Wss Ships Agency News

Marking a seismic shift in just how ships agents can support their customers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) will soon be delivering its agency essentials via drone. A much talked about technology, with obvious applications for the shipping industry, it is WSS’ ships agency team, rather than the company’s supply chain, or product divisions, which have been assessing the business opportunities offered by drones. Marius Johansen, VP Business Solutions & Marketing, WSS Ships Agency explains, “Whether it is deliveries of critical documents or vital medical supplies, tank inspections, or monitoring cargo and stockpile levels, we believe semi-autonomous drone flights can support and further enhance what our ships agency team can offer our customers”.

Marking a shift in how ship agents can support customers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) said it will soon begin delivering its agency essentials via drone. A much talked about technology, with obvious applications for the shipping industry, it is WSS’ships agency team, rather than the company’s supply chain, or product divisions, which have been assessing the business opportunities offered by drones. Dispensing with the need for launch boats to deliver such essentials to vessels at anchorage, along with cutting delivery times, Johansen estimates drone flights will also slash costs.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is aiming to consolidate its position within the Ships Agency segment by building stronger agent-customer relationships. By doing so, Frederic Fontarosa believes the firm can offer enhanced efficiency, understanding and value. Frederic Fontarosa is a people person. Mixing an easy going, laid back French-American drawl with suddenly energetic outbursts on subjects close to his heart, he’s engaging to talk to and easy to like. Seated  in his Houston office…

China travel services provider Ctrip has furthered its expansion into the cruise market with the appointment of Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) as its General Agent in China. The partnership, which was announced at the official Ctrip vessel naming ceremony last week, will see WSS China providing full ships agency services in Japan to Ctrip’s brand new fleet, the M/S ‘SKYSEA GOLDEN ERA’, cruise vessel operating across routes between China and Japan. This new relationship comes as the Chinese cruise market continues to expand at a rapid rate.

With Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas home-ported in Shanghai for 2015 and TUI Cruises launching its inaugural Asian season, eyes are on Asia’s expanding cruise market. However, while Asia may be unexplored territory for many cruise owners and ships service suppliers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is established and already servicing numerous local and international cruise customers across the entire Asia Pacific region. Boasting an industry-leading cruise-specific ships agency network…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is helping clients execute voyages through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as this new trade lane begins to open up new opportunities for shipping. WSS is working with Russian Arctic shipping specialist Rosatomflot for ice-breaking assistance and has developed a programme to assists clients with technical, legal and insurance preparations they must satisfy to make the journey safely. The NSR is currently open between 1 July and 1 November but holds out the long-term prospect of a faster route between Northern Europe and North Asia/Alaska, cutting the journey time on an Europe-Asia voyage from 34 days to 22 days.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has announced the opening of a facility in Tianjin, China, taking the total number of WSS agency offices in the region to six, located in Shanghai, Beijing, Qingdao, Dalian, Ningbo and Tianjin. Mr Leo Hao, Manager of WSS Tianjin said;  “There are currently 1500 calls per month in the port of Tianjin. Captain Bi,  General Manager of WSS Ships Agency & Marine Logistics China said; “The six places within which we are now located represent each and every coastal province in China.

Since the start of 2011, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) Ships Agency has been successfully dealing with the needs of vessels calling in European ports with regard to Advanced Cargo Declarations. These regulations require all carriers to pre-alert customs authorities of goods going in and out of the EU, Switzerland and Norway by providing an Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD). While the American ACD is made through a single electronic portal when entering U.S. waters, the EU ACD must be filed through the Import Control System (ICS) which is individually adopted by all EU member states.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service has opened a new full service office in Ningbo, providing a comprehensive range of ships agency and maritime logistics services. The company now has five offices in mainland China. “Our strategy has been to strengthen our network across China in order to be present where our customers are operating,” said Captain Bi Yuping – General Manager of WSS Ships Agency & Maritime Logistics China. “The office expansion is aimed at providing the same level of service in China as we offer at all WSS offices throughout the world. Our customers expect the same high standards of quality and efficiency at every port we serve”, he added.