Adelaide-based SeaLink Travel Group this morning announced the purchase of iconic Australian cruise company Captain Cook Cruises. THE move continues SeaLink’s acquisition spree, after its purchase earlier this year of the Townsville-based Sunferries operation. Captain Cook Cruises founder, Captain Trevor Haworth, said the sale (CW breaking news) was a major...
Adelaide-based SeaLink Travel
Group this morning announced
the purchase of iconic
Australian cruise company
Captain Cook Cruises.
THE move continues SeaLink’s acquisition
spree, after its purchase earlier this year of the
Townsville-based Sunferries operation.
Captain Cook Cruises founder, Captain Trevor
Haworth, said the sale (CW breaking news)
was a major development in the history of the
company.
“SeaLink is the ideal tourism partner to add
further investment and grow this business
even further,” he said.
The price for the deal has not been disclosed,
but it was a fair reflection of the company’s
performance through the recent challenging
periods for the international and domestic
tourism markets in Australia, as well as CCC’s
strong future prospects.
The acquisition includes 15 vessels which
service the flagship Captain Cook Cruises
operations in Sydney Harbour, as well as the
Murray Princess accommodated paddle
wheeler cruise operation in South Australia.
There’s no information at this stage about
the future of CCC’s Fijian operations, but all of
the approximately 300 staff employed in
Sydney and on the River Murray are expected
to be retained under the new ownership.
CCC ceased its own operations on the Great
Barrier Reef some years ago, instead opting to
sell space on Coral Princess cruises there.
SeaLink said the acquisition would add more
than $30 million to its total annual revenue,
taking it to about $110m in total.
Captain Haworth’s son Anthony Haworth has
been appointed General Manager of Captain
Cook Cruises, while his daughter Jackie Haworth
Charlton will remain as its Director of Sales.
SeaLink Travel Group chairman, Giuliano
Ursini, said the deal was an ideal strategic fit
for the company, giving it access to Sydney
“where we see significant cross-sell
opportunities with our combined brands and
customers.
“It will be the coming together of two
respected and complementary tourism
operators who have so much to offer visitors”.
He said the acquisition heralded the most
exciting growth period in SeaLink’s 22-year
history and would help set its future course.
Haworth and his wife founded Captain Cook
Cruises more than 40 years ago, growing the
business from a small coffee cruise operator
with a single vessel all the way to its current
status as an Australian tourism icon.
