all case studies

Holland America Line: Enabling the trip of a lifetime from anywhere

At a glance

Holland America Line wanted to make it easy for passengers to book onshore activities. We built an intuitive tablet app that allows shore excursion managers to give passengers an at-a-glance view of activities and book them quickly, from anywhere on the ship.

What we did

  • User experience design
  • Mobile application development
  • Training and deployment

A cruise is an experience. And the cruise experience wouldn’t be complete without shore excursions—from dogsledding in Alaska to zip-lining in the Caribbean. When Holland America Line (HAL) set out to make its once-in-a-lifetime experiences come to life on a mobile device, it turned to us.

Anytime, anywhere booking

HAL’s many onshore activities are made possible by its Shore Excursion (Shorex) Managers. They help connect the ship’s passengers with their onshore activities of choice. Holland America Line wanted an app that would allow Shorex Managers to get away from their desks to walk, talk, and book excursions for passengers from anywhere on the ship.

The Slalom team helped us evaluate and solve multiple business problems with the application. The feedback from staff and guests has been remarkable–Slalom truly understands mobile as a strategic channel.

Shipside realities

Before a single line of code could be written, we had to understand life at sea aboard a Holland America Line ship. Our interviews with Shorex Managers cast a light on real-world use cases, like limited connectivity away from port, the distractions of a bustling ship, and periodic lines at the ship’s shore excursion decks.

Full steam ahead

We helped build a gorgeous, intuitive app that allows Shorex Managers to give passengers an at-a-glance overview of shore excursions, complete with colorful pictures, trip details and availability, and booking functionality. Now, instead of straining to see a manager’s desk monitor, guests can swipe to browse a visual collection of exciting destinations and activities from the comfort of a pool chair or bar stool.

Successful maiden mobile voyage

We’re proud of our work—and proud to be HAL’s partner in its first mobile foray. Our team built a beautiful tablet app that’s turning heads and enriching the at-sea experience.