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Generation Z is reshaping the cruise travel experience. With more than 65% of family vacation decisions impacted by Gen- Z members, the indirect spending power of this demographic was estimated at over $600 billion back in 2019… with COVID-19 now “almost” behind us this figure is expected to further accelerate in the coming years. When considering Gen- Z’s direct spending power is expected to swell to $143 billion by 2027 this is definitely a target group worth investigating for the maritime segment. Historically, Gen- Z passengers were not necessarily highest on the priorities for cruise operators. This is understandable when considering the relatively low spending capacity within this segment. Times however are changing. Recent studies have shown that demand for cruise travel is becoming increasingly popular among young people, making them a demographic worthy of attention. The key however is developing strategies to meet their demands. How GEN- Z is changing the cruising experience? Exploring the world by vessel is the kind of experience that attracts Gen- Zs. Travelling by sea or river delivers an extraordinary experience for this young generation as it offers the chance to travel to multiple destinations, get involved in various activities and most importantly have a unique experience that they can share on their social media platforms. So what aspects should be considered in developing a compelling passenger journey for the Gen- Z segment ? Generation Z is the first truly tech savvy Generation – services need to be easily available on their personal devices. They spend more than 8 hours a day online – streaming quality needs to allow for uninterrupted viewing anytime, anywhere onboard. They are spoilt for entertainment choice – the onboard service options need to be compelling, curated and regularly refreshed. They are digital nomads blurring the boundaries between work and play – catering for this reality onboard becomes fundamental. How will this impact the overall passenger experience? Technology will play a more visible role in the passenger journey services attracting the Gen- Z audience. However, to be readily accepted, the onboard services need to be as intuitive and usable as personal services such as Netflix, SnapChat and WhatsApp. Services should be increasingly offered as a “one stop shop” for all services offered by the operator (either directly onboard or as part of the overall journey) from purchasing tickets, online check-ins, paying for onboard services, reservations, tracking systems, mobile apps, in cabin voice recognition, QR codes to access places and many more… Equally, a greater level of service personalisation needs to be considered. The one size fits all approach is less likely to work for this segment so the ability to inject a level of personality into the service experience will become imperative. Some leading cruise operators are aware of this digital transformation and are already implementing new technologies in order to meet GEN- Zs demands and deliver an exquisite passenger experience. There are no doubt some challenges facing operators in addressing this segment such as onboard connectivity and ensuring that “traditional” cruise ship passengers are not ostracized, however there are approaches which allow new services to be phased in at a pace which is accommodating to all guests. Those operators who get the service mix correct may achieve the first mover advantage which opens up a relatively untapped market… Interested in understanding more… reach out

Season’s Greetings! ✨  As many of us are entering a month of joy and celebrations, many Cruise Operators are refining their service experience accordingly going all-out with seasonal décor, holiday activities and festive menus. While ships are offering holiday-themed entertainment, tree lighting ceremonies, snow machine and Santa Parades, when it comes to digital entertainment services things start to get a bit same-same. The “personalization” concept is not a new one. Many operators spend time curating the entertainment packages to cater for a specific season or theme to ensure a more customized onboard experience. But this is just scratching the surface when it comes to offering a true passenger-specific onboard experience. Passengers expect to find what they want, when they want it and in a package which is suited to their specific preferences. Having the flexibility to tailor packages to individual passengers which consider both seasonal as well as personal preference would further refine the service experience and take the passenger journey to another level.   So… how can cruise operators make the experience more relevant? Customize content depending on the occasion, destination, age group & interests.  Enrich passengers with offline personalized content tailored to the season Synchronize all content types (premium movies, series, music, Cruise Operators own content) with a common theme… Encourage service interaction by facilitating the digitialisation of passengers’ own content available via their personal customer portal Stream live events such as fireworks between vessels to offer a truly inclusive experience Extend access across all devices to create a frictionless, comprehensive experience Combine all mediums into customised channels using commercial content (e.g. curated movies), sponsored content (e.g. branded advertising), Cruise Operator content (e.g. recording of last nights’ entertainment) and even passengers own content (e.g. review of recent port excursion) These possibilities are closer than you might think so get into the seasonal festivities and provide your passengers a truly memorable festive season. ❤️  

Providing advanced entertainment and TV services onboard ships has become increasingly important to both passenger and commercial vessel operators in recent years. In a competitive environment, the quality and breadth of the onboard entertainment and video services can directly impact passenger/crew perception and in doing so, ongoing loyalty. As a result the underlying technology used to deliver these services starts becoming a focus. Let’s start by defining a few terms… VSAT  VSAT stands for “Very Small Aperture Terminal” or also known as satellite internet. It receives and transmits data that is capable of supporting Internet, LAN, IP Voice, data and video traffic onboard a vessel. VSAT typically uses a satellite dish that varies between 60 cm to 2.4 meters in diameter. Multiple VSAT antennas can be used in one ship depending on the ship location. Importantly, VSAT can be easily upgraded and installed on older ships, while supporting both the IPTV system and local RF network. TVRO  TVRO stands for “Television Receive Only.”, or satellite TV. It is a satellite distribution system for delivering programs to TV headend and systems. TVRO operates with modern C- Band or Ku- Band only and it requires a receiver along with a satellite dish antenna that varies between 60cm to 3meters in diameter. A large vessel may require multiple antennas to receive the required channel line up onboard and to ensure that signals are received from the relevant satellites during geographical block outs. How VSAT is changing the Maritime Industry Historically, delivering onboard communication and TV services was a major challenge for Cruise Operators due to the complexity of installing multiple dishes to support two different systems, TVRO and VSAT. In recent years, the flexibility of VSAT has meant that many Operators are using this technology as the sole data distribution method. Cost savings, simplicity of installation and ongoing operation efficiencies have been major reasons touted for this change, however there are other aspects which make VSAT an interesting consideration. 7 Reasons why Maritime VSAT is the future for Onboard Entertainment One dish solution – VSAT only needs one dish to receive and transmits data and streaming TV services, while TVRO requires several dishes depending on the channel line up and the location of the vessel. Low Maintenance – VSAT is considered a low maintenance satellite system given it doesn’t require constant updates when adding new channels if the VSAT satellite changes suddenly. TVRO on the other hand requires constant updates when changing the channels or the position of the satellite coverage. International TV channels – VSAT offers the option for international TV channels as well as the bitrate (and therefore viewing) quality per channel. For example, increasing the bit rate of a select sports channel during a football match. Special channels – VSAT offers the ability to create tailored channels allowing operators to customise their channel line-up to cater for passengers and crew. This has not been an option with TVRO systems. Low cost – There are more than 150 VSAT service providers in the market. This competitive environment has resulted in the introduction of more light weight, compact systems, making VSAT more affordable and easier to install. Easy to manage – One system is easier to manage than having two different systems with multiple dishes. Passenger own devices – Channels can be sent with a dynamic bitrate to enable TV mobile usage on passenger’s own devices.  

Offering a customized passenger experience is a key factor in increasing brand loyalty and passenger satisfaction. Playout channels can be an ideal tool in achieving this objective. Used correctly, playout channel offer cruise operators the ability to curate and control content and determine how and when the content is viewed by passengers. Let’s begin with the basics; WHAT IS A PLAYOUT CHANNEL?  Playout is the technology used in the broadcasting industry to stream media content in channel format in the same way as with normal TV. It provides a fast and reliable way to create customized and manageable content for specific audiences. The importance of offering a differentiated content catalogue coupled with the increased focus on offering a tailored service experience, playout technologies have been embraced by the maritime sector as a way of expanding passenger engagement. Where does the playout channel originate? Playout channels are streamed from an onboard streaming server which is completely self-contained – therefore, it does not require an external player to run the videos. The onboard streaming server can feed either the IPTV system or the traditional modulator that feeds to the local antenna network if an IP network is not available. So where does the content come from? Commercial Content Vendors – Cruise operators usually deal with multiple content sources/aggregators to meet the expectations of their passenger base. Own Content – Many cruise operators produce their own video material covering information about the cruise, excursions, destinations, passengers meeting points and so on… Live Content – The majority of operators have on-board cameras positioned at strategic locations on-board to stream live content to passengers, whether it be streaming an entertainment extravaganza from the theatre or whale watching from the deck. Common examples of playout channels include: safety videos, kids’ channels, movie channels, onboard events videos, advertising channels (onboard shops), informative videos, promotional channels, live events etc. WHY IMPLEMENT PLAYOUT CHANNELS?  Cruise operators can easily curate and update their video production depending on the destination, season, passenger preferences and age group. Playout works perfectly for older ships since it doesn’t require IPTV. The MAXICASTER playout system can modulate the channels that are coming from the RF to fit all cabin TVs. No expertise is needed, anyone can use and manage the portal. Overcomes several content challenges, such as daily expenses and geographical block outs. CORE FEATURES OF MAXICASTER PLAYOUT SYSTEM  Drag and Drop – There is no need for any external technical assistance to upload the files, content can be easily dragged and dropped from the content library or from a local drive.  The system can also transcode content to variable formats for example, it can be transcoded to MPEG-2 if the TV system is old or for mobile devices. Auto-repeat channels – Content can be repeated and played 24/7. This feature allows cruise operators to repeat important information during the trip such as, safety videos, emergency videos or itinerary information. Advanced Scheduling – Gives the opportunity to create a content calendar for short, and long-term media scheduling with full control of date, time, secondary events and transitions. For examples, a Cue file can be added between two movies and when the next movie starts the Cue stream will automatically fade away. Mix and Match – Enables switching between live feeds and pre-recorded playout channels. Offline Service – Satellite coverage is not required to stream the channels; playout channels will run without a satellite feed. Supports all passenger devices – Playout can stream content to TV and mobile devices, it also works with digital signage via a TV system. Multiple language option – Content can be viewed in multiple languages depending on the destination and cruise line preferences.  

With the maritime industry making positive signs of recovery after a challenging few COVID-filled years, cost control becomes all the more important. So the idea of upgrading a complete on-board network requires some strong justification. At the same time, offering passengers a premium TV and video service experience is as important as ever. Luckily, there is an approach for Operators to deliver a premium TV and video service on board without the requirement to upgrade the network or purchase new TVs. The required building blocks Delivering premium services over RF only requires a few key aspects: An existing RF environment (no IP required) A digital headend (simple upgrade) and MAXICASTER server Existing broadcast TVs and onboard screens How does it work? The existing satellite antenna infrastructure is used to receive live content and deliver VOD and other playout channels for vessels without an on-board IP network. The VOD service would be offered as dedicated channels via the ships RF network. As well as delivery to in-cabin and common screens, the MAXICASTER system can deliver channels connected to the digital signage system allowing customized channels in the RF network. This brings a very similar look and feel to the typical interactive TV experience. Examples of digital services that can be offered: Moving map to keep track of the ship status and route. Bridge and other ship camera streams can be streamed directly to TVs or added as a high quality digital TV channel. Welcome screen including information about the ship and onboard services, taken directly from the digital signage or playout channel. Customized movie channels offered as playout channels such as; Action, comedy, TV series, Kids and documentaries. Live feed stream live content to passengers, either by streaming the content from an onboard event or the playout channel. Mobile entertainment content, live TV services can be extended to passenger devices if WLAN is available to guests onboard. The value of utilising your RF network Premium passenger experience at a fraction of the cost of IPTV Supports in-cabin TVs, Common Screens (via a RF), Digital Signage with the option to extend to passenger’s own devices Completely self-sufficient and works without internet connectivity Multi-language support Inclusive of licenses, hardware and ongoing service management Premium video solution tailored to the specific onboard network infrastructure The suggested non-IP solution will give almost the same crew and passenger services and experience similar to an IP network environment. Importantly, any equipment installed for RF service delivery is equally applicable and re-usable for any IP delivery in the future. So investments made are future-proofed if and when you upgrade to full IP.  

We are proud to announce the launch of our “New Generation mobile Portal” to further expand the entertainment possibilities for the Maritime industry. The context of “Entertainment on the go” is increasingly extending to the maritime industry with passenger and crew expecting to be able to view the latest and greatest content anywhere and anytime during their voyage. MAXICASTER’s latest version of Mobile Portal directly addresses this trend ensuring a premium experience anywhere on board. All video types are supported including Live TV, Catch-up, nDVR, VoD, music and playout channels, to ensure a complete entertainment experience. The portal is designed to make discovery and viewing intuitive whilst ensuring the Shipping operator has complete flexibility to customise the User Interface to their branding requirements. FLEXIBLE LIVE TV OPTIONS  An advanced Electronic Program Guide (EPG) allows passengers or crew to select from a number of available options directly in screen to start a program from the beginning, view programs previously aired, record programs airing in the future or select personalised options such as choice of subtitle. The same approach applies to playout channels which are displayed together with Free-to-air and pay-per-view channels in the EPG. This approach places passengers in the drivers seat of their entertainment experience and reduces the likelihood of them remaining in their cabins. As a result, passengers are much more likely to explore the vessel, enjoying the full array of services on offer – including paid options. SUPPORT FOR ANY VOD MONETISATION OPTION The Mobile Portal supports Subscription, Transaction, Pay-per-view, Advertising as well as Free (all-inclusive) monetisation models. This provides Operators with the ability to offer various content packages, for example charging per title for latest release while offering the rest of the content portfolio free of charge. The Portal supports a “Netflix-like” user experience including features such as content bookmarking (returning to the same point in a movie), personalised playlists (creating a personalised content watch-list), advanced search and intuitive functionality including fwd, rwd, scroll and remember me. A SINGLE PORTAL FOR EVERY DEVICE The portal is built on responsive technologies meaning the display layer will automatically render depending on the screen dimension and the device type. This makes it ideally suited across all on-board screens including Windows, MAC OS, iOS, Android, Linux. CUSTOMIZED BRANDING & INTEGRATION We understand that maintaining brand consistency is important to any cruise operator so the Mobile Portal has been designed to facilitate simple customisation. As a result, updating the look-and-feel, customising different portals for passengers and crew, changing language and characters etc. are expected and factored in to the design. Already have an existing passenger portal? No problem… the portal can be easily embedded providing advanced entertainment services within your existing Portal experience. Reach out to help enhance your entertainment experience 

Live TV services have a major role to play in the onboard entertainment services for most maritime operators. Whether it be watching live sports around the pool, enjoying a live concert or just keeping up to speed on the latest and greatest news, real time viewing keeps passengers connected whilst they unwind. A lingering concern from many cruise operators however is the escalating and often unknown costs associated with receiving and streaming live services on board. Traditionally cruise operators depended on TVRO to deliver Live TV. This approach comes with certain channel delivery limitations and high costs, as a result of needing to install two antennas in order to receive the desired channels. We tackled this subject in our previous article VSAT or TVRO for onboard TV delivery so check it out for more information. There are two main options to deliver Live TV at sea: Utilizing an existing TVRO antenna along with VSAT in order to deliver an unlimited number of high-quality channels onboard. This approach allows operators to change the channel line-up without needing to change the onboard infrastructure. Implementing a playout server to bring Live-like channels that are refreshed automatically via VSAT/ Mobile internet. Let’s dive more into the practicality of both options…  VSAT delivery The MAXICASTER streaming server is designed to only send channels once to the vessel. Utilizing the latest compression and error correction technology this approach offers significant savings in terms of the required bandwidth capacity as well as providing the flexibility to stream channels either directly to passengers over an IP network or modulated to RF to existing TVs where no IP network is available. As the need for onboard connectivity increases, so do the technologies available to deliver connectivity in an increasingly efficient manner. Satellite bandwidth, up until recently an unrealistic proposition from a cost perspective has become increasingly commoditized with the availability of new orbits, high-throughput signals, and multiple bands. The table below provides an indication of bandwidth requirements for Live TV channel delivery for different content types and bitrates;   Playout delivery via IP network Playout delivery offers an alternate approach to Live TV delivery. Playout channels allows content files to be delivered automatically via an IP network to the playout server. File transfers can be adjusted depending on the internet traffic, for example, during the night the system will automatically download the required content and stop automatically when the download window has ended. A single playout server can stream multiple channels allowing cruise operators to extend the content offering onboard – including creating their own curated channels. Importantly, this approach can be deployed without changes to the existing onboard network (either IP or RF) and leveraging existing TVs. How about the actual live TV content? Catering for the on-board audience and ensuring relevance is particularly important when it comes to offering a Live TV service. Offering sufficient country or regional coverage based on the passenger demographic can make or break a service. TV channels can be delivered as either live channel (as referred to above) as well as server-based channels. Anuvu’s MTN TV channel capability covers both options as well as ensuring country and regionally specific are covered – even when a vessel is travelling between regions. When combined with their extensive VoD catalogue this becomes an ideal complement to the MAXICASTER solution approach. Live TV offers an exciting way to keep passengers entertained and informed while they are enjoying the cruise experience. Increasingly services can be delivered in a cost-effective manner removing the traditional barriers.

In a post- COVID era (touch wood) small-vessel and short-route travel is becoming interesting for a growing passenger group who are looking to explore domestic and international destinations in a relaxed and intimate environment. By virtue of their respective size these vessels typically afford a more personalised experience for passengers. This however rarely extends to the onboard entertainment experience which is often sub-standard providing passengers with the bare minimum. This can impact the overall perception of the trip and negatively impacting the operators’ brand. Fortunately, there is help at hand ? What do passengers want?   Passengers have the expectation of being able to watch what they want, when they want and via any device. Considering the average household subscribes to more than 3 streaming services, it is understandable that passengers expect a comparable experience on the open waters. Extending the service experience to personal devices therefore becomes particularly important in this context. Many operators have the perception that the costs of launching premium services on-board is prohibitively expensive… however that is not the case. Tips for up scaling your on-board entertainment experience   Availability of existing Wi-Fi – leveraging this for mobile services is an easy and quick launch option. Demographics of passenger – curating tailor-made content packs rather than offering full catalogues can significantly reduce the content spend. Leverage what is already available – re-use content readily available (promotion material, destination guides) and combine with third party content to curate your own channels. Utilise this as an upsell opportunity for onshore excursions or to promote duty free shopping The power of streaming – live streaming of events, performances, or at-sea action from on-board IP cameras to create dedicated channels Passenger participation – offer a cruise-specific channel compromising passengers’ own video footage to reinforce the personalised nature of the experience MAXICASTER’s latest version of the interactive Entertainment Portal directly addresses this trend ensuring a compelling video experience anywhere on board. All video types are supported including Live TV, Catch-up, nDVR, VoD, music and playout channels to keep passengers of all ages informed and entertained throughout the journey. Advantages of using the MAXICASTER portal:  Create and customize channels based on the destination, age group, nationality, and season, along with creating a content calendar for short- and long-term media scheduling. Offered “all inclusive” (including content) as a technical managed service and based purely on a monthly service fee. Works across both RF (Radio Frequency) infrastructure as well as IP therefore no need to upgrade any aspect of your existing on-board network. Sound too easy? Feel free to reach out for a no-obligation DEMO and one of our specialists will be in touch…

Onboard cameras have long been a mainstay for any Maritime Operator, used as an essential safety and security tool. However, the potential and possibilities of live streaming from onboard has extended the role that onboard cameras play as a key contributor to the overall passenger entertainment experience. Use cases such as streaming a live on-board production to passengers’ own devices or creating a dedicated live channel from a starboard-side mounted IP camera have become standard fair for many operators, however, used correctly, the onboard camera also opens the possibility to create a “virtual window” for passengers. A virtual window in this context is a default channel which combines live streams from the ship deck with information such as ship tracker and latest weather to provide passengers with an interactive and informative experience throughout their journey. This is particularly interesting for cabins below deck without actual windows. Given virtually all cruise and ferries have onboard cameras installed such as bridge cam, pool cam or the port side cam setting up a virtual window can be an easy way to improve the overall passenger experience. Extending the capability to passengers’ own devices further extends the possibilities. There is a saying that having a bridge camera channel brings luck to the ship ? So, let’s dig more into how cruise operators can provide a seamless experience for their passengers. Operators often don’t pay enough attention to the quality of the on-board cameras with the majority displaying low image quality with no dark light adaptation. This significantly limits the possible passenger facing use cases… and means Operators are missing an opportunity for easy passenger engagement. Some of the most common issues include: Camera resolution is not set to day/night switching function. Camera does not support IP output… installing an encoder can be an easy way to rectify Camera resolution is not HD… analogue Pal or NTSC provides a much lower image quality Simple camera maintenance…simple things such as regularly cleaning the camera’s lens which affects the overall quality. Luckily, new cameras have special coated window cases to protect the lens. Tips on improving the Bridge Cam quality: Check the quality of the camera’s output and use external HDMI/SDI HD encoder. If the IP output is low quality, the best scenario is to use IP TS Stream camera (multicast). Check the quality of the camera’s module and change these to high quality and turn on the dark mode vision. In low-light conditions, old cameras will automatically shift to black and white night vision. while new cameras display multi color night vision images. Select HD broadcast quality cameras. If the in-cabin TVs support HD it is recommended to check if the output of the camera is also HD. Update digital encoder if necessary and change to Digital modulator if not available. Cameras should be of a recognized marine standard and type approved, to ensure performance and vibration, humidity, temperature and corrosion resistance. The best webcam available on cruise ships at the moment is HD with 1920×1080 pixels, these cameras can easily complement high quality onboard digital TVs. The high quality and superior colour creates a whole new experience for passengers. MAXICASTER provides advanced on-board camera support out-of-the-box. Want to learn more about ways to maximise the power of your on-board cameras… drop us a line…

Redefining the passenger journey by extending video services to personal devices – MAXICASTER is pleased to announce the successful deployment of its next generation mobile portal across the Fjord Line fleet. The mobile video service is seamlessly integrated into Fjord Line’s dynamic passenger mobile portal allowing passengers to watch live TV and the latest movies anywhere on board. To ensure passengers never miss their favourite shows, Catch-up TV is enabled allowing passengers to watch previously aired live TV via the interactive Electronic Program Guide (EPG). The portal is designed to work across any device type ensuring a premium viewing experience regardless on any passenger device. To further enhance the service, MAXICASTER provides a premium Video on Demand catalogue curated to the FjordLines customer demographic. The service extends the long-term partnership between the two companies, where MAXICASTER is the exclusive technology and video content provider for onboard passenger and crew services across Fjord Line vessels. Roald Rossnes, Chief Digital Officer at Fjord Line commented “We are extremely proud to be working with MAXICASTER to create this innovative and state of the art solution for our customers. The mobile video service is fully integrated with our customer portals and makes up an important module in our strategy to give the guests well produced services and entertainment throughout the journey.” Andrew Brown, COO of MAXICASTER commented “Fjord Line and MAXICASTER share a sense of innovation which is common in the Nordic region. By extending the service options to passengers’ own devices Fjord Line highlight their understanding of the changing passenger expectations in the market and commitment to delivering the best possible experience anywhere on board.” About MAXICASTER MAXICASTER is a premium video and passenger technology provider specifically honed to the requirements of the maritime sector. Head-officed in Helsinki, Finland, the company has been enabling premium video experiences since 2014 delivering services across ferry, expedition, and cruise operators worldwide. About Fjord Line Fjord Line is a leading Norwegian ferry operator servicing the international market between Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The company caters both for passengers and freight and holds a market share of about 22%