Luxury cruise retailer Panache Cruises has taken on new staff after reporting record turnover of £35m for the 12 months to the end of July 2025.
The turnover equates to a 56% rise from the £22.5m turnover the Chorley-based firm achieved for the same period in 2023-24.
To cope with increased demand, Panache has taken on three new sales agents, known as Cruise Connoisseurs – Lisa Buckley, Wendy Mulholland and Rob Ledsham – and a finance apprentice Amy Ainsworth.
Panache Cruises has also celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of their US office, which achieved sales of $10m (£7.3m).
CEO James Cole also highlighted the success of the company’s new Panache Expeditions brand, which includes Alaska, Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galapagos Islands.
James said: “We’re delighted by our latest record-breaking turnover and the new colleagues that have joined the business.
“We’ve really intensified our efforts across the business. We’ve focused on our colleagues, making sure we develop our management teams.
“We’ve invested heavily in apprentices and plan to recruit another eight this year.
“We’re recruiting more new customers using social and digital marketing channels, along with increasing our number of repeat bookings.
“In the last four years, our top 40 customers in the UK have booked 460 cruises with us, spending more than £7.5m.
“Every month more than 50% of our UK customers have booked with us before.
“The combination of having an established customer base and consistently attracting new customers is really encouraging and testimony to the hard work of the team.
“Our mission is to become the world’s largest luxury cruise retail business.”
In the last 12 months, Panache’s workforce has grown from a team of 67 to 76 across the UK and US.
Pictured, from left: Amy Ainsworth, Lisa Buckley, James Cole, Wendy Mulholland and Rob Ledsham
