Following Anglo-Eastern’s acquisition of Cruise Management International and its group of companies on December 16th last year, the company attended Seatrade Cruise Global, held over three days this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Representing Anglo-Eastern’s new cruise business at the event were Sanjay Sukhrani, President and CEO of the shipmanagement division Anglo-Eastern Cruise Management (AECMI, formerly Cruise Management International Inc), and Dietmar Wertanzl, President and CEO of cruise hospitality division Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management (AELM, formerly CMI Leisure Management Inc).
Joining them from Anglo-Eastern’s Hong Kong and Singapore offices were senior members of the group’s executive management team, including CEO Bjorn Hojgaard and COO Carsten Ostenfeldt.
Together, they formally unveiled the new AECMI and AELM branding at the event.
“It has long been a dream of Anglo-Eastern’s to one day join the cruise industry as a way to diversify our business, explore new opportunities, and to truly manage all types of vessels,” said Hojgaard at the event.
“As one of the world’s largest and longest-standing shipmanagers, there is a lot we can bring to the cruise industry, so this is a very exciting development for us and we are fortuitous to have been at the right place at the right time to realise our dreams with the acquisition of CMI.”
“Anglo-Eastern is first and foremost a shipmanager, and our experience with many different types and sizes of vessels over the decades is extensive,” added Ostenfeldt.
“Our commitment to excellence transcends ship type, plus we have the benefit of a fresh perspective from outside the industry. Sometimes having a new pair of eyes is what it takes to bring about further improvements, be it in safety, training, operational efficiencies, environmental compliance, or de-carbonisation.”
Sukhrani, who was recently appointed head of the cruise shipmanagement division, added: “Anglo-Eastern is actively involved in all major sectors across merchant shipping and has built a strong reputation for helping its clients achieve effective cost management, compliance, and safety. Its scale and scope can provide the cruise industry with a very efficient service.”
In terms of positioning within the industry, Anglo-Eastern said that it saw itself as a niche player, with a focus on the expedition and mid-sized cruise segments, where novelty and innovation takes precedence over mass operations. The group also sees itself as partners for larger cruise companies that wish to enter these segments.
Looking closer to home, from an individual company perspective, Wertanzl was enthusiastic about joining Anglo-Eastern and saw many opportunities for synergies and growth.
“We are now part of a much larger, stronger company and will have significantly broader scope,” he said.
“Anglo-Eastern is one of the world’s leading shipmanagers and we are excited to have such a strong parent with more horsepower. We can now tie into different resources and receive support on a global scale, and with the cruise industry set to pick up as the appetite for travel continues to grow, the timing couldn’t be better. Joining forces is a win-win.”
