A new Manchester-based online travel agent specialising in river cruises has been launched by former On the Beach digital marketer Dan Roche.

Crui.se, which is part of Hays Travel, currently employs six people including a cruise consultant, two web developers and three content writers, who bring a combined experience of 30 years in the travel industry.

Roche has 15 years’ experience in the digital marketing industry, including four years as head of performance marketing at On the Beach, as well as head of digital at We Buy Any Car.

“We want to make booking a trip of a lifetime an enjoyable experience and share the excitement of researching and planning the holiday,” Roche said.

“There’s a customer service necessity in the river cruise booking journey which we want to dramatically improve with our customer-centric approach.”

Former On the Beach marketer Roche eyes premium growth

Roche said the online travel booking experience is “varied” and luxury trips deserve a similar “premium and aspirational” web experience.

“There’s space in the market for a specialist river cruise brand with a new, modern, and unique approach. Crui.se matches customers with the best cruise line for their budget and interests,” he continued.

“We are your travel companion and remain the first point of contact from booking to disembarkation. On arrival, we want to be the first to know about the cruise, see your pictures, and find out how we could make the next trip even better.”