How it works

Thereʼs a lot more to our maps than meets the eye. We want to invite you behind the scenes to see how it all works.

Ship tracking

It all starts with your cruise shipʼs navigation system. Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking is the culmination of literally thousands of years of ship navigation technology. It was designed to help seafarers identify other ships and safely navigate the busy seas, but it also lets us remotely follow the progress of every ship in the world in real time.

Satellite receivers

A massive global network of satellite and land based receivers are continuously listening out for AIS signals, and sending them back to databases to store and analyse the global fleetʼs movements. This system is used for everything from managing traffic and tracking logistics, through to identifying illegal fishing and analysing global trade. And now, of course, for making Cruise Maps.

Data processing

When you tell us your ship and dates, our data processing system searches this database for the data that shows the exact route of your specific voyage. This data is then analysed further to work out all of your port calls, and exactly how far you sailed. Whilst AIS has got better and better over time, there are still occasional errors or gaps in the data, and our system helps our expert map makers identify these and make sure your route is perfect.

Mapping software

Web-based maps, like the ones we use on our phones to get around, are now so common itʼs easy to forget how much technology is behind them.

We have worked closely with our partners at Maptiler to adapt this technology to generate ultra high resolution maps (much higher than you would normally get for a web map), and combine this with the detail of your voyage to create the final map that is ready for print.

Printing and framing

Now that your map is ready, it is sent to our global network of world-class print facilities. To keep the shipping footprint and delivery time to a minimum, we make sure the final map is printed as near to you as possible. The rest can be seen in our beautiful finished product. It is printed on the best quality paper, professionally hand-framed, and delivered globally without any shipping costs.

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