Poseidon Travel
Poseidon Travel AB is a Swedish marine travel agency founded in 1979, selling sailing charters, cruises, canal trips, and conference travel packages to Swedish consumers through partner operators such as Sunsail, Star Clippers, and Royal Caribbean.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersHelsingborg, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Poseidon Travel does
Poseidon Travel AB is a privately held Swedish marine travel agency headquartered in Helsingborg, founded in 1979 by a group of Lund university sailing enthusiasts led by Lars Linderot and Pekko Svensson. Originally a charter boat operator running up to 90 vessels from bases in Yugoslavia, Turkey, and St Lucia during the 1980s, the company restructured in the 1990s into a commission-based travel agency that sells sailing vacations, cruises, canal trips, and conference travel on behalf of third-party operators. The firm assembles complete packages — flights, hotels, transfers, insurance, and boat rentals — for Swedish consumers seeking sailing, cruise, and canal-boat experiences in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, and elsewhere.
The company's core product lines are sailing charters (resold primarily through Sunsail, Kiriacoulis, and Athenian), traditional and tall-ship cruises (Star Clippers, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Hurtigruten, Costa, Carnival), European canal boat vacations through Le Boat, and add-on travel insurance through GOUDA Reseförsäkring. Underlying technology is conventional and consists of two key systems: Amadeus, a global distribution system used for complex international flight and hotel bookings, and Sedna-Online, a self-serve platform for searching and booking charter boats. The website (poseidontravel.se) serves as the primary digital storefront and content channel, supported by a newsletter and direct phone/email sales through three named consultants.
Commercially, Poseidon operates a sales-led GTM with three travel consultants handling personalized bookings; revenue is generated primarily through commissions on partner-operator sales, supplemented by small transaction fees (200 SEK per package, 100 SEK per charter ticket, 50-200 SEK for invoicing and card payments). The customer base is Swedish sailing enthusiasts and cruise travelers, with no enterprise contracts. The company is 50/50 owned by its two co-founders with no external investment, posting a Swedish travel guarantee of 2-3.3 million SEK with Kammarkollegiet. Note: the company's website currently displays off-topic online casino content, indicating a likely site compromise and underscoring constrained digital investment.
Poseidon Travel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Poseidon Travel
- Legal name
- Poseidon Travel AB
- Website
- https://poseidontravel.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Poseidon Travel AB is a Swedish marine travel agency founded in 1979, selling sailing charters, cruises, canal trips, and conference travel packages to Swedish consumers through partner operators such as Sunsail, Star Clippers, and Royal Caribbean.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Poseidon Travel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Travel Agency Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury & Expedition Cruise Specialists (THAKAKAE), Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered) (THAEAEAB)
Keywords
Where Poseidon Travel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsingborg
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Poseidon Travel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Sailing/Charter Package Sales: Commission revenue from selling sailing charters through partner operators (Sunsail, Kiriacoulis, Athenian, Sedna) and complete package deals including flights, hotels, transfers, and boat rentals
- Cruise Package Sales: Commission from selling cruise packages from partner cruise lines including Star Clippers, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Hurtigruten, Costa, Carnival
- Booking Fees: Package arrangements 200 kr per group; charter flights 100 kr per ticket; train tickets 200 kr; card payments 125 kr; invoicing 50 kr per invoice
- Travel Insurance Sales: Partnership with GOUDA Reseförsäkring (Dutch insurance company founded 1924) for travel and cancellation insurance
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Package arrangements |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Charter flights |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Card payments |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Invoicing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Poseidon Travel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Poseidon Travel is a Swedish marine travel agency that curates and resells sailing charters, cruises, canal boat trips, conference travel packages, escorted group trips, and travel insurance to primarily Swedish consumers. Founded in 1979 and based in Helsingborg, Sweden, the agency sources inventory from partner operators including Sunsail, Star Clippers, Kiriacoulis, and Athenian, and earns commissions from those operators plus service/booking fees from customers.
Product overview
Poseidon Travel is a Swedish marine travel agency offering a portfolio of sailing charter trips, traditional cruises, canal boat vacations, and conference travel. The core offering centers on bareboat and crewed sailing vacations through partner operators including Sunsail (the company's preferred partner), Kiriacoulis, and Athenian for Mediterranean and Caribbean sailing. The cruise division books passage on Star Clippers tall ships, major cruise lines (MSC, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Hurtigruten), and organizes guided group trips with sailing experts as escorts. Canal trips are offered through Le Boat across European waterways. Travel insurance is provided in partnership with GOUDA Reseförsäkring. The company also offers an online booking tool powered by Sedna. Services span the full trip: flights, hotels, transfers, provisioning, and excursions are booked in addition to the primary sailing or cruise component.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sailing Charter Trips Bareboat and crewed sailing charters sold to Swedish leisure travelers through partner operator Sunsail, packaged with flights, transfers, and travel insurance.
- Cruises Ocean and specialty cruises sold to Swedish consumers via partner operator Star Clippers and other cruise lines, bundled with flights and insurance.
- Canal Boat Trips Canal and inland waterway boat rentals and cruises sourced from operators such as Kiriacoulis and Athenian, packaged for Swedish travelers.
- Conference Travel Conference and incentive travel arrangements coordinated by the agency for groups attending events, leveraging its Amadeus GDS and operator relationships.
- Group Trips with Escort Escorted group departures for marine and leisure vacations where the agency provides a tour leader to accompany Swedish travelers on partner-operated trips.
- Travel Insurance Travel insurance products bundled into Poseidon Travel bookings, providing cancellation and medical cover alongside packaged marine vacations.
Companies that use Poseidon Travel
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Poseidon Travel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Poseidon Travel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- SunsailcoreWorld's largest charter operator with 35+ destinations. Provides sailing boats from bases in Caribbean, Mediterranean, Asia, and South Pacific. Poseidon has partnered with Sunsail for many years.
- KiriacouliscoreGreek charter company with bases in Caribbean, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Turkey. ISO 9002 certified. Fleet of 200 boats.
- AtheniancoreGreek charter company with bases at Marina Kalamaki, Corfu, Lefkas, Skiathos, Kos, and Syros. Agent for Jeanneau in Greece. Exclusive representative for The Moorings in Greece.
- GOUDA ReseförsäkringcoreDutch insurance company founded in 1924. Provides travel insurance, cancellation insurance, and youth travel insurance through Poseidon.
- Star ClippersmajorSailing cruise line with ships Star Flyer, Star Clipper, and Royal Clipper. Offers sailing cruises in South Pacific, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. Poseidon sells Star Clippers packages.
- Royal Caribbean CruisesmajorWorld's largest cruise company with 31 ships under Royal Caribbean and Celebrity brands. Sells cruises worldwide through Poseidon.
- MSC CruisesmajorMajor cruise line offering Mediterranean, Caribbean, South America, and Northern Europe itineraries. Poseidon offers MSC cruise packages.
- HurtigrutenmajorNorwegian cruise operator known for 'world's most beautiful boat journey.' Offers Norwegian coastal voyages.
- Celebrity CruisesmajorPremium cruise line owned by Royal Caribbean. Known for high-quality service and destinations worldwide.
- Svenska Resebyråföreningen (SRF)minorSwedish Travel Agency Association - industry organization for travel agencies in Sweden.
- Svenska KryssarklubbenminorSwedish Sailing Club - sailing association with whom Poseidon has organized flotilla trips.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Poseidon Travel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Detur: Swedish travel agency offering packaged holidays including cruises and themed travel experiences. Competes with Poseidon for Swedish travelers seeking curated, multi-component trip packages with consultant-led service.
- Marres Sailing Holidays: Swedish travel agency specializing in sailing holidays, yacht charters, and themed marine vacations. Closest niche competitor to Poseidon, selling similar bareboat and flotilla products to Swedish sailing enthusiasts.
- Resia: Major Swedish travel agency chain with broad leisure and cruise offerings including chartered flights and package tours. Directly competes with Poseidon in the Swedish package travel and cruise market.
Broad incumbents
- Apollo: Nordic tour operator offering charter flights, package holidays, and cruises across multiple destinations. Competes with Poseidon for Swedish leisure travelers, though focused on mass-market rather than sailing-specific niches.
- TUI Nordic: Nordic arm of global tour operator TUI, providing flights, hotels, cruises, and packaged holidays to Swedish travelers. Overlaps with Poseidon's cruise and package offerings but at far larger scale and broader scope.
- Fritidsresor: Swedish charter tour operator selling packaged sun-and-beach holidays with flights, transfers, and hotels. Competes for the same Swedish discretionary travel spend but without Poseidon's sailing or specialty cruise focus.
- Ving: Sweden's largest tour operator under the Ving/Thomas Cook/Nordic umbrella, offering charters, cruises, and package holidays. Competes for the same Swedish leisure travel wallet as Poseidon but across a far broader product portfolio.
Others
- Sunsail: World's largest yacht charter operator and Poseidon's primary bareboat charter partner. Sells direct to consumers globally, making it both a supply partner and a partial competitor that bypasses the agency layer.
- Star Clippers: Tall-ship sailing cruise operator (Star Flyer, Star Clipper, Royal Clipper) and a key Poseidon cruise partner. Sells direct globally as well, so functions simultaneously as supplier and adjacent competitor in the small-ship cruise segment.
Emerging players
- Sailogy: Online-first boat charter marketplace that lets consumers search and book yacht charters directly across Mediterranean, Caribbean, and other regions. Represents the digital self-serve model that competes with Poseidon's traditional consultant-led charter bookings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Poseidon Travel social profiles
Digital presencePoseidon Travel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Poseidon Travel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Poseidon Travel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Poseidon Travel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Poseidon Travel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Poseidon Travel
What does Poseidon Travel do?
Poseidon Travel is a Swedish marine travel agency that curates and resells sailing charters, cruises, canal boat trips, conference travel packages, escorted group trips, and travel insurance to primarily Swedish consumers. Founded in 1979 and based in Helsingborg, Sweden, the agency sources inventory from partner operators including Sunsail, Star Clippers, Kiriacoulis, and Athenian, and earns commissions from those operators plus service/booking fees from customers.
Is Poseidon Travel a public or private company?
Poseidon Travel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Poseidon Travel founded?
Poseidon Travel was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Poseidon Travel based?
Poseidon Travel is headquartered in Helsingborg, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Poseidon Travel make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Sailing/Charter Package Sales are the primary driver. The others are cruise Package Sales, booking Fees and travel Insurance Sales.
Who are Poseidon Travel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Detur, Marres Sailing Holidays and Resia. Broad incumbents are Apollo, TUI Nordic, Fritidsresor and Ving. Others are Sunsail and Star Clippers. Sailogy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Poseidon Travel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Poseidon Travel.
What industry is Poseidon Travel in?
Poseidon Travel's product category is Marine Travel Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAFAL, Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies, with a secondary code of THAKAKAE, Luxury & Expedition Cruise Specialists. Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 4400.