Press Release
Media Information
April 2019
Buoyant Carus
adds new client
in Iceland
The PK-259.1 is a tailor made design for the Vestmannaeyjar
connection between Heimaey and Landeyjahöfn in Iceland,
by
Carus assists seamless transfer of vital systems to Iceland’s new ferry operator
APRIL, 2019
Carus has enjoyed working closely with the outgoing operator (Eimskip) since the Carus reservation system replaced a home-grown system 8 years ago and, while we are of course sad to have to end that relationship, we are excited about working with the municipality of Vestmannaeyjar and helping them to establish themselves on this high frequency route serving Iceland’s Westman Islands from Landeyjahöfn Harbor and Thorlakshöfn Harbor on the Icelandic mainland. The route will shortly also receive the newly built ‘Herjolfur II’ which will replace the 1992 built ‘Herjolfur’.
The proven combination of digital and home printed tickets coupled with the Carus mobile Wi-Fi boarding tools will be transferred to the new operator and will continue to ensure that passengers have the most efficient and enjoyable boarding experience while allowing the carrier to streamline procedures and optimize staffing levels at the port.
As Carus Sales Director John Bertell explains “We operate a policy of maintaining a single version of our software product with two major releases to all our clients every year which means that Vestmannaeyjar will be receiving all the latest features for the elements of the Carus ecosystem that will be deployed, including a new version of the ecommerce booking module.”
”Setting up a ferry operation from scratch and managing the planning of a new vessel is a challenging task, but the support from the experienced Carus team has helped us a lot in making sure that we have the right IT tools available for reservations and ticketing, just in time for our take-over of the operations”, says Guðbjartur Ellert Jonsson, MD of the new ferry operation.
Vestmannaeyjar municipality commenced operating the service on 30th March 2019 and offer seven daily return trips on the Herjólfur II which makes the crossing in approximately 35 minutes and carries up to 550 passengers and 75 vehicles.
About Vestmannaeyjar municipality
The Westman Islands, Vestmannaeyjar in Icelandic, on the southwest coast of Iceland has a population of 4,135, most of whom live in the archipelago's main town, Vestmannaeyjabær. The islands are named after Gaelic slaves, called “Vestmenn” in Old Norse, who were brought to Iceland by Norsemen and then fled and were re-captured on this island; this is speculated to have occurred in AD 875.
In 2019 the ferry operation between the island and the Icelandic mainland is taken over by the municipality of Vestmannaejyar and a new vessel will be delivered from a Polish shipyard. The new ferry will have capacity to take 550 passengers and 75 cars. The 70-meter long vessel will be powered by a 3,000kWh battery pack with a diesel generator that will serve only to supply backup power. The new ferry is able to re-charge in just about 30 minutes with the direct DC connection.
About Carus
Carus is totally focused on the passenger shipping industry providing advanced Reservations, Departure Control and Onboard PoS solutions that are constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing operational demands of our clients.
For almost two decades Carus have been serving a growing client base of corporate, state and privately-owned companies, building and supporting systems that are critical to the operations of ferry, cruise, port and leisure businesses across the world. Staffed by dedicated IT and Maritime professionals, Carus continues to expand its client base and product scope through staff recruitment and company acquisitions.
Current clients include operators throughout the Baltic’s, mainland Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Africa and Australia. Carus clients cover every aspect of the passenger vessel industry and operate virtually every type of vessel proving the versatility and flexibility of the Carus ecoSystem.
The Carus ecoSystem is an integrated solution designed specifically for Passenger and Ro-Ro Freight vessel operators providing all aspects of booking, ticketing, port processing and Onboard traveller facing services coupled with a full back office suite covering the marketing, accounting and administration functions. It is modular and highly configurable and has been designed from the outset to meet the diversity of operational models present within the industry: from passenger-only fast ferry services through to conventional operations catering for passenger and freight vehicles, as well as those operators offering on-board accommodation and conference facilities.
All Carus systems are tried and tested solutions that provide the 24/7 reliability required of mission critical applications especially when delivered via our managed services.
For more information please contact:
Anders Rundberg, CEO of CARUS
Email: anders.rundberg@carus.com
Web: www.carus.com