Maritime Route Planning

In essence, Maritime Route Planning relates to the scheduling of a vessel for performing a transport assignment and deciding on the appropriate path between ports. Focusing the transport service for goods and passengers, commercial route planning relates to how to design the transport service including selecting vessel, schedule, speed and path between ports. Legal requirements differ around the globe and sometimes affect routeing, which is discussed using the term Regulatory route planning. Navigational route planning relates to operating the vessel safely, economically and environmentally sound within the boundaries set by the commercial and regulatory route planning but considering temporary conditions such as currents, weather, waves, ice, and port and canal congestion. The significance and conditions of route planning differ considerably between the main shipping principles of tramp and liner shipping, and the more detailed presentation is accordingly divided between the maritime transport segments tank, dry bulk, container, RoRo/RoPax, and Cruise. The rendering also distinguishes between deep sea and short sea shipping as well as the time horizons for the planning tasks. Reflecting the size of maritime markets, most attention is paid to freight transport but it includes the movement of passengers.