International Cruise Group Awards Vessel Management of Windstar Cruises to V.Ships Leisure
Ambassadors International Cruise Group has chosen V.Ships Leisure to manage the
vessel operations of Windstar Cruises pending the closing of their
acquisition in April, 2007.
Ambassadors International Cruise Group President, David Giersdorf, said, “We are looking forward to utilizing the services and resources of V.Ships to support our effort to deliver the iconic Windstar experience to our guests and enhancing the ability of our officers and crew to achieve that goal. With the support of V.Ships, we will continue to operate Windstar as the successful, luxury cruise line that everyone knows it to be.”
In commenting on the award of the new contract, Lorenzo Malvarosa, CEO of V.Ships Leisure said: "We are happy to support the operation of this exceptional fleet. Ambassadors International and V.Ships Leisure share the same commitment to quality, service and excellence, vital for this particular segment of the market.”
Under the agreement, V.Ships Leisure will provide services, which include insurance, deck & engine and hotel crew management, port operations, procurement and technical and hotel operations.
Windstar Cruises (www.windstarcruises.com) sailing under the banner of its appropriate tag line "180º From Ordinary," was created with the vision to offer an alternative to the typical cruise or resort vacation. The 148-passenger “Wind Star” is joined by sister ship “Wind Spirit” and the 312-passenger “Wind Surf.” A new era in luxury cruising was pioneered by Windstar Cruises and Ambassadors and V Ships are committed to refining and enhancing the vision of the Windstar Cruise line.
Ambassadors International Inc. (www.ambassadors.com), is a cruise, marine, and travel and event company. Through Ambassadors Cruise Group, the company operates Majestic America Lines, North America’s premier river and coastal cruises company. The company is also a global leader in providing construction and consulting services to marina owner through its Ambassadors Marine Group Subsidiaries. In addition, the company provides travel and event services through its Ambassadors Travel and Events division. The Company is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
V.Ships Leisure is the passenger ship management arm of V.Ships (www.vships.com), the largest business unit within the V.Holdings group of companies. V.Ships is the world’s largest provider of ship management services to a fleet of over 900 vessels encompassing most ship types. It is an international company with 68 offices located in 26 countries employing 1,600 office and 24,000 sea-going staff. V.Ships Leisure is the leading provider of third party management services to the cruise, ferry and yacht industries. The current ownership structure of V.Holdings is 50/50 Close Brothers Private Equity and more than 100 of its directors.
