Carnival hopes a virtual cruise will convince you to book your next vacation
Carnival has put the highlights of a cruise in a 360-degree video to provide the experience of an "instant Caribbean vacation."
The virtual vacation starts on Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, with serene waves brushing the shore.
But then it's back to the cruise ship — and the cruise ship's water slide. Viewers can discover that a virtual waterslide is just as dizzying as a real one.
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The rest of the video takes viewers through the ship, from its restaurants, bars and pools to a sunset viewing from the back deck lounge.
Obviously a two-and-a-half minute video can't truly mimic a cruise vacation — motion sickness and overcrowded decks don't figure in the video — but Carnival's investment in virtual experiences signals a shift in the vocabulary of travel advertising.
Between a combination of online reviews and virtual reality, potential travelers now have a clearer picture than ever of what to expect while on vacation. By releasing their own virtual realities, travel companies can try to regain some control of a traveler's preconceived notions of a trip.
"We know that many first time cruisers find it difficult to understand what the cruising experience will be like until they’ve experienced it firsthand," Stephanie Leavitt Esposito, director of social media and branded content for Carnival, told Mashable. "So we decided to use 360 video technology to help get consumers closer to the spaces that make Carnival special."
According to a study by YouVisit, a virtual reality tour company, 13% of people who experience a vacation in virtual reality go on to either book a vacation or get in contact with lodging or transportation companies.
Las Vegas, South Africa, Australia, Buckingham Palace and India's Golden Temple have all been turned into virtual travel experiences.
And earlier this week, Etihad Airways announced that it will premiere a virtual reality film starring Nicole Kidman.
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Cailey studied journalism at SUNY Purchase and french cinema & literature at Paris IV Sorbonne. She is a cynical optimist and Talking Heads karaoke enthusiast. Drop her a line @misscaileyanne
