Premier Cruises

Premier Cruises was a cruise line holding company formed in the early 1990s, focusing on the family cruise market and expanding cruise operations into new geographic regions. The company’s business strategy centered on acquiring older cruise vessels, refurbishing them to offer a "traditional cruise experience," and operating them in regions such as Europe and South and Central America.

At the time, major cruise operators such as Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International were not prioritizing these markets. Premier Cruises primarily targeted European and South American customers through strategic marketing partnerships with leading tour and travel companies, including Thomson Holidays in the United Kingdom, TUI in Germany, Fritidsresor in Scandinavia, Alpitour in Italy, and Pullmantur in Spain (which was later acquired by Royal Caribbean International for $800 million). The company also collaborated with more than a dozen operators in South and Central America, such as CVC in Brazil, which was acquired by The Carlyle Group (63.6%) in January 2010 for $250 million. Premier Cruises maintained its main offices in Cape Canaveral and Miami, Florida.