Cruise specialist agency Ideal Cruising has been sold by Lowcost Travel Group less than two years after it was acquired.
International Cruise & Excursions (ICE) has acquired the business to add to its rapidly expanding cruise retail operations in Europe.
The Ideal Cruising deal for an undisclosed sum follows the recent sale of Resorthoppa by Lowcost Travel Group.
ICE Europe plans to develop the Ideal Cruising brand and retail model to complement its European businesses.
Lowcost Travel Group chief executive Paul Evans said: “This deal is part of our broader restructuring programme to rationalise and simplify our business and to focus on our core hotels and holidays business across Europe that is growing very nicely.”
ICE Europe chief executive Warren Joy added: “We are delighted to be acquiring the Ideal Cruising brand and look forward to developing and growing the business through our proven e-commerce sales and marketing platform that will allow us to introduce more cruise holiday options to Ideal’s customer base.”
Staff at Ideal Cruising, which at the time of acquisition by Lowcosttravelgroup in autumn 2010 stood at 35, were being informed of the sale today.
The addition of Ideal Cruising bolsters the Ice Europe portfolio following the acquisitions of the assets of 1st4cruising.com and Voyana from Total Travel Leisure Holdings in March and the database of WeCruise in April.