We take pride in partnering with businesses that bring something special to the cruise experience. That’s why we’re thrilled to team up with The Cruise Maps, a creative venture crafting beautifully personalised keepsakes for cruise guests. We caught up with Matthew Jones, co-founder of The Cruise Maps, to learn more about their journey and the art of turning voyages into lasting memories.
What sparked the idea behind Cruise Maps?
Will and I set up The Cruise Maps in the summer of 2023. Will is a Naval Architect and had been using AIS ship tracking data in his work for over a decade and I had been working in Publishing. We were talking over breakfast one day about why there aren't any high-quality print products using historical AIS data, and we thought we'd try to make a perfectly accurate map for cruise passengers. Within four weeks, we had quit our jobs, realising that we were onto something and needed to do this full-time.
How did you and Will meet?
We go a long way back. We both went to the University of Southampton and met in our first year in 2007 as we tried out for the rowing team. We bonded over a mutual love of all things boats, water and adventure and ended up as housemates for a few years before we left university.
Where did your interest in maritime come from?
Will is from a family of sailors who live on the Norfolk coast, so he's been fascinated with the sea since he was a boy. My parents both worked for Cunard on the QE2 in the 1980s, so I've always grown up with a keen sense of the romance of the old liners, and that's just translated now into a love of cruising.
How did you and Will meet?
We go a long way back. We both went to the University of Southampton and met in our first year in 2007 as we tried out for the rowing team. We bonded over a mutual love of all things boats, water and adventure and ended up as housemates for a few years before we left university.
Where did your interest in maritime come from?
Will is from a family of sailors who live on the Norfolk coast, so he's been fascinated with the sea since he was a boy. My parents both worked for Cunard on the QE2 in the 1980s, so I've always grown up with a keen sense of the romance of the old liners, and that's just translated now into a love of cruising.
Have you cruised before? If so, where was your favourite destination and why?
I'm a bit late to the party, but I absolutely love it! New York is an amazing experience, especially with the iconic skyline as you sail in.
How do you personalise maps?
We view every map as personalised to the guest because it shows their actual cruise rather than just the itinerary route. Every slight deviation from the course tells a tale. Guests can add a personalised title to their order when they place it and can even ask us to mark down special locations on their cruise. Often, these are birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, engagements or even memorial ceremonies.
How do you pull together the data to create the maps?
For every cruise, we pull together thousands upon thousands of data points showing the ship's position every 10 minutes for the duration of the voyage. Historical AIS data can be a complex and imperfect dataset, though, so we've built an amazing team of map makers who manually verify the data for every cruise, which is how we can guarantee 100% accuracy.
How do you pull together the data to create the maps?
For every cruise, we pull together thousands upon thousands of data points showing the ship's position every 10 minutes for the duration of the voyage. Historical AIS data can be a complex and imperfect dataset, though, so we've built an amazing team of map makers who manually verify the data for every cruise, which is how we can guarantee 100% accuracy.
What’s your most popular product?
Our original framed map is still the most popular. You can now choose from a variety of three colours for the frame (or opt for a print only) and a satellite or classic map style. We're starting to see a lot of demand for our Cruise Album, too, which is a handmade cloth-bound presentation folder that can hold up to 25 cruise maps inside.
If you'd like to order a map of one of your previous cruises, or pre-order one for an upcoming journey, click here.
What’s your most popular product?
Our original framed map is still the most popular. You can now choose from a variety of three colours for the frame (or opt for a print only) and a satellite or classic map style. We're starting to see a lot of demand for our Cruise Album, too, which is a handmade cloth-bound presentation folder that can hold up to 25 cruise maps inside.
If you'd like to order a map of one of your previous cruises, or pre-order one for an upcoming journey, click here.