Jewel River postpones luxury brand
Jewel River Cruise Line, whose founder and chairman is Albert Peter, is postponing the debut of its luxury brand, Jewel River Cruises, and scaling back its Fort Lauderdale office, accordigng to a report by Seatrade Insider.
The office is not closing, as rumored, but will be reduced, according to president and coo Jacques Wulffaert, telling Seatrade Insider the current economic situation has caused the company to postpone the startup of its boutique luxury vessel concept.
However, charter vessel operations in Europe for the premium and contemporary segments are continuing, Wulffaert said.
Late last year, the Switzerland- and Florida-based venture announced it would launch in 2008 with six river cruise vessels (which later changed to five) divided into three distinct market segments.
The Fort Lauderdale office was to focus on the luxury Jewel River Cruises brand, to be marketed exclusively to North Americans, and planned to debut with one ship in France this past May, followed by a second vessel.
Jewel Imperial Blue (ex Hispania) early this year was undergoing a $3.5m refit at Hoogedoorn Shipyard near Rotterdam and scheduled to begin operating between Paris and Rouen on May 15. That was postponed.
The three vessels in the premium and contemporary segments – Emerald River Journeys and Aqua River Journeys – are under charter arrangements with various European tour operators through 2009 and are sailing European rivers.
After the scale-back, operations at the Fort Lauderdale office will move to Jewel River Cruise Line’s European headquarters in Wollerau, Switzerland. Wulffaert said he will remain in Florida, and Albert Peter will continue to move between the two offices.
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