- AIDA Cruises tested digital guest check-in on AIDAprima at Hamburg on 23 July.
- Guests used 20 digital terminals for independent embarkation.
- Photos were taken and compared with ID documents using biometric data.
- The service was developed over two years with Lufthansa Industry Solutions.
- The boarding pass is RFID-encoded for payment and cabin access.
AIDA Cruises tested digital guest check-in for the first time in a pilot project at the Steinwerder Cruise Center in Hamburg. Guests embarked on the AIDAprima at one of the 20 digital check-in terminals on 23 July 2026. A photo was taken of each guest, which was stored in the ship system and compared with the photo on ID documents based on biometric data.
Digital check-in was found to speed up the embarkation process, offering more flexibility in combination with personal service. The service was developed over two years in collaboration with Lufthansa Industry Solutions, adapting self-service check-in terminals from aviation for use in cruises. This included the integration of printers for boarding passes and connection to the ship’s systems.
The boarding pass is RFID-encoded, serving as a means of payment onboard and as a key to the cabin. AIDA intends to use the findings from the pilot project to explore further use of this technology.
