Yacht and cruise crew travel specialists need IT that works around the clock and around the world: secure access to booking systems from any office or time zone, fast and reliable travel software, strong protection for crew, owner and guest data and the payments involved, and support that does not keep office hours. Get those right and the desk can move crew and guests at short notice without IT getting in the way. For most agencies this full service costs about £45 to £100 per user per month.
Moving yacht and cruise crew is unforgiving: flights change, vessels move, and a booking often cannot wait until tomorrow. The IT has to match that pace, wherever your consultants happen to be. Here is what a marine travel specialist actually needs.
A desk that works 24/7, worldwide
Crew movements happen at all hours and across continents, so your systems and your support both need to be available when your team is working, not just nine to five in one country. Hosted desktops give every consultant the same fast environment wherever they are, and proactive monitoring keeps it running so a problem is caught before it stops a booking on the other side of the world.
Secure access across offices and time zones
A marine travel business often runs from several offices, plus home and travelling staff, in very different time zones. They all need secure, reliable access to the same Amadeus, Navitas and back-office systems, protected by multi-factor authentication and managed devices. Done well, a global team works as one, with no weak links and no one locked out at a critical moment.
Fast, reliable travel software wherever you are
Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert and your fares and back-office tools are the job, and they need to be quick and dependable on every connection, including patchy ones overseas. A provider who understands these systems keeps them fast, handles their updates and quirks, and gets a consultant working again quickly when something goes wrong mid-booking.
Protecting crew, owner and guest data
Marine travel often involves high-net-worth owners and guests as well as crew, so discretion and data protection matter as much as speed. Layered security, encrypted devices, controlled access and tested backups keep that sensitive information safe, and let you reassure clients that their details and movements are properly protected.
Stopping crew and supplier payment fraud
Agencies move money for flights, suppliers and sometimes crew, which makes them a constant target for payment-redirection fraud. Managed email security, multi-factor authentication, application allowlisting, staff training and a strict process for verifying bank details together stop the attempts that hit this sector every week, protecting both your money and your clients’.
What this should cost
For a yacht and cruise travel specialist, this is part of a managed service that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, depending on headcount, how many offices and time zones you cover, your hosted-desktop and travel-software setup, and the depth of security you need. The value is a global desk that simply works, with data and payments protected.
A real example
We support a travel agency specialising in yacht and cruise crew travel that operates from the UK with offices overseas, all working from the same hosted desktops with layered security and tested backups. New overseas offices have been set up as routine, staff reach their booking systems securely wherever they are, and the constant stream of payment-fraud attempts is caught and blocked, so the desk keeps moving crew and guests without interruption.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for travel agencies should be able to answer:
- Have you supported travel agencies, hosted desktops and systems like Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert or TRAMS before?
- How do you give office, remote and overseas staff secure, reliable access in any time zone?
- How do you protect us from invoice, supplier and crew payment fraud, and help with PCI DSS?
- What is your response time when a booking or payment is at risk, out of hours?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your agency stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: confirm multi-factor authentication is on for every account, including overseas machines, check that your booking systems and backups are properly managed and test-restored, confirm a strict bank-detail verification process is actually followed every time, and make sure only approved software can run. Those few steps remove most of the risk quickly and show where a properly managed, travel-aware setup pays off, before a busy booking period or a fraud attempt forces the issue.
Why travel agencies choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including travel agencies and travel management companies, and we understand the systems a travel desk runs on: Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert and TRAMS, delivered securely over hosted desktops, alongside Microsoft 365. We support travel businesses based in Essex, Hertfordshire and London with teams working worldwide. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including teams working internationally.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want IT built around how a travel desk actually works? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.