NAVTOR seals place on board iconic Hurtigruten fleet
11 December, 2013, Egersund, Norway – E-navigation specialist NAVTOR has secured arguably one of its most high-profile customers to date, with the news that the entire Hurtigruten fleet has signed up to use its innovative ENC Service. The agreement has been reached ahead of the July 2014 deadline for existing passenger vessels to conform with IMO’s ECDIS Carriage Requirement (ECDIS Mandate).
Hurtigruten, translating as ‘the express route’, is Norway’s most iconic shipping brand. Established 120 years ago, the fleet serves the country’s west and northern coastline, travelling from Bergen to Kirkenes in a 12 day round-trip, 365 days a year. Although also carrying freight, the company is best known for transporting passengers on what has been described as ‘the world’s most beautiful sea voyage’.
“Hurtigruten is a national treasure,” comments NAVTOR Business and Communications Manager Willy Zeiler, “and, more than that, a global cruise brand. As the ECDIS Mandate for passenger vessels draws closer we’re expecting to make real in-roads into this market with our cutting edge and simple to use digital ENC package. Getting Hurtigruten on board is a fantastic way to give us real momentum in what is a key sector for the business.”
NAVTOR’s ENC service, launched in 2011 and compatible with all makes of ECDIS, is distributed on the pre-loaded USB-based NavStick, allowing navigators to instantly download global charts and licences. An online synchronisation feature ensures that the latest updates are available on demand, ensuring minimal administration duties and, as Zeiler stresses, “allowing navigators to get on with the task of navigation.” This ease of use was apparently decisive in Hurtigruten’s move to sign up with NAVTOR.
“Our system simplifies complicated tasks and cuts down on laborious paperwork, increasing onboard efficiency. Hurtigruten appreciated that fact,” states Zeiler. “Furthermore, they chose to combine our two subscription models – Pay As You Sail (PAYS) and standard subscription. As the ships largely sail set routes the standard model is most efficient, but with PAYS any chart is instantly available for planning and only charged when actually used. This means the vessels have the ability to go anywhere, anytime, should they need to. This flexibility was another key selling point.”
Speaking of the move to NAVTOR, Hurtigruten Director of Maritime Operations Tor Geir Engebretsen comments: “Hurtigruten is a company with a 120 year history, but we’re focused on the future and how technology can enhance our delivery of high-quality services. NAVTOR share that vision and we’re looking forward to building a lasting partnership together.”
Prior to confirming the agreement with NAVTOR, Kai Albrigtsen, Master of MS Finnmarken, and his crew put the firm’s ENC Service through a rigorous three-month trial. The results, as he explains, were compelling: “The feedback then, as it is now, was overwhelmingly positive. The simplicity of use, ease of chart update and feeling of ‘complete control’ the service delivers has made it a real hit with the team on the bridge. Together with the on-going support that is on offer to us, alongside their commitment to further innovations in the future, we’re delighted to have NAVTOR on board.”
NAVTOR’s ENC Service is now in operation on the vessels Nordkapp, Finnmarken and Fram, the latter of which is Hurtigruten’s cruise ‘expedition’ vessel, travelling to locations such as Greenland, Spitsbergen and Antarctica. The system will roll out across the rest of the fleet as their existing ENC provider subscriptions come to an end.
About NAVTOR
With its head office in Egersund, NAVTOR has a team of personnel with extensive experience in the development, marketing, sales and support of official electronic charts and navigational information services for the professional maritime market. NAVTOR has a subsidiary in St. Petersburg manned by experienced technical experts specialized in the field of ECDIS kernels and maritime software development.
About Smedvig
The Norwegian naval captain Peder Smedvig founded a shipping company in Stavanger in 1915, which over the first half of last century became one of the larger ship owners in Norway. When oil was discovered in the North Sea, the company moved in 1960s into the offshore oil industry with investments in supply ships, oil tankers and in 1973 built the first Norwegian owned drilling rig “West Venture”. The company acquired multiple rigs throughout the 1970s and 1980s and took the drilling company public in 1990. Smedvig ASA was sold in January 2006, and today Smedvig Family Office is an international investment company with interest in multiple asset classes. Smedvig still remains in Stavanger with its main office and with the establishment of NAVTOR the company has reentered the shipping industry.
About Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten is one of the strongest brand names within the Norwegian tourism sector, where it enjoys a truly iconic status. The company has been in continuous, year-round operation on its route along the Norwegian coast since 1893, catering for both local transportation needs and international tourists. 11 ships enjoy daily calls to 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes, on a trip that takes a little more than 11 days and is often celebrated as ‘The World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage’. In 2012, Hurtigruten recorded 1.1 million guest nights and welcomed passengers on board from right around the world. The company also operates the ‘explorer ship’ MS Fram, which sails in the unique polar waters of Antarctica, Greenland and Svalbard.
Contact Hurtigruten:
Director of Maritime Operations Tor Geir Engebretsen mobile: +47 901 58 040
Media Contact:
Willy Zeiler
Business & Communications Manager
Mobil +47 906 67 036
willy.zeiler@navtor.com
Navtor AS
Torget 1 P.O.Box 337
N-4379 EGERSUND, Norway
Phone +47 51 49 22 00
www.navtor.no
