Stena Line invests big in region Denmark
Stena Line makes a big investment to increase both freight and passenger transport to Denmark. The goal is to increase the number of passengers with 300,000 people and to double the freight volume of the Grenaa route. As part of the investment Stena Line brings the Caribbean to Kattegat with The Reef Bar on the Stena Danica. At the same time the vessel is turned into a digital test arena.
In total, MSEK 25 have been invested in the Stena Danica. Part of this is The Reef Bar, with the new glass encased sun deck and Caribbean features such as food, drinks, music and décor. It strives to transform the trips with the Stena Danica from mere transportation into an exciting event. The goal is to enhance the passenger experience and strengthen the connection with the tropical water park The Reef in Fredrikshavn.
“The Reef Bar is part of the investment program we have launched in order to reach our ambitious goals. We are happy to be able to offer this to our existing customers, and at the same time we hope to attract a new audience. Our passengers will get the chance to enjoy something you otherwise can’t find on this side of the Atlantic, says Tony Michaelsen, Route Director for Region Denmark at Stena Line.”
Another part of the investment was spent on turning the Stena Danica into a digital test arena for new technology and services. Digitalisation is one of the cornerstones of Stena Line and the results from the trials at the Stena Danica will benefit the whole company. For example, the successes could be implemented on the new RoPax vessels which are being built in China.
“Digitalisation is a central part of our strategy and the Stena Danica will enable us to test new technology for tomorrow’s passengers today. During the summer we will continue the trials with AI controlled advertising. This will help us learn from the staff onboard and their knowledge of the passengers. In the long run, it will lead to more efficient and profitable processes, along with a more personalized experience for the customer, says Magnus Osbeck, Head of Digital Onboard Experience at Stena Line.”
There are multiple purposes of the investment in the routes between Sweden and Denmark. The first is to increase the number of Swedish passengers with 300,000 people until 2022. The second is to double the freight volume of the Grenaa route over time, due to the intended move of the route from Varberg to Halmstad.
Three digital advances on the Stena Danica
#1 New digital infrastructure
One essential condition for digitalisation onboard is a fast and well-functioning Wi-Fi network. Thanks to fiber the Stena Danica now has a new digital infrastructure which is accessible all over the ship. The local network is suited for high speed streaming and is able to handle 20,000 devices simultaneously.
#2 Stream movies onboard
The digital infrastructure has made it possible to launch the new infotainment platform
Passengera. It is intended to be used by Stena Line to show movies onboard, but the big difference is that passengers themselves could get access to the platform and stream movies on their own mobile devices.
#3 AI controlled advertisement
During the renovation, the Stena Danica was equipped with a large number of digital screens which can be controlled by AI. The first trials are already on the way with a focus on food and beverages. With the help of AI, restaurant and bar staff has the opportunity to control which products are being advertised to passengers and when – all with the press of a button. In this way the staff can impact demand and sales which leads to a more efficient work process and in the long run bigger profit.
