Panache Cruises has kick-started its venture into the US market with a $124,000 Seabourn booking.
The booking was for a Seabourn Pursuit cruise on a 21-night itinerary to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands, departing January 2025.
It comes after the agency undertook a soft launch into the US on 4 July, and since then has introduced a dedicated website, rolled out a consumer-led advertising campaign and implemented a social and digital campaign centred on raising awareness of the brand.
With the business’s official launch on 23 July, founder and chief executive James Cole said they now have more than 8,000 luxury and ultra-luxury cruisers on their database and growing.
"We didn’t believe [the booking] at first, and I am still in a state of shock," Cole said. "We have been working hard to establish the business in the US over the last few weeks, and to make this sale so early on in our American journey is truly amazing."
Cole said securing this sale so early on into the brand’s expansion in the US gives him and the Panache team "great confidence" for the future.
"So far, we have had a hugely positive response from our marketing efforts, and I believe more than ever that our unique customer service proposition will prove very popular in this vast market," he added.
Panache Cruises’ US business has initially launched offering luxury and ultra-luxury sailings with six cruise lines, including: Regent, Silversea, Azamara, Oceania, Seabourn and Explora Journeys.
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