CruiseWise Launches Innovative New Cruise Booking Website

San Francisco, CA (February 14, 2012)—CruiseWise, an online travel agency, announced today the launch of a revolutionary new cruise booking website. Designed to bring wisdom and simplicity to the online cruise booking process, CruiseWise.com is a powerful search engine that allows users to compare prices and itineraries across multiple cruise lines, visually select their cabin on the ship, and book entirely online using a streamlined checkout process.

CruiseWise delivers a rich search experience by combining innovative technology with a comprehensive knowledgebase of cruise information assembled by an in-house team of experts. Users can take advantage of powerful new comparison tools and narrow search results using a wide range of criteria never available before. View cruises going through specific ports, explore ship routes with an integrated map feature, and use interactive deck plans to pick the perfect cabin. The cruise exploration and booking process is enhanced with in-depth port guides, extensive photo galleries, and at-a-glance information about each ship's amenities.

More than 14 million people per year choose cruising as their preferred way to travel, contributing more than $30 billion to the booming cruise industry. But unlike most other travel sectors that have embraced online booking, cruising falls well behind—more than 90% of cruises are still booked in person or on the phone through traditional travel agents.

"Right now it's incredibly difficult to research and book a cruise online—the landscape is saturated with constantly shifting deals from dozens of cruise lines and travel agents," says CruiseWise COO and co-founder Steve Davis. "Combine this with a complicated online booking process that doesn't allow people to customize their travel preferences, and it's no wonder the majority of cruises are booked over the phone."

CruiseWise CEO and co-founder Amit Aharoni echoes these frustrations. "Technologically, cruise booking is stuck in 1998. We think cruisers deserve better. CruiseWise is designed to give users a simple, accessible place to compare cruise deals and explore ships. Rather than be tied to a single travel agent on the phone with a limited perspective, CruiseWise frees you up to view and compare all of your travel options in a single place."

CruiseWise also introduces pricing transparency to online cruise booking. Users now have the opportunity to see cruise prices up front with or without tax included and the option to view the price per traveler or the price for all travelers. Not only does this feature make vacation planning for groups and families much easier, it also reflects the CruiseWise commitment to always showing users the best prices along with the most comprehensive search results.

The launch of the CruiseWise website marks a significant step forward for both the cruise industry and for consumers who can now research, plan, and book a cruise vacation online using this powerful search and comparison tool.

About CruiseWise
CruiseWise brings wisdom and simplicity to cruise booking. Founded in May of 2010, CruiseWise served as the pilot team for StartUp Chile and raised a seed round of funding from Index Ventures, NEA, PROfounders, and a collection of angels in the travel and consumer tech industries. CruiseWise has been featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and made headlines in Business Insider as one of Silicon Valley's 20 hottest new startups. Based in San Francisco, CruiseWise is on a mission to bring cruise booking off the phone and onto the web. To learn more, visit www.cruisewise.com.