LISTED online travel agency Webjet will no longer sell cruising, with the company yesterday advising customers of the shutdown of its Cruise Sale Finder operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cruise Sale Finder is part of the NZ-based Online Republic business purchased by Webjet four years ago for about $80m...
LISTED online travel agency Webjet will no longer sell cruising, with the company yesterday advising customers of the shutdown of its Cruise Sale Finder operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cruise Sale Finder is part of the NZ-based Online Republic business purchased by Webjet four years ago for about $80m (CW 07 Jun 2016), which also operates the NZ-based Cruise Republic online cruise agency, and fulfils cruise bookings on behalf of the main Webjet OTA.
The business yesterday advised it was no longer accepting new cruise bookings, and would cease operating effective from Sep this year while assuring customers that existing bookings are protected and will be honoured.
Reservations will continue to be supported by the Cruise Sale Finder team as normal for sailings departing through to 30 Sep.
However, “for sailings from 01 Oct your booking will be supported by the cruise line directly,” the company advised, with Cruise Sale Finder working closely with cruise line partners to manage the transition.
The same arrangements apply for Webjet Cruises, with the “Cruises” tab now removed from the main webjet.com.au website.
Online Republic launched Cruise Sale Finder in NZ in 2008, and then in Australia in early 2009, and has sent more than 300,000 customers on a cruise holiday.
Just over a month ago Webjet confirmed a new leadership team for Online Republic and was restructuring the business, including “a plan to return Cruise to profitability through technology and product enhancements”.
That now appears to be off the cards, with Webjet’s shares suspended from trading on the ASX as it works on a proposed capital raising.
