Custom crew scheduling software for passenger shipping
Appfront builds software for passenger shipping companies that need to plan crews: harbour cruises, ferry services, day trips and multi-day cruises. For each sailing, the software shows which onboard roles are required under the vessel's requirements, who is available, whether they hold the correct qualifications and certificates, and whether rest periods are respected. A shortage or an expired certificate is flagged before the ship sails.
What is crew planning software for passenger shipping?
A passenger vessel may only sail with the crew prescribed for that ship and that sailing: a master, mates, deckhands or other roles, each with the correct qualifications and certificates. In addition, rules on working and rest hours apply. In passenger shipping, the busy season adds to the challenge: many sailings, changing crew levels, and a large number of part-timers and substitutes.
Many shipping companies still plan crews in a spreadsheet, with a WhatsApp group for swaps and stand-ins. Which crew member holds which licence or certificate, and until when, is kept in a folder or in the planner's head. A master falls ill, and the substitute turns out not to hold the right qualification for that vessel. A certificate has expired and nobody noticed. And at the end of the month, hours are counted by hand for payroll.
We build custom solutions because every shipping company is different: which vessels and vessel types you operate, which roles are needed on each ship, how your sailing timetable is set, how many permanent staff and substitutes you have, and which payroll system you use. Which crew requirements and working and rest time rules apply to your vessels is set out in each vessel's certificates and in the regulations; determining what applies to you is something you do with your adviser. The software keeps track of what you record.
Crewed to requirements
For each sailing, the roles required on board and who is scheduled for them, with checks on qualifications.
Certificates monitored
For each crew member, their licences and certificates with validity dates, and an alert when they are about to expire.
Rest periods and availability
Availability, working and rest periods built into the plan, so a roster cannot be impossible to work.
How we build your crew planning software for passenger shipping
We start with your fleet: which vessels, which roles on each ship, how planning is currently done, and where things go wrong.
Your vessels, roles by vessel type, crew, certificates and sailing timetable.
Crew members with their qualifications and certificates, and their availability.
Crew per sailing, with checks on roles, qualifications and rest periods.
Shift swaps and cover, hours for payroll administration, integrations and then ongoing management.
What crew planning software for passenger shipping actually does
The parts below come up at almost every passenger shipping operator. Which ones you need depends on your fleet.
Vessels and roles
Which roles are required per vessel and sailing type.
Crew
Crew members with roles, sea certificates and qualifications.
Planning
Crew per sailing, with a check on qualifications.
Alerts
Shortages and certificates that are about to expire.
Rest periods
Working and rest times within the roster.
Hours
Hours worked to payroll administration.
Who we build crew planning software for in passenger shipping
The software is designed for operators who plan many sailings with changing crew.
Sightseeing cruise operators
Many short sailings and cover shifts. Planning per sailing is at the heart of it.
Ferry services
A fixed timetable with rotas. Rest periods matter most.
Day trips and cruises
Longer voyages with more roles. Qualifications are checked as required.
Charter operators
Vessels for groups. Availability is the key factor.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about crew planning in passenger shipping. For shipping companies in general, see our page on cruise company software; for vessel certificates, our page on an app for certificate monitoring; and for river cruise bookings, our page on river cruise booking planning. You can read about our approach at custom software development.
Why choose Appfront for your crew planning software in passenger shipping?
A vessel that cannot sail because the crew is wrong loses a sailing and passengers. We build around that: every sailing with the right roles, certificates that are monitored, and a roster that works.
No surprises at departure
Shortages are flagged before the sailing.
No expired certificates
You receive a signal well in advance.
Cover without risk
Only those with the right qualification can cover a shift.
Security and privacy in crew planning software for passenger shipping
The software holds crew data such as qualifications, certificates and working hours. Access is set by role, and a crew member sees only their own roster and data.
The software runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage, daily back-ups and sign-in with a second factor.
Frequently asked questions about crew planning software for passenger shipping
Questions shipping companies ask before getting started.
It plans the crew for each sailing according to the roles the vessel requires, checks qualifications and certificates, takes availability and rest periods into account, flags shortages and expiring certificates, and passes hours to payroll.
These are set out in the vessel certificates and the passenger shipping regulations, and depend on the vessel and the voyage. You determine what applies to your vessels with your adviser; the software checks the planning against what you record per vessel.
Yes, according to the rules you define. A roster that exceeds working or rest times gives a signal before it is published. That way an impossible roster is not discovered only on board.
Crew members can offer or swap a shift in an app, and the planner approves it. The software only shows cover staff who have the right role, qualification and certificates, and who are able to work within the rest periods.
Yes. Sea certificates and qualifications are recorded per crew member with their validity dates. A certificate that is about to expire gives an early signal to the crew member and the planner.
Yes, provided it exposes an interface. Scheduled and additional sailings from the booking system feed into the planning, so an extra charter immediately requires crew.
Check that first. Rostering software schedules shifts, but often not roles per vessel, qualifications and certificates. Custom software makes sense if those checks matter to you, or if you have many vessels and stand-ins.
Every sailing with the right crew?
Tell us how many vessels and sailings you run, how crew scheduling works today and where it goes wrong. We'll show you what the planning, certificates and rest periods would look like.