Chorley cruise retailer exceeds £1m sales in Australia in three months

Chorley headquartered Panache Cruises, which recently expanded into Australia, has achieved sales of A$2m (£1.05m) fewer than three months after opening.

The luxury cruise retailer appointed experienced industry professional Juliana Nasmith as head of sales and operations ahead of opening its Sydney office. It now employs eight staff at the site.

The Australian launch followed the opening of a US office in 2024.

Nasmith said: “Reaching A$2m in sales within our first few months is a fantastic milestone, particularly as we are building the Panache Cruises brand from the ground up in Australia.

“What has been most encouraging is how strongly Australian travellers have responded to our highly personalised approach. 

“Luxury cruise is a considered purchase, and clients really value having an expert who takes the time to understand what they want, guide them through the options, and look after the finer details. It gives us a lot of confidence in the opportunity ahead.”

Nasmith said Panache, which is on a mission to become the world’s largest luxury cruise retailer, was seeing strong demand for luxury and ultra-luxury cruising.

She said: “Another interesting trend is that people are planning well ahead. For many of our clients, the conversation isn’t simply ‘where can I go this year?’ They are thinking about their next two or three major trips, which creates a great opportunity for us to build long-term relationships rather than simply facilitate a single booking.

“We are very positive about the remainder of 2026. There is significant momentum in the Australian cruise market, particularly at the luxury end, and we believe there is still plenty of room for growth.

“For us, 2026 is very much about continuing to build awareness of Panache Cruises in Australia, growing our team and client base, and demonstrating what makes our approach different. The first few months have given us a very strong foundation, and we’re excited about where we can take the business from here.”

James Cole, CEO and founder of Panache Cruises, said: “The Australian market is very different to the UK, which is why we decided to open an office in Sydney.

“We were delighted to recruit someone of the experience of Jules and she’s doing a great job, along with the team.

“The cruise market in Australia is growing quickly and we can only see it growing further.

“The sales are in line with expectations and we are targeting sales of A$10m in our first year.”