The ecruising products became part of Skybounds’s Queensland-based LeisureCom Group.
‘Given the current and continuing uncertainty of the industry, it was only fair to the company to resign,’ Dudley said.
In 2000, Dudley launched ecruising when everyone told him that Australians wouldn’t book a cruise online.
‘How wrong they were!’ he said.
Packaged cruise holidays
‘We sold them in a one-price holiday package, including flights, hotels and transfers.’
He developed his own systems with direct connections to cruise companies and contracted hotels directly.
One day sales
He also pioneered highly successful one day cruise sales, taking over the former Wharf 8 at Darling Harbour. It ran for six years, hit an annual turnover of more than A$1m and attracted consumers from all over Australia for the special one-day bargains.
Hong Kong outlet
In 2008 he opened the first cruise-only travel agency in Hong Kong.
He sold his shares in that company in 2015 and it is still operating today, under a different name.
Latitude 33
In that year he launched Latitude 33, named after his three favourite cities — Cape Town, Sydney and Santiago — all 33 degrees south of the equator.
Aimed at the top end of the market, it has involved the charter of ships, planes and trains and some of the world’s most exclusive hotels.
Three Queens
Dudley said one of his company’s great achievements was to be the first in the world to create a 33-night package that incorporated a cruise on all three Cunard ships that ended with two nights at The Savoy Hotel in London.
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