This new feature advises vessels on routes that combine schedule adherence with natural beauty, calm seas, and memorable coastlines.
On April 1st, 2026, PortXchange announced the launch of their ScenicRoute add-on – a groundbreaking addition to the company’s technical suite that, for the first time, incorporates seafarer wellbeing as a navigational variable alongside speed, fuel consumption, berth synchronisation, and decarbonisation. The feature is available immediately to all ports, barges, and vessels using any of PortXchange’s solutions.
For decades, maritime routes advisory has functioned around a single axis: efficiency. ScenicRoute introduces a second axis – an axis that’s just a little more human.
“We have spent years helping vessels arrive on time and at the right speed,” said Sjoerd de Jager, CEO and co-founder of PortXchange. “With schedule reliability at historic lows and delays increasingly inevitable, we asked ourselves: if a vessel is going to spend additional hours at sea regardless, should those hours not be as good as possible? The answer was self-evident.”
ScenicRoute analyses real-time and forecast data supplied by ports and vessels to identify voyage segments where the recommended track can be adjusted to pass through areas of natural interest and comfort– calm seas, dramatic coastlines, migratory wildlife corridors, favorable light conditions, and scenic spots for sunrise and sunset – without compromising the ship’s overall port call window.
When a vessel’s voyage profile shows some margin for a scenic deviation, PortXchange generates an alternative track alongside the standard optimised route. The seafarer and vessel operator may select the scenic option from within the existing PortXchange interface – be it EmissionInsider, PilotTracker, or ETAPredictor. These alternative solutions also cut down on emissions as a whole – slowing down to take the scenic route might prevent idle times within ports, more efficient use of fuel, and a kinder experience for the vessel’s overall crew.
Upon selection, the platform automatically:
- Recalculates the revised ETA and transmits it to the receiving port via the PortXchange network
- Confirms that the updated arrival window remains synchronised with the assigned berth
- Unlocks the voyage’s Shared Moments feature, enabling crew members to upload photographs and short video clips from the route, visible to approved contacts ashore
All scenic route deviations are validated against weather routing, traffic separation schemes, and applicable regulatory corridors prior to being surfaced to the vessel.
At launch, the Scenic Routing database covers over 340 waypoints of natural interest across the Mississippi River, North Sea, English Channel, Baltic, Mediterranean, and key transoceanic corridors, including:
- The Lofoten Archipelago approach at first light
- The Strait of Gibraltar eastern entrance at dusk
- The Great Barrier Reef outer passage, southbound
- Cape Horn – all conditions, no exceptions
Further waypoints will be added on a rolling basis, with crew contributions via the Shared Moments feature forming a community-curated layer of the dataset over time.
ScenicRoute is available as of today at no additional cost to all PortXchange user.
Schedule a demo now to learn more.
