Speaking at the Elite Conference for Independents in Cadiz, the travel entrepreneur told the story of his business, from its conception during a misjudged weekend away to its current state of affairs.
And when asked by one member of the audience what the future held, he was quick to admit that life on the ocean waves enticed.
Lohan said: “Cruise is ripe for reinvention at the moment. It’s a really interesting industry, it makes total sense to me as I used to live on a boat.
“What I don’t want to do is sit around with a lot of other people I don’t know. I want it to be like a hotel. Cruising is something I might reinvent.”
He also believes that if he were to move in the market, it is his entrepreneurial spirit that would guarantee success as opposed to an in-depth knowledge of the sector.
Talking about the creation of Mr & Mrs Smith, which originally launched as a guidebook in 2003, he said: “Naivety is the best weapon of an entrepreneur.
“If you know what’s round the corner, there’s no way you would get out of bed but if you’re an entrepreneur you get out of bed, go round the corner and tend to work it out.”
Lohan added the brand is everything when you create a business and said it should include a number of varying qualities, from stylish and disruptive to trustworthy and useful.
He also outlined how independent travel agents can gain the upper hand against multi-national OTAs, no matter how mismatched their businesses may appear to be.
He said the online giants can not offer personal service, hand-holding, charm or even book adjoining rooms.
Lohan said: “Be yourself, nobody else can be, OTAs can never ever compare. Robots are a big part of it but they can never be all of it.”
While James Lohan’s cruise propostion is an interesting one, is the cruise industry still too young for disruption or would this make it an easier target?
