Iglu.com, the British online travel that focuses on cruises and ski holidays, has acquired rival Planet Cruise claiming the deal makes it the UK’s number one cruise retailer, Travel Weekly reports in a daily newsletter.

Both Iglu’s and Planet’s offices in Wimbledon and Portsmouth respectively will be retained as will all staff. Planet employs 75 people. Iglu claimed the deal means customers will be the first in the country able to research their holidays via either its website, its mobile App, on a tablet or on television.

Iglu chief executive Richard Downs said: “This acquisition means we are going to be delivering the future of travel retailing today. With the convergence of TV and the web our customers will have access to the richest and most informed content whichever way they chose to access it. Iglu has long been the number one independent ski retailer in the UK and this deal makes us the number one retailer in cruise.”

Portsmouth-based Planet Cruise, which was founded in 2005 by husband and wife team Gary and Jenny West, launched a cruise show on the Ideal World Shopping Channel in January 2008. It sells cruises on regular TV slots which on all digital platforms such as FreeView, Virgin, Sky and Freesat. Planet Cruise managing director, Gary West, said: “Combining Iglu’s online capabilities and our strength on television is an exciting prospect. There is a natural fit in the two businesses coming together and we as a team here at Planet Cruise look forward to creating a new market leader.”