According to Fidelio Cruise Software, its ResOnline system is setting new standards in guest data exchange from shore-side reservation systems to onboard users. Based on the company’s fleet management system, ResOnline ensures full transparency of data and eliminates the risk of human error, providing ship staff across a fleet of vessels with exactly the same guest information as captured when making the initial cruise bookings, according to a company press release. In addition, ResOnline provides the fleet with updates to those bookings up to the time of sailing.
ResOnline, which is in use onboard Holland America Line’s vessels, has been designed to replicate guest information automatically and in real-time from shore-side reservation systems to each ship in the fleet, Fidelio stated. Guests’ profiling data, including loyalty status and other relevant details from guests’ prior voyages, are transmitted fleet-wide and available to users both onboard ship and ashore.
Brent Davidson, vice president information technology at Holland America Line, said the company has already seen significant benefits from the new software. “We have been able to enhance our reservations system and guest service with the automatic real-time data movement between shore and ship which the Fidelio software facilitates,” he explains. “This means that no matter when a booking is made, we can ensure that the same accurate information is available both onboard the ship and in the head office. We can update passenger data in real time until just before sailing.
The new software has generated positive feedback from both shore and ship personnel at HAL.
As a result of the new IT installation, the company has been able to shorten its earlier 72-hour “cut-off window”, thereby allowing scope to sell more tickets, with related information accurately and automatically updated.
As well as ensuring complete accuracy and eliminating the risk of human error and omissions, business rules written into the software enable individual cruise lines to decide which data should be transmitted to the ships in their fleets. Typically, this could include passenger records, flight details, amenities, special requests, pre-posting, discounts, pre-booked or pre-paid excursions, spa treatments and dining reservations.
The software enables a cruise operator’s reservations department to keep the sales period for a particular cruise open until just before sailing and automatically accommodates last-minute bookings as well as changes to existing reservations such as stateroom upgrades, special requests and other guest-related adjustments. Holland America installed the software across its 14-ship fleet in July 2009. Since then, ResOnline has handled approximately 750,000 guest master records on a daily basis, including many separate data entries relating to reservations.
Fidelio President Tony Heuer commented: “This takes the efficiency of guest reservation systems to a whole new level. Information on repeater guest profiles – “guests’ history” in other words – is particularly important as ships become larger and competition on service levels intensifies. But the software is designed not only to raise service standards, but also to enable cruise lines to make more bookings and generate more revenue.”
