PASSENGER SHIPPING IN DETAIL · THE MEGARA POS SYSTEM
The experience starts at the pier. On board, every action counts. Megara brings together ticket sales, boarding, onboard hospitality and accounts, with a local point-of-sale system built around your vessel and your working day.
Discover a journey with Megara Talk to our team ↗For sightseeing boats, passenger shipping companies, ferry operators and seasonal fleets.
ON BOARD. CONNECTED.
One system. Plenty of good connections.
Local POS workflows without constant internet.
Bring tickets, service and sales together.
Connect vessels and the shore office.
01 / A DAY ON THE WATER
A ticket, a warm welcome, a coffee on the sun deck. Explore how these moments connect behind the scenes.
Set up trips, departure times and available capacity. Your team can see which departures are offered and how many places remain. That gives the question “Is there room on the next trip?” a clear basis.
Create suitable offers for families, groups and individual guests. Together we decide which sales points share capacity and how reservations enter the system.
A printed ticket or a code on a phone connects sales with ticket checks. Scanning checks the recorded ticket status. Tickets that have already been used are identified.
Group tickets are supported too, helping your team see how many admissions remain. We plan the shared data setup so checks work reliably across your piers and devices.
As the vessel gets under way, service keeps moving: drinks on the upper deck, snacks at the counter or a meal in the saloon. Orders are assigned to the right table or sales area.
Special requests stay with each order through to service. A digital kitchen display can connect the kitchen and front-of-house team; souvenirs and additional offers can join your sales workflow.
After the final journey, review sales and payment methods in clear reports. Ticket sales and onboard hospitality can be examined using the areas configured for your operation.
The shore office receives the agreed data over the configured connection. Reviewing sales and stock helps prepare the next departure, ending the day with a clear basis for tomorrow.
Choose departure
Assign tickets
Check capacity
Ready to board
02 / RELIABILITY ON BOARD
The heart of your POS system travels with you. A local server processes the workflows configured for onboard operation. Your onboard network connects the POS, server and printer, without requiring a permanent internet connection.
The onboard network keeps local devices connected.
Internet available: External services and data exchange can use the configured connection.
Without internet: Configured local POS workflows remain available. Online synchronisation and external services need a connection again.
Your POS still needs power, a reachable local server and a functioning onboard network. “Without internet” does not mean “without connections between devices”. We look at wireless coverage, device locations and the routes your team takes, especially across multiple decks.
Megara can operate with a locally connected security device for recording sales. The configured recording process can then run without continuous internet access. We establish the appropriate setup for your location during implementation. A fault in the security device is a separate situation from a lost internet signal.
New online bookings, external ticket checks, remote access and exchange with the shore office require a suitable connection. Cashless payments also depend on the provider, device and agreement. Locally stored data does not replace current synchronisation between disconnected sales points. Clear responsibilities and suitable sales allocations are therefore part of planning for coverage gaps.
An additional server, backups and an agreed recovery procedure can form part of your installation. Whether and how automatic takeover can work is planned and tested for the specific setup. What matters is a tested procedure your team can follow, from the replacement device to the latest available backup.
03 / TICKETS, DEPARTURES & BOARDING
An afternoon sightseeing trip, a morning crossing or a special evening on the water: each offer needs suitable times, prices and rules. Megara connects ticket management with your sales and boarding process.
Manage schedules and capacities for your own offers. Adjust recurring departures with additional slots or closures, for example for special trips or days without service. Booked tickets are included when calculating remaining capacity. Which passenger categories and additional services use capacity is part of setting up your offer.
Megara includes a bookingkit integration. It can bring bookings and related information into the configured workflow. For offers managed in bookingkit, the times and capacities maintained there remain authoritative. Other platforms and the precise scope of an integration are assessed for your operation.
Tickets can be checked and validated by their code. Group ticket functions take remaining admissions into account. We choose printing, ticket layouts, scanners and any access hardware together. Ticket status can organise boarding; a complete record of every person on board is a separate requirement.
Group fares, special conditions or a trip combined with another experience need clear rules. Together we decide how to represent your offers in the POS. For changes or cancellations, we also establish which system owns the booking and how payments follow that process.
Individual & group tickets
Illustrative workflow · Ticket design to suit your offer
04 / ONBOARD HOSPITALITY & SALES
Orders on the upper deck, service in the saloon, payments at the counter. Megara connects your vessel’s sales areas. Your team takes orders where the guests are and sends them to the kitchen or service point.
Tables, areas and special requests stay with the order.
The kitchen display shows outstanding quantities and preparation progress.
Souvenirs, keepsakes and merchandise can join the sales process.
The digital kitchen display makes orders visible to kitchen and service teams. Items can enter preparation, be marked ready or put on hold. Tables, courses and special requests remain assigned. Together we decide which station receives each order.
Personal service can be complemented by QR ordering or a self-service terminal. Whether that suits your vessel depends on guest movement, available space, network coverage and payment processes. Each option is reviewed individually for operation without internet.
05 / FLEETS & THE SHORE OFFICE
A single sightseeing boat needs straightforward processes. A fleet also needs a shared foundation. Prices, products and conditions can be distributed over configured data connections, while allowing for each vessel’s own range and responsibilities.
Tickets, onboard refreshments and simple routines.
Recurring departures and carefully planned sales points.
Shared guidelines with clear responsibilities for each vessel.
Shared data over your configured connections.
Existing synchronisation can transfer selected data between configured systems. We establish which information is maintained centrally and where a vessel needs its own values. A new price becomes available on each system after successful transfer.
Management uses a web interface; authorised remote access requires a reachable connection. Together we decide who handles which tasks and what information they need. If the connection is interrupted, the last synchronised data remains the known position.
06 / PAYMENTS & ACCOUNTS
A ticket, a meal or a reminder of a lovely day: paying is part of the guest experience. Cash, card, contactless and mobile payments can be configured to suit the selected integration.
A locally operating POS does not guarantee offline card payments. The payment provider’s conditions and installed hardware determine what is possible. Before operation, we establish which payments work in coverage gaps and how your team handles declined payments or unclear responses.
Sales and change within your configured POS workflow.
With a suitable terminal and connected payment provider.
Where supported by the provider, card and device.
Review sales and payment methods; prepare accounting exports.
07 / STOCK & INVENTORY
An item that is easy to restock ashore may be unavailable on board until the next pier. Megara connects sales with stock management and inventory counting, turning sold items into useful information for preparing the next trip.
Goods receipts, transfers and stock thresholds support replenishment. Storage areas are configured for your operation.
Capture items with a phone camera, such as an iPhone, or a barcode scanner. Compare counted quantities, recorded stock and discrepancies in inventory results.
Supplier orders and stock movements support the journey from shore storage to the sales area. Inventory counts capture quantities and highlight differences. A spreadsheet export supports further processing. How sales and stock relate depends on the product and stock setup maintained in the system.
08 / REPORTS & OVERVIEW
Which items sell frequently? How are payments split? Which departures are booked? Megara provides sales, booking and stock information for the configured areas, helping you make decisions based on your actual operation.
The web interface enables access on suitable devices. We establish which reports are useful on mobile and how information from multiple vessels is brought together. Displays based on separate systems are as current as the last successful synchronisation.
Review sales and prepare daily closing.
Review booked departures and remaining places.
Understand demand across your product range.
Configure available exports, including DATEV, to suit your needs.
09 / GUESTS WHO RETURN
A birthday gift, a benefit for regular passengers or a trip paired with another experience: Megara offers building blocks to help develop your offering.
Vouchers and customer-specific conditions are part of the POS system. Season passes and subscriptions require agreed validity, included services, redemption rules and any renewal process. Rules and data need to be shared clearly where a pass is valid across several vessels.
A cruise with a museum visit, shore excursion with admission or souvenir package can be planned as an offer. We work through tickets, pricing, validity and accounting with you. An external partner’s availability depends on the relevant integration.
Multilingual content can make orientation easier. We select and check the languages needed on tickets, displays and the interfaces you use. Translating offers and important information is part of preparation.
10 / OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Available capacity, ticket status and authorised access help your team work in an organised way. Together we define who maintains data, who completes sales and which information is needed at boarding.
Booking capacity and scanned tickets support organisation. We separately establish whether you need a formal passenger list, a complete passenger count or specific emergency records. These workflows are not automatically derived from ticket sales. Onboard responsibilities and required procedures remain part of your operating concept.
11 / PERSONAL SUPPORT
We get to know your operation, plan the installation and support your team at launch. Training takes place where the work happens: at the POS, at the pier and in onboard service.
24/7 phone and online support within the agreed service scope.
Coverage, availability and emergency assistance are agreed for your operation.
Personal advice, setup and training at your operation.
12 / GOOD QUESTIONS. CLEAR ANSWERS.
The essentials at a glance. Open the question that is on your mind.
Operations carrying passengers and selling tickets, hospitality or other items, including sightseeing boats, ferry operators and passenger shipping companies. Whether you run one vessel or several locations, the right scope depends on your workflows, sales points and connections.
Yes. Configured local POS workflows can continue through the server and onboard network without a permanent internet connection. Power and local device connections remain necessary. External online services are considered separately.
That depends on the payment provider, hardware and agreed payment method. Offline POS operation alone is not enough. We clarify these conditions before setup.
Shared offers require clear sales and data organisation. We define which system controls capacity, how information is synchronised and which allocations apply when connections are unavailable. That gives every sales point a clear framework.
The POS includes a bookingkit integration. Other platforms are assessed according to their capabilities and the workflow you need. Integrations do not all provide the same information or functions.
Yes. Megara connects the relevant modules in one POS system. Areas, products, printing routes and reports are configured to suit both ticket sales and onboard service.
With a conversation about your vessels, sales points and typical journeys. Then we plan equipment, data connections, payments and training. Together we check the agreed workflows, including operation when the internet connection is interrupted.
YOUR VESSEL. YOUR CREW. YOUR MEGARA.
Tell us about your operation. We will show you how ticket sales, onboard service and fleet management can work together.
Let’s talk about your operation