Seabourn Uses VR Solution to Train Cruise Waitstaff

Pixvana, a virtual reality solutions provider, thas partnered with Seabourn, the ultra-luxury cruise line, to create and launch “TableVision,” a virtual reality training solution for waitstaff.

The new interactive VR training video enables new Seabourn employees to master the massive, 105 table, 12 serving station, dining room in a fraction of the time - without internet or access to the actual room.

“A major hurdle to staff training is the fact that the ship is almost always in full operation, with the dining room perpetually occupied with either customers or the cleaning crew,” said Rocky Sudlesky, the Seabourn Fleet Learning and Development Lead Specialist. “Finding a window of time to manually train new employees was both cumbersome and inefficient. Instead, we turned to the pros at Pixvana who handled everything from creative design to post-production and headset implementation. The end result is a completely tailored training experience that not only saves Seabourn Learning and Development time and money, but also provides staff with a more engaging, efficient, and accessible opportunity to learn.”

Pixvana utilized SPIN Studio, its proprietary VR-native platform, and award-winning production team to design and create the project in entirety. After analyzing the environment and drafting an optimized day-of plan, the team executed a fast, 4 hour on-set shoot - creating 26 scenes connected by 90 hyperports. Over 300 assets were then applied in a post production period - including branded, togglable graphic labels over the tables. The highly engaging experience simulates the psychological experience of wandering through the dining room with interactive tools that enhance training recall.

Pivana also provided access to its proprietary VR Casting feature, giving Seabourn Learning and Development the ability to conduct VR training sessions even when ‘offline’. Using VR Casting, TableVision can be securely transmitted and downloaded to any Oculus Go headset in the highest resolution, ready to be accessed at any moment and from any point around the globe.

Upon complete roll out of TableVision across each of Seabourn’s custom dining rooms, Pixvana will work to complete more training experiences for Seabourn Learning and Development, helping them develop an overall strategy to integrate VR into their investments in training innovation, and improve results.