Cruise shipmanagement gains momentum

Following its acquisition by Anglo-Eastern Univan Group in December 2022, Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management, formerly CMI Leisure Management, has been expanding and strengthening its footprint in the cruise sector.  

Anglo-Eastern is the world’s largest provider of independent shipmanagement services, with full technical management of more than 650 vessels, more than 2,150 shore-based staff, and 37,000 active seafarers. 

On the acquisition and path forward, Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management president and chief executive Dietmar Wertanzl states, “We are happy we are now part of a bigger family and company. It has been a year of integration, looking at systems and taking advantage of our parent company’s IT and technology platforms, both onshore and offshore. We are very excited about these great enhancements and are embracing the potential synergies. All in, this fresh direction enables increased efficiency and the provision of better service to our clients.”  

The cruise side of the business can also take advantage of Anglo-Eastern’s crewing offices in Manila and training facility in Mumbai, where Mr Wertanzl says they are hoping to add a hospitality curriculum on top of the technical management courses already on offer. 

Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management is also set to move to a bigger office in Miami, which will have the Anglo-Eastern “look and feel, that will strengthen our branding and overall cohesion”. 

Anglo-Eastern’s crew app, which is deployed on the cargo side of the business, is also going to be used within the cruise crew sector.  

The acquisition by Anglo-Eastern enables Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management to expand its services within the cruise sector. Mr Wertanzl was keen to highlight the potential growth from its core business in the expedition market into other sizes of cruise ships supported by the scale of Group operations. “We now have scalability with new systems, processes and a solid IT platform to support expansion into any cruise ship business.” 

Elsewhere, a key focus remains sustainability and how to take this to the next level. Singling out the food and beverage side, Mr Wertanzl highlights sourcing organic food and the indepth analysis of the overall supply chain. Reducing the so-called ’food miles’ required for transporting food over longer distances will allow it to reduce its carbon footprint. “We are looking at reducing everything – to reuse and recycle as much as possible. We feel especially passionate about sustainability and the impact our services have, particularly because of the pristine areas in which we operate our cruises”. 

Concluding his remarks, Mr Wertanzl reiterated that 2024 is a year in which Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management will seek to further improve its environmental impact – looking at systems including its hotel inventory platform, data analytics and a commitment to go paperless among other initiatives. “The company is on the right track, and we are excited for what lies ahead”.