True North Initiative

True North logo

The Steamship Authority is partnering with E-Dea SPA of Napoli, Italy, to implement a new, modern reservation system for the Steamship Authority. In June 2025, the Steamship Authority Board chose E-Dea SPA of Napoli, Italy, as the vendor for the replacement of the Authority’s reservation system. E-Dea is a worldwide leader in these systems, and some ferry clients currently using their systems are BC Ferries of British Columbia Canada, Caledonian MacGrayne (CALMAC) of Scotland, United Kingdom, Color Line of Norway, and Searoad Ferries of Australia. In 2024, E-Dea’s clients managed 49 million passengers and 18 million vehicles.

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Frequently-asked questions

What is the True North Initiative?

The True North Initiative is the Steamship Authority’s big “upgrade project” for how we book and manage trips. The largest part of it is the new reservation system, but it also includes big improvements to SSA policies, workflows, and operations. It’s everything from paperwork to deck space to special programs.

Because the reservation system changes almost everything we do, from tickets to gift cards to freight, changing it is a big deal. It means we have to clean up and modernize legacy rules, make our processes more consistent, and give our customers and staff easier-to-use tools.

You can think of it like renovating a kitchen. We need a new stove, but to do it we have to update the wiring, the cabinets, and the kitchen layout. It will be challenging while the work is ongoing, but in the end, everything will work better together.

Why do we need a new reservation system?

In a 2023 review of the Authority's technological systems, replacing the reservation system was identified as the top priority for the SSA. The current system is built in a programming language that is no longer commonly used and requires significant resources and manual adjustments to maintain functionality. That puts the Authority—and its customers—at significant risk of a disruption to this critical system.

Although continuing to maintain the current system or building a new custom system were presented as options, the Board directed staff to pursue an off-the-shelf system to increase the robustness and functionality of the reservation system and to implement the system within one year of the contract award.

How did the SSA choose E-Dea?

The SSA went through a full competitive process and looked carefully at multiple ferry reservation systems from around the world. We started with several months of market research and conversations with different ferry software companies, then used a cross-functional team within SSA (including operations, reservations, IT, and finance) to draft detailed requirements. Nine vendors submitted proposals, which were all scored using a consistent evaluation rubric. The top four vendors were then invited to the SSA offices for full-day demonstrations and Q&A sessions, and SSA conducted reference checks with other ferry operators using each system. At each step, the vendors were re-scored before a final decision was made.

E-Dea was selected because it offered the strongest overall functionality, is already used by major ferry operators worldwide, and provided particularly strong capabilities for standby and freight—both of which are critical for SSA’s operations.

When will the new system launch?

The new system will come online in two main phases.

In fall 2026:

You’ll make reservations for winter and spring 2027 in the new reservation system.
Reservations for travel through January will be made and managed in the legacy reservation system.

In winter 2027:

Summer reservations will be made in the new reservation system.
The legacy reservation system will no longer be used for booking.

What isn't changing?

We will still help island residents get to their medical appointments, spaces will still be set aside for last-minute travel needs, and our terminal personnel will still do their usual good work to accommodate those emergencies that can't be planned for and need immediate attention.

In short, our commitment to being the Lifeline to the Islands isn't changing, and our ability to provide those vital services will be stronger thanks to this new reservation system.

What will be the benefits?

The new reservation system will be an off-the-shelf product that is maintained by a large software company that works with multiple ferry companies across the world. This will give the reservation system greater security, better maintenance, and an overall more robust platform for our customers than the current system.

Specific improvements include:

Accounts will be managed through emails, so no more account numbers to remember or duplicate accounts.
Commercial freight customers will have a designated portal for their unique needs.
The new system will have robust notification functionality with text and email options.
Enrollment in special programs (such as the Excursion and Preferred programs) will now be done totally online by uploading the necessary documents to your account. You'll be able to see the status of the review—no guessing about whether your mail was received or if the renewal is complete.
Customers on our Hyannis-Nantucket route can book drive-on/drive-off services online and agree to the program policies.
The SSA will book vehicle reservations based on linear feet, the standard measure for ferry companies, and not car-equivalent units (i.e. a vehicle under 17 feet, or a vehicle 17-20 feet). This is a more accurate measurement and will better reflect the true space available to book.

What will be the drawbacks?

While the E-Dea system is extremely robust and is used by ferry services worldwide, aspects of the SSA's current operations do not fit into this system. The SSA is evaluating its current policies and, as necessary and with feedback from our customers, will modify them to fit the functionality of the E-Dea system.

What is happening to the current standby program?

We're exploring how the Nantucket standby system will work under the E-Dea platform. On the Woods Hole-Martha's Vineyard run, we are exploring how the Blue Line or a replacement program for Excursion and Preferred customers could work in the new system.

New terminology for the new system

The E-Dea system comes with standby and wait list features, but the terms don't line up with the Steamship Authority's current usage and we're unable to modify those names. We know it will take some getting used to, but we feel confident these configurations will give you a better overall experience under the new system.

Wait list

When do I use it? When you have a reservation but want to improve your sailing time, you can join the wait list for specific trips during the day. You can decide when to "drop off" a wait list and proceed with your originally booked reservation.

What's changing? The available wait list times will be close to your booked time. You will be able to join the wait list for specific trips before or after your reserved trip.

Standby

When do I use it? If you want to travel on a specific day and you do not have a reservation, you can attempt to travel on a space-available basis by purchasing a standby ticket for a specific trip.

What's changing? You will buy a standby ticket for the day you wish to travel. You can also add a wait list request to a standby ticket, meaning that—similar to the current system—you can be in the queue for multiple trips on the day you wish to travel. This can be in addition to, or instead of, buying a ticket for a less-desirable day of travel, but that booked reservation will not be changed to a new date based on your wait list preferences.