How Move & Connect improves the experience on board luxury hotel barges in Europe
Cruise through the picturesque waterways of Europe and experience the oldest hotel barge company in operation. Relax in the comfort and elegance of one of 17 luxury houseboats with your family and friends. Share your experience with your friends and family live on social media anywhere, anytime.
This is the promise of European Waterways Ltd, a high-end river tourism company that has been cruising since 1974 and offers an all-inclusive package to a demanding, and mostly American, clientele.
Back in 2014, when European Waterways Ltd contacted Move & Connect, the barges were upgraded to a single-operator internet connection using 4G technology.
"The lack of connectivity had been a reason for complaints and bad feedback on our cruises in the past and had already been able to generate partial refunds from our customers," says Marie Touchet - COO.
Since the WiFi password is the first question asked by guests when boarding, connectivity is obviously a major concern.
Enjoy the best internet connection on board everywhere
Move & Connect’s engineers can design and build solutions for your specific internet requirements. We can provide solutions both on board, and ashore, that are flexible, scalable and secure.
In addition to the standard connectivity options already included in the packages (Wi-Fi access points throughout the ship, 4G/5G cellular coverage in 200 countries - depending on location), we can also offer a variety of additional technologies like NB-IOT and LTE-M for Machine to machine communication.
Connectivity is available in all of Europe.
The service is available on all types of vessels.
The service is available to all passengers.
The service is available 24/7.
You can use the internet only when you need it and for as long as you want without having a contract or any other commitment from us; this makes Move & Connect an ideal solution for those who want to access the internet
Marie Touchet said: "Navigating in sometimes remote areas, the solutions offered by Move & Connect have always met our expectations.”
Easy hardware setup
Thanks to its experience in the boat industry, Move & Connect was able to setup reliable cellular routers that work even in harsh environments, and respond to all constraints. Industrial routers with amplified antennas have also been provided with secured VPN remote access.
Make savings with no compromise on service
Barge Hotel activity is very seasonal. Move & Connect's dynamic pool plans allows European Waterways to have an unlimited data plan during high-season and then reduce it to an idle point during the off-season, thus keeping the budget per barge under control during maintenance periods.
Relax, where are here for you - always.
We are committed to delivering the best experience in high speed internet for on-board entertainment. We will customize the service to meet your needs and ensure it goes seamlessly throughout your journey. European Waterways’s crew can focus on taking care of their guest, our 24/7 friendly customer team handle the connectivity.
Marie Touchet says “We have no more connectivity problems, our customers are fully satisfied with the internet connection on board, it's an extra quality treat for our cruises”.
Conclusion
We are proud to bring you the best of internet connection on board, anywhere in the world. We work with the world’s leading MVNO (multiple virtual network operators) Webbing, which has invested heavily in its network and infrastructure to give us access to their services wherever you cruise. Our teams are ready to help you every step of the way, from planning your trip right through until after your return home.
About Marie Touchet
After studies and a past in the world of luxury hotels, Marie came across a hotel barge during a stay in the south of France. Very curious by nature, she started a conversation with the captain of the boat, who was looking for a hostess / housekeeper at that time, not being professionally engaged at that time, I hired the next day!
She immediately loved working on these floating establishments, which are truly "small niche" where we really have the time to take care of guest - we have an average ratio of 2 crew members per guest.
Passionate about cooking, she then moved on to the kitchen and held the position of chef for 5 years, traveling all over Europe from Scotland to Italy. This versatility, the acquisition of a lot of knowledge and the desire to stay in a company in constant expansion allowed me to evolve on a more sedentary position and to now be part of the management team.
