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Windstar Cruises selects WMS for onboard connectivity on the Star Seeker

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 07 October 2025 07 October 2025

WMS, the premier global provider of cruise wireless connectivity, has announced that Windstar Cruises, a leading boutique cruise line, will now offer its Cellular at Sea service onboard the new Star Seeker launching in December 2025.

“WMS is proud to deliver wireless connectivity to the Windstar Star Seeker given our shared commitment to innovating in the cruise industry,” said Brent Horwitz, Chief Customer Engagement Officer, WMS. “Our partnership with Windstar is focused on ensuring their very best passenger and crew experience, through the latest cellular connectivity technology. Cellular at Sea is ideal for those who need to stay in touch through calls and texting, as well as using Internet applications such as email and secure connectivity for mobile banking, medical portal access, and other two-factor authentication applications. Our goal is to provide business value to the cruise line and to complement ship Wi-Fi services.”

Lieven Van Daele, Director of Guest Experiences, Windstar Cruises said, “Cellular at Sea offers an alternative option for guests to stay connected, in addition to the regular onboard Wi-Fi Internet. This service ensures that guests can maintain their connectivity throughout their voyage, providing convenience and flexibility for all their communication needs. We are pleased to offer Cellular at Sea across our fleet, including our new beautiful Star Seeker joining us in December 2025.”

WMS launched the first cruise ship wireless network more than 20 years ago. It was the first to offer 3G, 4G, and now 5G connectivity at sea. WMS also was the first to integrate with low Earth orbit satellite technology, including Starlink. WMS leverages 400+ global roaming partnerships, and unmatched wireless network design and quality, delivering connectivity at sea and on land.

MXP launches next-level Itinerary Planner with automatic waypoints

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 30 September 2025 30 September 2025

MXP expands the MXP Enterprise Software Platform with a new Visual Itinerary Planner. By selecting the next port, all waypoints are auto-generated. Distances between ports, speed and fuel consumption are automatically calculated. The itinerary is visualized on a digital chart.

Waypoints are provided through an industry-leading Routing API following recognized nautical standards, ensuring
accuracy and reliability.

Key Benefits:
– Automatic waypoint data maintenance
– Easy itinerary planning directly on a digital map with interactive visualization
– Automatic fuel budget calculation
– Automatic distance and speed calculations
– Forecasts for costs, revenues, ratings, and emission KPIs

Planners can now optimize speed to get the best possible fuel consumption, paired with the best guest destination experience for departure and arrival times.

Philipp Henkelmann, Vice President Deployment & Destination Experience, emphasizes: “Our goal is to simplify itinerary planning and decision-making. MXP is the most advanced planning tool for your marine operations.”

Aboa Mare invests in an advanced engine room simulator delivered by Kongsberg Maritime

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 30 September 2025 30 September 2025

Aboa Mare strengthens its position as a leading maritime training provider, by investing in a state-of-the-art K-Sim Engine Full Mission and Desktop Simulator system from Kongsberg Maritime.

The delivery is set to be completed in the first quarter of 2026 and will include some of the most advanced simulator models available, comprising both conventional and next-generation propulsion technologies, such as hybrid, battery, dual-fuel, LNG and methanol-fuelled engines. This guarantees that Aboa Mare’s students and professional seafarers will receive practical training that aligns with the global maritime industry’s green transition.

Supporting the green transition in maritime training

This delivery represents one of the most modern simulator systems ever installed in Finland and demonstrates Aboa Mare’s commitment to supporting maritime education as the industry undergoes a fundamental shift toward sustainability.

“We are committed to delivering high-quality training that reflects the latest developments in maritime operations,” says Thomas Lundberg, Simulator Manager, Aboa Mare. “The collaboration with Kongsberg enables us to provide realistic and future-oriented learning environments. By integrating the latest propulsion technologies into our training, we are ensuring that our students and customers are well prepared to contribute to the industry’s green transition.

“The maritime sector is moving rapidly toward greener operations, and training plays a critical role in ensuring this transition is both safe and effective,” says Are Føllesdal Tjønn, Managing Director, Maritime Simulation, Kongsberg Maritime. “With the advanced K-Sim Engine simulator platform, Aboa Mare will be able to provide future mariners with the knowledge and experience they need to operate next-generation vessels using hybrid, dual-fuel, and methanol technologies. We are proud to partner with Aboa Mare in this important step toward building a more sustainable maritime future.”

The K-Sim Engine simulator system is fully compliant with STCW requirements and DNV standard ST-0033 and will be delivered with DNV Class A & C certification, ensuring the highest levels of quality and realism in maritime training. The simulator will be the first at Aboa Mare with DNV classification, providing a trusted guarantee of quality and reliability for customers and students.

The partnership between Kongsberg Maritime and Aboa Mare highlights a shared commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence in maritime education and training.

YSA Design celebrates four decades of cruise ship design

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 24 September 2025 24 September 2025

YSA Design, whose ship interiors and exteriors design creativity has helped to define guest experiences in the modern cruise era, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

At a special gathering marking the occasion at its Oslo headquarters on 25th September, the company is bringing together past and present colleagues, customers, shipyards and other industry partners to celebrate its achievements over four decades of design excellence.

YSA Design has been at the heart of multiple award-winning ships, with its work featuring across vessels built for Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, SeaDream, Viking Ocean Cruises, Virgin Voyages and more. It has worked with Disney Cruise Line since the group entered the sector in 1993.

“We continue to innovate, by designing for custom-built vacations that serve luxury, wellness, individuality and adventure to match the creative vision of our clients’ brands,” says Anne Mari Gullikstad, CEO, YSA Design. “To attract the best next generation talent, we also invest in cutting edge design tools. Doing so enhances efficiency and transparency for customers and yards.”

Formally established in 1985 by partners Petter Yran and Bjørn Storbraaten, the company restructured as YSA Design in 2016 after a management buy-in, with Gullikstad working alongside fellow board members Einar Jungård, Jan Krefting, Trond Sigurdsen and Tov Arne Svalestuen.

Krefting, now Chair of YSA Design, joined in 1987 and has worked on high profile design projects through the cruise sector’s transformation into a market worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

“We’ve seen it change from a business where we were the first people the owner called and the job was agreed on a handshake into an industry involving multiple stakeholders and a complex regulatory framework, where every minute is budgeted for,” he says. “We are always evolving but remain anchored in decades of industry experience, developing everything from the GA onwards to balance the best in aesthetic form with effective function.”

With a 30-strong team made up of individuals from 13 nationalities, Gullikstad says multicultural dialogues are one driver for fresh thinking at YSA Design. “The team’s diversity offers a unique breeding ground for originality, and also provides the basis for the recommendations YSA Design makes on sustainable materials to protect our planet’s resources,” she says.

Krefting adds: “Reaching our 40-year milestone is a fitting moment for YSA Design to celebrate, both its resilience in an industry that faced the challenges of 9/11 and COVID, and the creativity, knowledge, and open and honest collaboration that kept our cruise clients coming back for more.”