From trend to threat. Why printers undermine cruise cyber & cost control

From a guest perspective, these developments are fantastic. Great options for everyone and hardly a reason left not to book a cruise. For cruise lines, however, these trends are necessary and full of opportunity, but they also introduce significant operational challenges:

1. More diverse itineraries increase operational complexity: more ports, smaller ports, more local regulations, higher pressure on sustainability, and more cyber‑risks tied to port infrastructure.
2. Shorter itineraries increase hotel‑operations workload: more embarkations and disembarkations per month/year, rapid guest turnover, more administration, and greater demand on staff flexibility.
3. More exotic destinations intensify logistical pressure: accessibility challenges, supply chain constraints, and higher expectations for delivering a seamless guest experience.

Without automation and strong support processes, scaling service operations becomes nearly impossible. And as cyber‑risks increase, so does the need for robust cybersecurity. It’s no surprise that cruise lines are heavily investing in IT systems, IT personnel, and cyber solutions.

Yet all this automation means that a cruise ship has become a floating ecosystem of interconnected technologies. Highly advanced on board, yet still reliant on external infrastructure such as satellites, cloud applications, and port systems. Add to that the many on‑board nautical and other OT systems and you get one of the most complex technical environments imaginable.

For technical IT managers, it’s a paradise filled with challenges and opportunities but at the same time, a nightmare to secure. And that’s before we even consider the thousands of guests who board every week with potentially infected devices like phones, tablets, and laptops.

This diversity creates a very large attack surface for hackers. A very attractive playground with endless entry possibilities. The threat is real, and the industry knows it.

The cruise industry takes cybersecurity seriously. With diverse risks, varying legal frameworks across countries, and the enormous operational impact of downtime at sea, security is more crucial than ever.

Across multiple assessments we’ve carried out on cruise ships, we see onboard IT teams growing steadily. Monitoring, control, technical management, and predictability are becoming central pillars of IT operations. Naturally, teams tend to prioritize what appears most critical first: workplace automation, applications, and nautical systems.

However, we consistently observe that IT peripheral devices are poorly managed and in some cases, completely unsecured, even in public areas.
A prime example is print equipment:

• Outdated firmware
• Unencrypted data
• Unsecured connections to third‑party applications
• Devices connected to networks accessible through the printer itself

Unthinkable in 2026, yet still reality. Cybersecurity is only as strong as the weakest link so how do you ensure everything is properly secured?

Beyond security, printing has traditionally been a silent cost driver. First, because few question whether printing is needed at all, and second, because printing is rarely managed in a structured way. Hardware decisions often sit with IT, while supplies and support typically fall under hotel operations. As a result:

• There is no unified strategy
• Decisions are taken ad‑hoc by many stakeholders
• Support processes are unclear
• And costs become invisible yet significant

This raises important questions. How do you maintain cost transparency? How do you gain frequent, reliable insight into print data? How do you operate an optimized, efficiently managed print fleet?

Returning to the earlier trends. More ports, shorter itineraries, and more exotic destinations what challenges do these pose for printing?

• Engineer support was already difficult and will become even harder as itineraries move toward more local, less accessible ports.
• Print volumes rise due to higher guest turnover.
• Increased print volume puts more pressure on devices and on hotel staff to keep them running.
• Printer downtime has a far greater operational impact and can even hurt guest satisfaction. If guests aren’t informed about excursions, menus, or onboard events, will ratings suffer?

Using augmented reality support tools combined with secure, easy‑to‑manage print technology is becoming the standard for fleet‑wide print management. Design an ecosystem that is secure by design:

• Fewer devices, higher uptime
• Fewer onboard engineer interventions
• Rapid, sustainable improvement in print operations and maintenance