RCCL.hu
The official Hungarian portal for Royal Caribbean International.
The Challenge: Overcoming 10 Years of Tech Debt
The Hungarian representative of Royal Caribbean was struggling with an outdated, slow, and non-responsive website. With a 10-year-old design and a cumbersome booking process, it was no longer fit for a premium global brand.
Visual & Functional Overhaul
Replacing the legacy system with a modern, high-end platform.
Data-Heavy Infrastructure
Managing thousands of cruises, destinations, and cabin types in real-time.
Search Experience
Building a search engine that makes a massive inventory easy to navigate.
The Strategy: Creative Freedom Meets Technical Precision
1. Design: Global Luxury, Local Feel
Given complete creative freedom, I designed the entire interface from scratch. The goal was to blend the global luxury vibe of Royal Caribbean with a UX tailored for the Hungarian market. We integrated numerous interactive elements to make the digital journey as engaging as the physical one.
2. Intelligent Search Engine & API Integration
The heart of the site is the newly developed search engine:
- 9-Way Filtering: Users can filter by passenger count, region, departure port, destination, nights, date range, cruise line, and specific ship.
- API & Data Feeds: We implemented a complex API integration that powers the site and provides custom data feeds for domestic partners.
- Full Responsiveness: Unlike the previous site, the search and booking flow is now seamless across all devices.
3. Exceptional Performance on WordPress
Despite using WordPress at the client's request, the technical optimization delivered elite results:
- Desktop: Achieved a 99 performance score and a perfect 100 for "Best Practices".
- Mobile: Even with heavy API calls, the site maintains a stable 1.1s LCP (Largest Contentful Paint).
The Results: Dominating the Digital Seas
The new platform did more than just improve aesthetics; it drove significant business growth:
- ✓SEO Dominance: The website now ranks #1 for the vast majority of related high-intent keywords.
- ✓Increased Engagement: A significant surge in both conversion rates and newsletter subscriptions.
- ✓Seamless UX: The fast, modern search engine has drastically reduced friction in the booking funnel.
"The website perfectly reflects Royal Caribbean's global premium positioning while being tailored for the Hungarian market."
Technical Toolkit Used
Platform
WordPress + Custom Development
Search Engine
9-point filtering system, Live API integration
Performance
99/100 Desktop, 1.1s LCP
SEO
#1 Rankings, Content Strategy
Data Management
Thousands of cruises, Partner data feeds