around various US cities. From mapping streets, Google moved on to more elaborate locations like zoos, temples and airports. With Google Maps Business View, Street View's business arm, business owners pay for a Google-certified photographer to come in and take shots of their business for a virtual tour that potential customers can take via Street View.
Before the Allure of the Seas, Google Street View has also taken on the Taj Mahal, the canals of Venice, the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon to give virtual tours of the world's most popular destinations.
There are no reports yet as to which companies will be following the cruise line's lead with Google Maps Business View. Royal Caribbean has also said that it has no plans at the moment to map other cruise ships in its fleet.
