Neena Vicente, the cruise line’s VP of digital commerce and experience, described the move as a “new entry point into cruise discovery.”
“There is a broader shift in travel discovery as consumers increasingly use generative AI not simply to find information but to help evaluate choices and plan increasingly complex trips," she said.
An announcement on the initiative said it enabled the brand to be visible on the large language model while “keeping travelers connected to Princess' booking ecosystem.”
Offline channels continue to make up the largest share of cruise bookings in the U.S., according to research from Phocuswright, with travel advisors accounting for nine out of 10 cruises.
The ChatGPT app enables cruise customers to explore destinations, check pricing and availability and get help with planning a cruise. It also enables users to find cruises by destination, date and length, compare Princess itineraries and ships and explore on-board experiences as well as shore excursions.
Princess partnered with travel technology company Mobi to build the app on Mobi's model context protocol platform, which lets AI assistants access and interact with businesses' information and services.
“Princess has been remarkably forward-thinking about how AI will reshape the way travelers discover and engage with brands,” said Andrew Boch, CEO of Mobi. “Being the first global cruise line to bring its experience directly into LLMs reflects that vision. We have enormous respect for the Princess team, and I believe the foundation they're putting in place today will give them a real advantage as these new channels become an increasingly important part of travel.”
Princess, which is part of the Carnival Corporation portfolio, said it plans to expand the functionality to additional AI platforms in the future.
Tags: ChatGPT, artificial intelligence Neena Vicente, cruise
