Marcura has announced the acquisition of Brightwell Navigator, a move that significantly expands its presence in the cruise industry. Navigator, a leading player in cruise crew payroll and payments, now joins Marcura’s payments division, MarTrust.
This deal brings together two heavyweights in crew payment services. Navigator is strong in North America’s cruise market, while Marcura leads in commercial shipping across Europe and Asia. Together, the combined business will now serve over 150,000 seafarers every month.
Navigator will continue operating under its current brand during a transition phase. John Markendorf, COO at Brightwell, will remain onboard as President of the Navigator business.
“Marcura is a natural fit for us,” said Markendorf. “They understand maritime, they value crew welfare, and they have the global reach to take Navigator to the next level.”
MarTrust plans a phased integration, starting with aligning corporate services. Cruise and commercial operators will eventually be able to manage all crew payments through one unified platform, while still keeping the unique features that existing users value.
Marcura has invested heavily in modernizing its crew account technology. With Navigator now in the fold, those investments will scale further — with a focus on improving seafarer welfare and user experience.
Stuart Gregory, CEO of MarTrust, said: “Navigator brings the cruise expertise and global scale we need. Together, we’re building a world-class platform for the global seafarer community.”
The acquisition also opens up wider opportunities across Marcura’s portfolio. Solutions like ShipServ, used in maritime procurement, and VesselMan, focused on dry-docking and technical projects, are already established names in cruise operations.
Marcura will continue to partner with the rest of the Brightwell business, including offering the Latitude reimbursement service through a reseller deal.
The deal was backed by Marlin Equity Partners, a private equity firm and shareholder in Marcura.
