Holland America Line is placing Microsoft Surface tables into its Mix entertainment areas on five ships as part of a spruce-up of the cruise line’s lounges.
HAL, which claims to be the first cruise line to get the Microsoft Surface tables on board, is focusing on the gaming aspects of the table for now, but in the future will likely adapt the tables to researching and online booking applications, a spokeswoman says.
However, plans for converting the tables into cruise research and booking tools are not yet under way, the spokeswoman adds.
“For now we are focusing on the gaming,” the spokeswoman says.
The cruise line has one Microsoft Table operational on the Veendam and plans to have another one humming on the Rotterdam by the middle of December. The Ryndam and Statendam are in line for the tables in February and April 2010, respectively, and Microsoft Surface fans will have to wait until April 2011 to try the pricey tables on the Maasdam, HAL says.
The Microsoft Surface tables in the Mix lounges look like this:
The Microsoft Surface tables enable people to manipulate objects and content on a glassy-smooth, 360-degree horizontal user interface by touching them and sliding their hands along the surface. HAL is positioning the tables as the focal point of entertainment in the Mix lounges.
Passengers can use the tables “to listen to music and play checkers and chess, air hockey, Tetris, cards and the Touch Sports games of football, basketball and skee-ball,” HAL states.
Several travel companies, including TravelTainment and Sheraton Hotels, are experimenting with using the Microsoft Surface tables for more travel-specific purposes, including travel research, booking and customer care.
It would seem that beyond the gaming focus, HAL and other cruise lines could put the tables to great use in inspiring passengers — when they are aleady having a great time on board — to run their fingers across the globe and plan and book their next cruise vacation.
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