At the Push of a Button: How AcqueraPro Streamlines Life on Board
Last month, we were first introduced to AcqueraPro, the brand-new digital platform created by the forward-thinking yachting agency Acquera Yachting.
Harnessing the expertise of the global Acquera network, AcqueraPro offers instant access to all the relevant information, forms and documents which are needed by captains and crew when arriving at a port – alongside local knowledge to help craft unforgettable itineraries in the area – helping to optimise cruising operations for everyone working on board.
With time an increasingly precious commodity in today’s hectic world, whether you’re a captain, a charter broker or a yacht manager, using AcqueraPro can seriously speed up your life. Here we dig into the details and discover more about some of the platform’s top features.
Helping captains: Fill out forms in a flash
Although this one is mainly for captains, it is also relevant to first officers, pursers or anyone else tasked with filling out forms when entering a port. With the majority still completing a raft of time-consuming documents with pen and paper, relying on agencies to forward everything in advance of their arrival in port, AcqueraPro offers a sleek and highly efficient solution.
Those using the digital platform can access and complete all of the official forms needed for each port online, without the need to print anything off or forward hard copies in advance. Time saved? Check. Forms securely saved online and instantly available for future reference? Check and check.
As Alvise Tositti, Chief Strategy Officer at Acquera Yachting highlights, the glowing feedback received from early users of the platform is proof of the pudding. “A superyacht captain tried out our platform for himself last year and told me that the tasks that usually take him four hours only took him half an hour. Unsurprisingly, he was extremely pleased with the time freed up by using AcqueraPro every day.”
Helping yacht managers: Quickly cost up trip itineraries
Often ending up as a joint effort between a captain and yacht managers, generating the quotation for a vessel’s itinerary can be a highly lengthy and complex process.
Alongside berthing costs, there are many other compulsory costs and services - customs, immigration, waste disposal dispensation, garbage disposal, mooring assistance, and so on – which vary for each individual port and which need to be factored in. And how do you gather all of this information together? Typically by calling the local yachting agency, meaning that crew also need to wait for the agency to come back with all of the information they need, which, again, can be a time consuming process.
Step in: AcqueraPro! Thanks to a very handy feature of this new platform, you can create quotations for any itinerary within a matter of seconds. All you have to do is input your vessel’s dimensions, gross tonnage, and where you want to travel, and you will receive an immediate quotation including all compulsory port costs, making itinerary planning a breeze.
Another key feature designed for both captains and managers is the dashboard. This enables you to view all bookings and all of the services ordered in real time, to check if they are supported by the local yacht agent – such as Acquera themselves – on the ground.
Finally, as an added bonus, with just a few clicks, a PDF of your planned itinerary can be created in a matter of seconds, ready to share with the owner or guests.
Helping charter brokers: Gain insider knowledge
If there is one thing the team at Acquera Yachting has in abundance, it’s local knowledge thanks to its 100 members who work on the ground all around the world. Pulling everything together, they are delighted to share this expertise with users of AcqueraPro who enjoy access to a full database of leisure activities worldwide.
Built using the latest cutting edge technology, the database is updated on a weekly basis and kept up to date with all of the best fine-dining restaurants, local amenities and top leisure activities in a given area. With existing tools relying heavily on Google or TripAdvisor, the AcqueraPro database truly is a cut above the rest offering only restaurants and activities suitable for superyacht clientele, helping charter brokers to plan the most exclusive experiences for their clients.
Helping the whole industry: A personal approach
In short, AcqueraPro benefits such a wide range of individuals across the industry because it has been built by people who truly understand what is needed to make life easier for those working on board.
As Alvise Tositti explains: “To launch a successful platform within this industry, you certainly need cutting edge technology and a great user experience but also the people on the ground to support the yacht while cruising. If you send a message to our Venice office asking for some assistance, it will be one of our Venice team who will get back to you, whether that is via the app, WhatsApp or email.”
He continues: “Our company founders have been in the business for over 20 years and it is this experience which sets us apart. Finally, we can say with confidence that we know what captains and crew need because we speak to them every single day and respond to what they ask for.”
Discover more about AcqueraPro here.
Post your comment
You cannot post comments until you have logged in.
Login to post a commentComments
No one has commented on this page yet.
RSS feed for comments on this page | RSS feed for all comments