MSC Cruises has introduced a new onboard hotel management system to seamlessly integrate its shore operations with the entire fleet of ships, improving internal efficiency, personalizing passenger services, and digitizing information for the crew. This pioneering technology is poised to revolutionize onboard hotel management systems across the cruise industry.
The new, customer-centric, and digitized procedure delivers benefits through greater flexibility and automation, with a cloud-based platform that enables global configuration across the entire MSC Cruises fleet and in different departments.
The software, cloud-based and developed by Hamburg-based Otalio, was first used on board MSC Virtuosa, the company's flagship and the first offshore cruise ship to sail in British waters after 15 months, during its first UK season which began last May.
The modern architecture of the hotel management system provides scalability and flexibility, so that ground teams can now perform many administrative tasks that offer new opportunities for fleet management.
The crew on board can centralize all passenger information in one place, such as purchasing preferences, claims tracking, and Voyagers Club card type. The crew will also benefit from real-time updates from the ground, as well as options to digitize processes, such as cleaning schedules and menu pricing.
Daniele Buonaiuto, Chief Information Officer of MSC Cruises, notes: “This promises to be a win-win scenario where Otalio technology will enhance the overall passenger experience and make life easier for our crew on board. Preparing Otalio for launch across our entire fleet was a major undertaking involving a team of 500 people, both onboard and ashore—the largest collaboration ever undertaken by MSC Cruises. The end result has been well worth the effort and is truly Change Management at its finest.”.
Tony Heuer, Managing Director of Otalio GmbH, commented: “Having our latest product now operational is a dream come true, and we couldn’t be happier to see it in action. It’s a major achievement for the entire Otalio team to develop an onboard solution that covers all aspects of passenger and crew management, suitable for supporting large cruise ships as well as smaller luxury vessels. Thanks to our system’s cutting-edge architecture, structured around the unique complexity of the cruise environment, many administrative tasks can now be handled by shore-based teams, opening up new opportunities for managing the entire fleet.”.
“We want to thank the MSC Cruises team for their trust and cooperation over the past two and a half years of intense effort. All of this would not have been possible without the commitment and support of their entire organization, both on land and on board,” adds Tony Heuer.
