Fleet-wide intelligence the key for revenue maximisation, says Fidelio Cruise President Tony Heuer

 

Larger ships and fierce competition means cruise operators must know exactly what is happening across their fleets at any one time, says Fidelio Cruise boss Tony Heuer .

Speaking in the On-board Revenue Workshop at this year’s Seatrade Europe cruise event in Hamburg, Heuer told delegates: “This knowledge is a vital management tool. Any lapse in performance, for whatever reason, is potentially a threat to profitability.”

The company’s Fleet Management System, however, provides a powerful new tool to track every transaction on board, across a fleet of ships – every purchase, all maintenance, all bookings, spa treatments, excursions and, most importantly, guest feedback.

Typically once a day, but more frequently if required, all shipboard records are sent ashore to provide a complete record of the previous day’s events at sea. This data can be collected simultaneously across any number of vessels in a cruise fleet.  

The data is collated and consolidated, providing a powerful tool for cruise managers to analyse comparative statistics relating to vessels, revenue generation and cruise itineraries.

 

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“Cruise managers can use this information to fine-tune their products and target their marketing initiatives more accurately,” says Heuer. “If, for example, the on-board spend is dramatically different between two sister vessels in a fleet, managers should know about it. Or if shore excursions during one particular cruise are poorly attended, then the marketing people should know.”

“We do not believe that a modern cruise line should be without this unique new management tool which offers a radically new approach to strategic planning and fleet operation,” declares Heuer.