The Gill’s brand is to be relaunched as part of a drive by International Cruise and Excursions Europe (ICE) to expand in the UK.
Gill’s Cruise Centre, one of the UK’s largest cruise agencies, collapsed in July last year, costing cruise lines several million pounds.
Its customer database was sold to We Cruise owner P&P Associates, which later sold it on to ICE and signed a licensing deal allowing it to use the We Cruise and Gill’s domain names.
ICE has now revealed plans to launch Gill’s Holidays to exploit the good name the brand built up over 25 years. It will offer a range of holidays, including cruises.
Warren Joy, senior vice president of ICE Europe, said: “The Gill’s name, which was trusted to supply great value family cruise holidays for over 25 years, will be resurrected under the new brand of Gill’s Holidays, with a focus on offering UK customers a broad range of holiday and cruise destinations worldwide.
“The name was one of the longest established most recognisable and trusted brands in the cruise sector, enjoying a strong following from consumers and the support of the cruise industry before it ran into financial difficulties.”
He added: “We plan to introduce Gill’s customers to a much broader range of holiday options through our established membership rewards and loyalty schemes as well as offering a comprehensive range of cruising experiences through Gill’s Holidays.
“This latest development complements our recent investments in the UK and will enable ICE to continue to profitably expand our leisure cruise and holiday business in the UK going forward.”
This latest move follows ICE’s acquisition of Ideal Cruising from Lowcost Travel Group.