When utilizing MarineTraffic’s API services, you might notice that certain fields prefixed with NEXT_PORT_ —such as NEXT_PORT_ID, NEXT_PORT_UNLOCODE, NEXT_PORT_NAME, or NEXT_PORT_COUNTRY—are occasionally empty in the API responses. This typically occurs due to the following reasons:
Unrecognized Destination Input:
Vessel destinations are transmitted via AIS and manually entered by the vessel’s crew. Inconsistencies like abbreviations or typographical errors can render the input unrecognizable by our algorithms, resulting in empty
NEXT_PORT_*fields.Outdated Destination Information:
If the crew does not update the AIS with the current destination, the system may display the origin port or an outdated location as the destination. Our algorithms deem such data invalid, leading to null
NEXT_PORT_*fields.Stale Vessel Position Data:
When a vessel’s position hasn’t been updated for several hours, it creates uncertainty about its destination. Consequently, the NEXT_PORT_* fields remain empty until more recent data is available.
Understanding these factors can help in interpreting API responses accurately and setting appropriate expectations regarding the availability of destination-related data.