Hong Kong’s Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, already the largest ship manager in the world, has stolen the march on its competitors with an audacious move into the cruise sector with its acquisition of Cruise Management International.

Anglo-Eastern Univan Group and the shareholders of Cruise Management International and CMI Leisure Management have signed a Letter of Intent regarding the sale of CMI to Anglo-Eastern.

“The shareholders will pass the entire share capital of CMI to the new owner Anglo-Eastern, which has the scale, reputation, and technical capability to develop the business and continue the services provided to CMI’s clients and customers in the bespoke expedition cruise sector,” a spokesperson for CMI said.

Commenting on the acquisition Anglo-Eastern chief executive Bjorn Hojgaard said “For nearly 50 years, Anglo-Eastern has been managing cargo vessels, from bulk carriers and container ships to tankers and offshore support vessels. Now, for the first time, we are excited to include expedition cruise ships as another leg to our business and tap the growth of a market on the upswing, with the addition of CMI to our family of companies.”

Anglo-Eastern believes its values mirror those of CMI and is delighted to have found the opportunity to extend its ship management operations into a new sector, with the acquisition of such respected operators.

The sale and purchase are expected to be finalised in July 2022, following the standard due diligence. CMI will continue to be based in Miami, from  in where the group’s companies will maintain their business and operations.

“The move into cruise ship management is an exciting avenue for Anglo-Eastern and is a natural extension of the firm’s expertise  and market leading position in the merchant shipping sector,” said one industry observer.

Cruise Management International manages passenger vessels, from smaller 50+ passenger ships, coastal vessels and ocean liners to larger 2,000-passenger vessels in the expedition, Arctic operations, luxury adventure and educational cruising markets, in all regions of the world. CMI Leisure Management delivers customised hotel management services designed for the burgeoning expedition and niche segment cruise market, offering solutions that encompass provisioning, operations, personnel and logistics to meet the needs of intrepid voyages.

Marex Media