The Cruise Globe

What The Cruise Globe does

The Cruise Globe is a London-based consumer platform and mobile app that lets cruise passengers log, visualize, and track their cruise history using AIS satellite ship-tracking data rendered on a personal 3D globe. Founded in 2023 (originating as sister brand The Cruise Maps) with the consumer app launching in February 2025, the platform serves individual cruise enthusiasts — particularly repeat cruisers who previously tracked voyages in notebooks or spreadsheets — by mapping the exact routes ships sailed (including diversions and missed ports) for both ocean and river cruises, with live ship tracking layered on top. The technology stack combines AIS vessel-position data with proprietary route reconstruction for pre-2015 voyages (when AIS coverage became reliable) and custom river route mapping, delivered through free iOS and Android apps and a companion website. The company also operates a sister e-commerce brand, The Cruise Maps, that sells physical print maps, albums, cruise cards, and ship illustrations in partnership with cruise lines including Cunard and P&O.

The business model is freemium across multiple monetization streams: the core app is free; the company earns commission from cruise lines when customers book through its full-service travel agency (launched April 2025 as an independent contractor within Global Travel Collection, part of Internova Travel Group); it sells physical products through The Cruise Maps; and it offers an optional paid membership/subscription with monthly and annual plans. The platform had accumulated 135,000+ users and 750,000+ logged cruises within roughly six months of launch, with cruise sales surpassing £1 million in under two months and a stated company target of £50 million annual turnover by 2027. Co-founders Matt Jones, Will Ellison, and Emma Le Teace (the creator behind the Emma Cruises influencer brand) lead the company, which operates with a team of 25+ full-time staff from London and is actively hiring travel advisors in both the UK and the US to support growing booking demand.

Name

The Cruise Globe

Legal name

The Cruise Globe

Website

https://thecruiseglobe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cruise Globe is a London-based consumer mobile platform that lets cruise passengers log and visualize their cruise history using AIS satellite ship-tracking data on a personal 3D globe, while also operating a full-service cruise booking agency within Global Travel Collection and a sister physical print brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cruise Travel Technology

NAICS

Deep Sea Passenger Transportation (483112), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Cruise Agencies & Cruise Booking Platforms (THAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB), Cruise Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAF), Cruise Planning & Booking (HSACAKAE)

Keywords

• Cruise tracking app
• Ship tracking platform
• Cruise booking agency
• Travel technology platform
• Maritime data visualization

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cruise Line Commissions: The company earns commissions from cruise lines when customers book cruises through their full-service travel agency. This service is free to customers - they pay no booking fees and no more than booking directly with the cruise line. The commission structure supports the free core app experience.
2. The Cruise Maps Physical Products: Print cruise maps, cruise albums, cruise cards, ship cards, and collectible ship illustrations sold through the sister company The Cruise Maps. These products are available in various sizes and frame options, sold in partnership with cruise lines including Cunard and P&O.
3. Optional Membership Subscriptions: Optional paid supporter tier for users who want to back the company's mission. Membership provides behind-the-scenes insights, early access to new features, and discounts with The Cruise Maps and partners. 100% of proceeds are reinvested in building new features. Monthly and annual billing options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cruise Globe provides a free mobile and web application that lets users log their cruise history and track cruise ships in real time using AIS satellite ship-tracking data, visualizing the exact routes sailed on a personal 3D globe. It also operates a full-service cruise booking agency within Global Travel Collection that earns cruise line commissions, and offers optional paid memberships and physical cruise cards as collectible souvenirs. The platform combines consumer software, travel agency services, and physical merchandise into a single cruise-focused ecosystem.

Product overview

The Cruise Globe operates as a unified platform comprising a free core cruise-tracking app, a full-service cruise booking agency, and ancillary products including physical merchandise. The core The Cruise Globe App allows users to log cruise history, track ships live via AIS satellite data, and visualize routes on a 3D globe. This integrates with the Cruise Booking Service for booking cruises, The Cruise Maps for physical print products, Membership for optional paid support, and Cruise Cards for collectible memorabilia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Cruise Globe App Free mobile and web application that allows individual cruisers to log their cruise history, track ships in real-time using AIS satellite data, and visualize exact sailed routes on a personal 3D globe. Covers ocean cruises (with exact AIS routes from 2015 onward and reconstructed routes for pre-2015 voyages) and river cruises (via custom river maps). Includes live ship tracking, cruise countdowns, predictive routes, community features, and cruise stats; available on iOS and Android.
• Cruise Booking Service Full-service cruise booking agency providing personalized cruise bookings with expert human advisors, no booking fees, full financial protection, and access to all major cruise lines. Operates within Global Travel Collection (part of Internova Travel Group), enabling fee-free service to customers while the company earns cruise line commissions. Targets individuals booking ocean, river, and expedition cruises who want independent expert advice.
• Membership / Supporter Subscription Optional paid subscription tier for supporters of the platform. Includes behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, early access to new features, and discounts with The Cruise Maps and partner brands. Available as monthly and annual billing (annual plan priced as 10 months for the price of 12). Core app functionality remains free without membership.
• Cruise Cards Collectible physical cruise cards displaying the exact map and statistics of each cruise logged in The Cruise Globe app. Available individually or in albums, made in the UK with free global shipping, and priced per card with bulk discount options. Sold through The Cruise Globe direct website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Surpassed £1 million in cruise sales in under 2 months from launch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Global Travel Collection (part of Internova Travel Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2025The Cruise Globe operates as an independent contractor within Global Travel Collection, leveraging GTC's preferred-partner relationships with cruise lines and global infrastructure. GTC represents more than $2.4 billion in annual sales as part of Internova Travel Group. The partnership provides commercial backing, host agency structure, licensing, and full financial protection for cruise bookings.
• CunardflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cunard cruise line for The Cruise Maps physical print products. Cruise maps are sold in partnership with Cunard, one of the world's best-known cruise lines.
• P&O CruisesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with P&O cruise line for The Cruise Maps physical print products. Cruise maps are sold in partnership with P&O Cruises.
• The Cruise MapscoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Cruise Maps is the sister company and founding entity behind The Cruise Globe. The Cruise Maps creates beautiful print maps of exact cruises using the same AIS satellite ship-tracking technology. Having received countless requests to see all maps in one place, The Cruise Globe was launched as the digital platform. The Cruise Maps physical products support and cross-promote The Cruise Globe app.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MarineTraffic: MarineTraffic is a leading AIS-based vessel tracking platform covering global shipping. While broader in scope than cruise-only, it shares the same underlying AIS data infrastructure and live ship tracking concept that powers The Cruise Globe.
• CruiseMapper: CruiseMapper is a cruise ship tracking and information platform directly referenced by The Cruise Globe as a competitor. Both provide live cruise ship positions on a map, but CruiseMapper focuses on functional maritime data (schedules, deck plans) rather than personal cruise history logging.
• Iglu Cruise: Iglu Cruise is one of the UK's largest specialist online cruise travel agencies. It directly competes with The Cruise Globe's cruise booking service on the same UK customer base with similar commission-based revenue model.
• VesselFinder: VesselFinder is an AIS-based real-time ship tracking service. It is comparable to The Cruise Globe's live tracking feature, though it serves the broader maritime market rather than specializing in cruise passenger use cases.
• Cruise Nation: Cruise Nation is an online cruise travel agency specializing in discounted and last-minute cruise bookings. It directly competes with The Cruise Globe's booking service in the UK market with a similar online-led model.
• Bolsover Cruise Club: Bolsover Cruise Club is a major UK cruise retailer and travel agency. It competes with The Cruise Globe's full-service booking agency on UK cruise customers, though without the digital tracking/community angle.

Regional players

• Riviera Travel: Riviera Travel is a UK-based cruise and tour operator specializing in river cruises and escorted tours. It is comparable to The Cruise Globe's river cruise mapping and booking features, though as a tour operator rather than a booking platform.

Others

• Emma Cruises: Emma Cruises is the personal brand and content platform of The Cruise Globe's co-founder Emma Le Teace. While not a corporate competitor, it functions as the content and influencer funnel that drives top-of-funnel users to The Cruise Globe's booking and tracking platform.

Broad incumbents

• Cruise Critic: Cruise Critic is the largest cruise review and community platform globally. It is comparable to The Cruise Globe's community-driven cruise enthusiast angle, but operates as a broader content and reviews platform rather than a personal tracking app.
• Hays Travel: Hays Travel is the UK's largest independent travel agency with significant cruise booking volume. While it serves a broader travel market, its cruise vertical is a direct competitor to The Cruise Globe's full-service booking agency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/with_replies
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecruiseglobe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cruise-globe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cruise Globe