A new online travel agent specialising in river cruises has been created by a former On the Beach digital expert.
Manchester-based Crui.se has been designed to help customers find, build and book bespoke river cruise itineraries, from choosing the right company to arranging pre- and post-stay options, and travel insurance.
The website offers river cruises across Europe, including the Danube, Douro, Moselle, and Rhine, as well as on the Mekong and Nile.
Crui.se currently employs six people including a cruise consultant, two web developers and three content writers.
The start-up is part of the Hays Independence Group which allows it to book via their systems.
The business has been developed by Dan Roche (pictured) to improve the online research and booking experience.
He has 15 years’ experience in the digital marketing industry, including four years as head of performance marketing at On the Beach, as well as head of digital at We Buy Any Car.
Roche is also founder of search engine marketing agency Aquire, specialising in high-performance SEO & PPC campaigns.
He said: “We want to make booking a trip of a lifetime an enjoyable experience and share the excitement of researching and planning the holiday. There’s a customer service necessity in the river cruise booking journey which we want to dramatically improve with our customer-centric approach.
“The online travel booking experience is varied and we believe that a luxury trip deserves a similar premium and aspirational web experience.
“There’s space in the market for a specialist river cruise brand with a new, modern, and unique approach.
“Crui.se matches customers with the best cruise line for their budget and interests. We are your travel companion and remain the first point of contact from booking to disembarkation.
“On arrival, we want to be the first to know about the cruise, see your pictures, and find out how we could make the next trip even better.”