Swan Hellenic UC Solution

Products Deployed: UCM6300 Series, GXV3480, GRP2612W, GDMS

The Challenge

When luxury expedition cruise operator Swann Hellenic commissioned the construction of three state-of-the-art exploration vessels—SH Minerva, SH Vega, and SH Diana—at Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, the shipbuilder faced a unique challenge. While the shipyard had decades of experience constructing icebreakers and commercial utility vessels, designing communications infrastructure for luxury cruise ships was outside its traditional expertise. As a result, an enterprise communications solution had not been specified for the vessels.

To address this gap, G6 Global, an international communications firm that specializes in designing and deploying tailored two-way radio communications solutions, was engaged to design, supply, install, and commission a complete IP communications platform capable of meeting the expectations of both guests and crew. The solution needed to provide premium video communications for every guest cabin while supporting reliable voice communications throughout crew quarters and operational areas across each ship.

Beyond delivering enterprise-grade telephony, the communications system also needed to integrate with several critical onboard platforms. It was required to connect with the guest billing system so external calls could be automatically tracked and charged at the end of each voyage. Integration with the guest reservation system was equally important, enabling guest names to appear automatically on cabin phones upon check-in while allowing reception staff and personal butlers to greet guests by name, creating a more personalized luxury experience.

Additional technical challenges included integrating with the ships' satellite communications infrastructure for inbound and outbound calling while providing seamless failover to a backup IP PBX system to ensure uninterrupted communications. These complex integrations were successfully completed by G6's engineering team with support from BNS Distribution.

Why Grandstream?

Rather than conducting a traditional product evaluation, G6 was entrusted with recommending the communications platform best suited for the project. Based on its experience delivering enterprise communications solutions, G6 selected Grandstream as the ideal platform.

Grandstream's solutions offered the reliability, flexibility, and advanced functionality required for a demanding maritime environment while providing an intuitive management experience and an elegant design appropriate for a luxury cruise setting.

Another significant advantage was the Android-based GXV Series video phones, which enabled seamless integration with the onboard Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) platform, expanding communications capabilities beyond traditional voice services.

The Solution

G6 designed and deployed a comprehensive Grandstream communications solution across all three vessels featuring:

• UCM6300 Series IP PBX was deployed as the primary communications platform.
• GRP2612W IP Phones were installed throughout crew cabins and operational areas, including restaurants, offices, galleys, engineering spaces, and other staff locations.
• GXV3480 Smart Video Phones were deployed in every guest cabin and throughout public spaces such as reception, lounges, bars, and lobbies to provide premium voice and video communications.
• GDMS Cloud Management was implemented to enable centralized remote monitoring, configuration, and management of all deployed devices

One of the most technically demanding aspects of the deployment involved integrating the communications platform with the ships' satellite gateway. Since every outbound call required authentication before being routed externally, custom integration work was required to ensure reliable operation.

To support different user roles, G6 also implemented customized calling permissions. Guests were provided unrestricted outbound calling privileges, while crew members were required to authenticate using calling cards before placing external calls, ensuring appropriate access control and cost management.

The Results

The completed deployment exceeded customer expectations and has become a key component of the premium onboard experience across all three Swan Hellenic expedition vessels.The integration between Grandstream's communications platform, the onboard PoC solution, and the ships' radio system created a unified communications environment for crew members. For example, the ship's captain can initiate two-way radio communications directly from the GXV3480 video phone installed in the captain's cabin, simplifying operational communications.

Guests have also embraced the system's video calling capabilities, using them extensively to communicate with onboard butlers assigned to each deck as well as Guest Services, enhancing convenience and delivering a more personalized hospitality experience.

Since entering service, SH Minerva, SH Vega, and SH Diana have successfully operated on expeditions spanning from the Arctic to Antarctica. Throughout their global voyages, the Grandstream communications systems have delivered exceptional reliability, providing uninterrupted service in some of the world's most remote and demanding environments.





About G6 Global


G6 Global designs, supply, build and deliver integrated communications solutions to mission critical standards. They are a leading provider of communication solutions with a proven track record of delivering exceptional results in diverse sectors and regions worldwide. Their expertise, reliability, and commitment to customer satisfaction set them apart. G6 serves clients worldwide, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Libya, Albania, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, USA, Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK. Visit www.g6-global.com to learn more. 

About BNS Distribution

BNS Distribution is the UK Master Distributor for Grandstream Networks; a global leader in unified communications & networking solutions, trusted by partners in over 150 countries. In 2026, we mark 20 years as an accredited Grandstream distributor; a long-standing partnership that reflects deep technical alignment, commercial consistency and sustained commitment to the UK channel. We work closely with installers, integrators, MSPs, ITSPs, ISPs and resellers to deliver communications and networking solutions that are easy to specify, simple to deploy and commercially competitive. Visit www.bnsdistribution.co.uk to learn more.