Cunard Line`s Queen Mary 2 will use Ship Partner software from Discovery Travel Systems (DTS), a partner of the Progress company, an operating unit of Progress Software Corporation, to handle a variety of systems from prior to passenger embarkation through to final disembarkation.
Based on the Progress OpenEdge platform, Ship Partner handles:
* Embarkation/disembarkation information capture and dissemination in accordance with government regulations.
* A cashless billing environment with interfaces to a variety of point-of-sale systems, including bars, gift shops, an Internet caf'e, arcades and minibars.
*.Integration with critical areas, such as crew and vessel safety and door-locking mechanisms.
*.Shipboard amenity systems, such as telephone, interactive TV and credit card approval systems.
Queen Mary 2 will depart on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, on 12 January 2004.
The OpenEdge business platform lets companies develop, deploy, integrate and manage business solutions more efficiently. It delivers flexibility so that partners can use existing technology; adapt to new technology; connect with customers, partners and suppliers; and change with market and business requirements.
"A vessel is different from a hotel, in that passengers can embark/disembark at any port, and government regulations mandate that we have an accurate passenger manifest at any point. Failure to do so results in fines in excess of $50 000 per incident, per person. Additionally, the ship can`t sail without an accurate manifest, which could result in added longshoreman fees and tugboat costs for delayed departures," says Dick Beliveau, director of IT for Cunard Lines.
"Working closely with DTS, we have been able to customise Ship Partner to quickly and accurately collect passenger information, giving us the ability to hand off our manifest on schedule and avoid potentially stiff penalties."
Says Rick Parry, MD of Progress in SA: "With technology as flexible and cost-effective as Progress OpenEdge, DTS`s application is able to easily power many of the Queen Mary 2`s mission-critical business fundamentals, such as security and accounting systems, as well as integrating the systems that manage the ship`s amenities. In building the core business applications for the world`s largest luxury liner, partners like DTS reinforce the value of industry-specific expertise and Progress technology, a clearly competitive advantage."
Cunard`s relationship with DTS started with the systems aboard Queen Elizabeth 2. The Queen Mary 2 has 14 decks of sport facilities, a planetarium, five pools, 10 restaurants, lounges, shops, a spa, a book store and the capacity for 2 620 passengers and 1 235 crew. The new system will allow Cunard to integrate its existing Progress-based Ship Partner property management application with new solutions that handle everything from cabin door locks and in-cabin entertainment to a communications system delivered via interactive television.
Cunard is the only cruise line in the world to include passenger photos on security ID cards, creating the cards in a matter of minutes upon check-in. Because each card includes the passenger`s photo and important passport details, many countries accept its as a valid representation of a passport. DTS used OpenEdge to develop a customised manifesting application that tracks the embarkation/disembarkation of passengers and their movements throughout the voyage, in accordance with maritime and government regulations. A new module included in the latest version of Ship Partner allows for remote registration.
Upon boarding, each guest`s ID card is swiped through a computer terminal, activating and notifying several systems that the passenger has boarded the vessel. Instantaneously, the passenger`s billing account is activated, allowing the guest to use their ID card as a charge card at any point of sale location, such as bars, the Internet caf'e, spa and any of the on-board retail stores.
Using WebSpeed, an OpenEdge client processing technology that provides high transaction volumes and rapid response times for browser-based applications, DTS developed the Ship Partner Shore Excursion Module which includes a Web user interface that can later be extended to dockside kiosks or other remote locations. Passengers can book outings from the comfort of their rooms using their interactive TV that includes an interface with the ship`s billing application. They can also make reservations for any of the restaurants on board.
The core of the DTS Ship Partner application provides passengers the freedom to travel in a cashless environment, with charging being done using ship charge cards, cabin signing, credit cards or group IDs. The system also prints statements in multiple languages and converts currency.
OpenEdge includes an embedded database, application and data servers, an application development environment and framework, Internet-ready messaging and enterprise-class application management. OpenEdge supports all major J2EE, JMS, Web services, and XML industry standards. It also supports Web browser, ActiveX, Java, and graphical and character-based user interfaces. DTS chose Progress based on its superior offering, competitive pricing and analysis results, indicating that the Progress 4GL, the language at the core of the OpenEdge platform, was the most efficient in which to develop the application.
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