To demonstrate my ignorance of the industry, I did not
know of the affiliation of Oceania with any other brand.
I wonder if this acquisition will affect Oceania, which
my wife and I consider our new home afloat...
Ike
Ray Goldenberg wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I have received a letter from the President of Regent Seven Seas that
> confirms the rumored sale of Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line. Please
> see below my signature. If you have missed any of my news' postings,
> they are available on my web site.
>
> Best regards,
> Ray
> LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
> 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
> http://www.lighthousetravel.com
>
>
> December 10, 2007
>
> Dear Travel Agent Partner:
>
> We have some exciting news to share with you about our company. Regent
> Seven Seas Cruises is being purchased by Apollo Management LP, a New
> York-based investment group, from Minneapolis-based Carlson.
>
> Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will be placed under the
> ownership of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc. (PCH), a corporation
> controlled by Apollo which will manage certain cruise portfolio assets
> of Apollo. NCL Corporation will remain a separate holding outside of
> PCH.
>
> Regent Seven Seas Cruises will remain a wholly independent brand under
> my guidance as president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and will
> continue to operate from its Fort Lauderdale, Florida headquarters,
> and reservations will continue to operate from Omaha, Nebraska.
> Oceania Cruises will remain in its Miami headquarters, headed by Bob
> Binder, president of Oceania Cruises. Both Bob and I will report
> directly to Frank Del Rio, chairman and CEO of Prestige Cruise
> Holdings.
>
> In addition to the strong brand recognition and award-winning products
> of both brands, there is something else we both share - our commitment
> to our travel partners. The success of Regent Seven Seas Cruises and
> our new sister brand has been driven by you and the agency community
> as a whole. Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises are both
> renowned for their relationship with the agency community and that is
> something that will only get stronger as we build new ships, chart new
> destinations and explore new opportunities with our travel partners.
>
> For you, this change of ownership will not have any impact on your
> relationship with Regent Seven Seas Cruises or your clients'
> experience on our ships. So the key messages I wish to share with you
> are:
>
> * Regent Seven Seas Cruises will continue to operate as a
> stand-alone brand
> * We will continue to deliver the same great experiences that your
> clients have enjoyed and that have made us successful
> * There are no plans to make changes to our existing offerings or
> published schedules
> * Our core management team and key personnel on land and at sea
> will remain intact
>
> We will partner with Carlson to continue to grow the Regent brand at
> sea and on land. In addition to our plans to grow Regent at sea,
> Regent Hotels & Resorts will continue to operate and grow as part of
> Carlson Hotels Worldwide, the world's ninth largest hotel company. The
> Regent brand will continue to offer to our guests the very best in
> luxury service and travel experiences, including the finest
> personalized service and warm and friendly hospitality worldwide.
>
> We are excited about the future of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and we
> will keep working with you to provide the very best luxury cruise
> experience for your clients. Thank you for your continued support of
> Regent.
>
> Kindest personal regards,
> Mark S. Conroy
> Signed by Mark Conroy
> President, Regent Seven Seas Cruises |