Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) has a bullish new business plan: offering a Mexican Riviera product to the local market.

Early 2019 will see the company launch its newest program, a brand for the Mexican market, Cruceros Marítimos Vacacionales.

The effort is being led by John Dennis, vice president of sales and marketing for Cruise and Maritime Voyages, based in Ft. Lauderdale. He will also oversee a new Mexico City office that is expected to be operational by March.

The Magellan will reposition to offer its first cruise in early February; part of a two-month program of week-long cruises out of Acapulco, with interporting available in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, and calls in Manzanillo and Cabo San Lucas.

Dennis said entering a traditional market, such as the Caribbean with sailings from Florida, would have been a tough endeavor in a highly competitive environment.

Previous efforts to source in Mexico included Pullmantur, which based a ship in the market for a winter season.

Dennis added that Mexico represented a large middle-class source market with a population that liked to travel. Offering a local embarkation option, guests can reach the ship in three-and-a-half hours from Mexico City.

“This is homeland cruising, taking a ship close to the population base,” Dennis said. “It is the same philosophy as we’ve had in the UK.”

The 1985-built vessel will be refreshed to offer a truly Mexican and Latin American product.

“This is a ship that can succeed in Mexico, being contemporary and modern. We believe there is pent up demand,” said Dennis. “All indicators are that this is the right place to go.”

CMV has been a company on the move, quickly adding capacity with the Magellan and Columbus.

“We are a company that is calculating our growth, and we expect to continue to grow,” Dennis added.