Since the secure health data app VeriFly was first implemented by Carnival Cruise Line in January, more than 1,000,000 guests have taken advantage of this fast, convenient way to enter their pre-cruise health screening information for a smoother embarkation experience.
VeriFly Successfully Implemented
Less than eight months after being voluntarily introduced on a single ship, the VeriFly app has now been used by more than one million Carnival Cruise Line guests and is available at all of the cruise line’s U.S. homeports and for all of the fleet’s vessels.
“Helping one million people to simplify the process of starting their vacation is a great milestone to reach, but it’s no surprise the majority of our guests have taken to using VeriFLY so quickly,” said Ron Dillehay, Carnival’s vice president of guest marketing and technology. “They see the benefit immediately as they save a significant amount of time at the port and get on board faster.”
Carnival Cruise Line first introduced VeriFly, the free health screening travel documentation app developed by Daon, aboard its flagship, Mardi Gras, on January 22, 2022. That initial use was voluntary but saw great interest, with 85% of passengers invited to use the app downloading it.
“For those who successfully uploaded required info for confirmation, the health screening process time was cut in half, significantly speeding up the check-in process,” Carnival Cruise Line said of that first use.
With such great success, the app was quickly rolled out across Carnival’s entire fleet, making Carnival Cruise Line the largest company to use the technology. The app verifies that a traveler’s pre-cruise health test matches the ship’s and homeport’s requirements and displays a simple pass or fail message.
This alerts guests to any discrepancies in their screening paperwork, allowing time for corrections or re-testing before arriving at the cruise port. Once at the terminal, guests can present VeriFly rather than shuffling paper to confirm their health screenings.
Now, the app continues to see great success and simplifies the boarding process for passengers on every Carnival cruise.
“We applaud Carnival Cruise Line, the world’s largest cruise vacation company, for leading the industry in reaching the milestone of one million guests using the VeriFLY digital travel app to ensure safe and convenient travel and leisure,” said Tom Grissen, chief executive officer at Daon.
“Through this partnership, we are enabling Carnival to deliver a faster and more seamless health screening experience at embarkation for their guests.”
In addition to Carnival Cruise Line, VeriFly is also used by Holland America Line, Seabourn, and Viking Cruises, as well as several airlines and resort and hotel chains.
Guest Feedback
In a recent question on his popular Facebook page, Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald asked what guests think of the ease of the app and how it impacts boarding a cruise.
More than 6,000 guests responded, and feedback has been largely positive with comments such as:
“It is easy to use, and it made things go much quicker during embarkation.” – Shand Shuler-Altman
“Love it! I’ve used it on 3 cruises so far and it makes embarkation so much faster.” – Jessica Lewis Roberts
“Very easy and we flew through the check in process. I encourage others to use it too!” – Stacie Deneen
“Absolutely loved it! Worked as it was supposed to and took the stress out of testing and proof of vaccine. Streamlined the whole process in Miami for us.” – Laurie Whalen
“It was very easy to upload all my docs and boarding was quick and painless. I will definitely use it every time I cruise from now on!” – Angie Mills Quinn
Some guests do report difficulties with the app, such as guests with very long names not being able to complete the verification process, or problems at different ports if the wireless signals have difficulty connecting.
There were also glitches with the app immediately after Carnival Cruise Line changed its testing protocols for short cruises, as it took time for the app to be updated with the new requirements.
Even if using the app successfully, guests are encouraged to bring along paper copies of all their pre-cruise testing and other health screening documentation in case additional verification is necessary, or if there may be problems with connectivity at the port.
VeriFly can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play.