Pioneers within its field, Supercruises is a family-owned start-up which specialises in offering cruise packages around the world. Its owner, Alexander Panagopulos, is no stranger to the travel and shipping industries. He developed his passion for cruise ships and the sea with Royal Cruise Line, the California-based company founded by his father – Pericles – in 1972.
Today, looking to push boundaries further, Panagopulos continues his voyage by raising the bar once more. This time, he’s doing it through technology innovation with a powerful, real-time cruise-booking platform. However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
Supercruises, a forward-thinking business, found itself a little lost at sea when it came to processing payments. There were multiple options out there, but it was difficult to find a solution which was customisable for their brand. As the first operator to enable real-time booking for cruises only, it’s a necessity for them to continue innovating within the industry.
The brand has its own state-of-the-art platform, which was developed in 24 months by a small but experienced team. This is rare in an industry where traditional settings, such as call centres, are still prevalent. Some of the technology’s benefits include providing real-time information to customers and a simple yet rich user experience, along with tailored package choices and comprehensive search functionalities.
A sizeable barrier in the innovation journey can be trying to find partners that understand your specific needs. For Supercruises, this was especially the case without a custom-made payment processing platform.
When they came to emerchantpay, our travel experts helped them to better understand the overall online payments landscape within the cruise industry as well as approval processes, plus much more.
As ways to operate evolve, merchants within the cruise industry require a service which supports multiple billing and business models. By choosing one which allows this to happen, brands like Supercruises are able to cater for the ever-changing demands of their customers.
Could this be the start of a digitalised age for an industry which, for the most part, hasn’t progressed as much in this respect as other travel sectors? It’s possible, according to Mr. Panagopulos. “Travel experiences are all about the here and now, so why not enable them to enjoy this in just the click of a button?”, he said. “Our powerful platform will bring cruises to the front of the minds of industry influencers, partners, suppliers and customers alike.”
Our global payment gateway is a cutting-edge, easy-to-use solution that streamlines payment flows and enables global expansion. Find out more about this service here.