Introducing AcqueraPro: The World at your Fingertips

If you’re ever looking to prompt an eye-roll from a superyacht captain or crew member, just ask them how much paperwork they are obliged to fill out on a daily basis.

Each arrival into a new port brings with it its own extensive set of forms to be completed, official documents which need to be provided and regulations which must be adhered to at all times, with captains and crew often reliant on gathering all of the relevant information from local third-party agencies in order to keep up to speed. Sound time-consuming? That’s because it is.

Step in AcqueraPro. Developed by the enterprising yachting agency, Acquera Yachting, AcqueraPro is a brand-new digital platform which provides instantaneous access to all of the information captains and crew might need from all of the ports they visit, as well as insider knowledge about the area to help them create exceptional itineraries for their onboard guests. The platform’s aim? To optimise cruising operations, save crew valuable time, and help make life easier for those on board.

Here, we catch up with Alvise Tositti, Chief Strategy Officer at Acquera Yachting to discover the ins and outs of the new platform, its upcoming launch, and how he expects AcqueraPro to be received by the industry.

Firstly, what can users do with AcqueraPro?

A lot! Captains and crew can use the platform to budget and calculate all of the cruise expenses, fill in all of the relevant forms online, upload all of the official documents which they need, and so much more.

As just one key example, thanks to AcqueraPro, filling out port forms no longer needs to be a headache. When you arrive at a port, the platform instantly generates all of the documents which are needed by port authorities in a digital format, which can then be easily accessed and filled out by users.

This avoids all of the red tape and bureaucracy which captains and crew usually have to deal with and means that they can budget for all of the compulsory port costs with just a few clicks – saving them a huge amount of time and effort.

Who do you anticipate using the platform?

In terms of our users, I see AcqueraPro being beneficial for a huge range of people across the industry – including captains, crew, management companies and charter brokers – thanks to the way it streamlines and accelerates all onboard operations. The platform also offers a new dynamic interface which I think will be particularly attractive to owners and their guests.

Do you have to be an Acquera Yachting client to use the platform?

Absolutely not. The tool was initially born out of a desire to give an extra level of service to our clients, but it has expanded far beyond this now, as we thought, why should we limit this tool to just our clients? 

As a company, we care deeply about improving the level of transparency within the industry, and so have very deliberately built a system which can benefit any potential user, whether or not they are an existing Acquera Yachting client.

How can AcqueraPro help with itinerary planning?

We are proud to say that we now cover more than 150 ports across the whole Mediterranean. Our users can choose between their favourite yachting hotspots and generate personalised itineraries to share with their team, again with just a few clicks, all of which are based on our extensive leisure database with recommendations for each area. 

Although Acquera Yachting is quite a new company (we were established in 2018), our team members have over 20 years’ worth of specialised local yachting knowledge behind them. We use this to help our clients develop truly unforgettable itineraries, encompassing off-the-beaten-track local spots, world-class events and activities, as well as some of the world’s most exclusive dining experiences.

How has AcqueraPro developed so far?

The platform was tested out in 11 ports in 2022 by 20 captain ambassadors and was received extremely positively by them. This year, we have introduced a range of new features, optimised the user experience and massively increased the platform’s geographical reach to 150 ports – and we’re looking to grow it even more in the future! 

One of the major benefits of AcqueraPro is that the information it offers is tailored to each yacht. Tell us more about this.

AcqueraPro has been created to simplify and speed up the calculation of fees and budget for each user, and this is always based on the yacht’s individual specifications. In this way, the information we provide is precise and specifically tailored to each individual vessel.

What other cool features does the platform offer?

Another very cool feature I would like to highlight is that we offer direct-in-app chat with local agents which works via geo-localisation. This means that if there is anything you need, no matter where you are in the world, you can always contact and chat with a dedicated Acquera agent.

What is it that makes AcqueraPro unique? 

Firstly, the possibility to have all of the information you need at the tip of your fingers – it really is very easy to use, and the user interface is also very intuitive and straightforward.

It’s also important to note that this tool has not been developed by a random company outside of yachting as a money-making tool – it has been built by a company with a deep knowledge of the dynamics of the industry as a whole, as well as the dynamics of the agency business.

Our founders have 20+ years of experience behind them and have done it all for themselves: completed all of the immigration forms, planned countless itineraries, you name it. If you really know the business inside out, you can make a much better tool, as you know how to improve the state of things for people on the ground. 

How has the industry responded so far to AcqueraPro?

The statistics speak for themselves! We are really pleased to have received glowing feedback from the users who have tested out the platform so far.

90 per cent of our users told us that they find it easier to book a berth using our platform compared to the usual methods. 97% of our clients told us that it is much easier and faster to complete all of the online forms using our app – so that’s pretty good. Finally, after testing out AcqueraPro, all of the audience expressed complete satisfaction and 87 per cent of them would highly recommend the app to their colleagues.

Finally, when and how will users be able to access the platform?

AcqueraPro will be available on both desktop and mobile (iOS) and is set to be launched later this year. If you want to see the platform in action for yourself, you can also book a demo with one of our team here.