Cruise retailer WeCruise has sold its customer database to International Cruise and Excursions (Ice) and signed a licensing deal allowing it to use the wecruise.co.uk domain name.
WeCruise owner P&P Associates bought the assets of Gill’s Cruise Centre when it failed in July last year and employed 34 staff from the failed agency.
Under the deal, Ice will be responsible for all marketing and customer service for the WeCruise brand. However, an Ice spokesman said P&P’s staff would continue to work on WeCruise in the meantime as Ice develops its new call centre in Stanmore, Middlesex.
He said there would be no redundancies as part of the deal. “It is important there is continuity so WeCruise staff will continue to service it as well as working on P&P Associates’ other brands.” Stevenage-based P&P Associates also operates WeFly.co.uk and WeHoliday.co.uk.
Ice has so far recruited 20 staff for its call centre and is continuing to hold recruitment fairs, with the aim of creating a 100-strong team. The new recruits are currently receiving training.
The agreement follows Ice’s purchase of the assets of 1st4cruising.com and Voyana from Total Travel Leisure Holdings in March. Ice specialises in membership reward and loyalty programmes as well providing cruise and vacation fulfilment services to major corporate brands.
Warren Joy, Ice Europe senior vice president, said: “This latest deal complements our recent acquisitions and will enable us to develop our leisure business in the UK. As well as providing a wider choice of cruising holidays to the WeCruise customer base, we will be able to introduce them to a much broader range of holiday options through our established membership reward and loyalty schemes.”