DouroAzul leads in the Portuguese river cruise sector. Founded in 1993, the company stands out for its quality service and commitment to innovation. DouroAzul offers travel experiences along the Douro River that allow visitors to explore the stunning landscapes of the Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
With a fleet of 11 modern and luxurious vessels, DouroAzul showcases the region’s rich culture, history, and gastronomy. Meanwhile, each cruise blends comfort, design, and unique experiences. The World Travel Awards named DouroAzul the best European river cruise company in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. These recognitions reinforce DouroAzul’s position as an industry leader, highlighting its commitment to consistency, excellence, and customer satisfaction.
I highly recommend Salto smart access solutions for their robustness, reliability, and easy maintenance. The management software is intuitive, allowing for quick assimilation of procedures and system usage by front-desk cruise staff.
We are proud to be part of this project and to provide a solution that truly makes a difference in the hotel ship industry, raising standards of safety, comfort, and efficiency for DouroAzul's passengers and crew.
DouroAzul faced several security and access control challenges on its newest luxury hotel ships: the São Gabriel, the Amadouro, and the A-Rosa Alva.
DouroAzul’s hotel ship business segment is highly demanding as passengers expect a complete experience equivalent to a luxury hotel on land. With capacities ranging between 100 to 126 passengers, these ships feature modern facilities like a pool, sun deck, restaurant, bar, elevator, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, guests can enjoy luxury services such as therapeutic massages.
Given the high standards demanded on board, preventive maintenance is crucial. Each vessel faced difficulties managing access to restricted areas and ensuring the safety of passengers, crew, and company assets. The need for regular upkeep also meant a steady flow of maintenance personnel, making effective access management even more crucial. Maintenance staff and tasks had to be strictly controlled to avoid disruptions in operations and ensure onboard safety.
DouroAzul recognised the need for an efficient and modern access control solution that could meet the unique requirements of its luxury hotel ships. It chose to implement Salto’s smart locking solutions on the three newest fleet members as part of its efforts to enhance security, access control, and a seamless experience for everyone on board.
For DouroAzul, we chose to incorporate Salto smart lock technology and the Salto Space pionering data-on-card access control platform to easily manage access to every part of the ships – including passenger and crew cabins, common areas, and restricted zones – with just one powerful, all-inclusive solution.
Since implementing Salto’s integrated solution, DouroAzul has observed significant benefits. Passengers and crew now enjoy safer, more convenient access to authorised areas, resulting in a smoother and improved experience. This has also reduced operational costs and the time spent managing access and security on the ships.
Salto’s access control technology has strengthened river cruise security, too. Only authorised personnel have access to restricted areas, preventing security incidents. Moreover, it has upgraded operational efficiency by simplifying access management protocols and streamlining onboard processes. Other quantifiable benefits include ROI, operational cost reduction, and an enhanced guest experience.
- Keyless smart access for passengers and crew to any door, cabin, or facility on board, delivering an improved user experience.
- Advanced security, with a fully integrated smart access control platform for integrated management solutions that are easier to scale, adapt, and operate.
- 24/7 real-time monitoring and management for increased visibility.
- More operational efficiency, with a single, robust user interface and improved maintenance scheduling.
- Unique, simple-to-install designs with fully customisable options.
- Compliance with stringent international maritime security standards.
DouroAzul leads in the Portuguese river cruise sector. Founded in 1993, the company stands out for its quality service and commitment to innovation.
