Cruise Planners is a home-based travel agent franchise network.[1] The company is headquartered in downtown Coral Springs, Florida. The company's travel agency franchisees specialize in booking luxury vacations, cruises, tours and travel to destinations around the world.[2] The company has more than 2,500 franchise owners in all 50 states.[3][4]
The company is a licensed travel agency, and a member of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association),[5] IFA (International Franchise Association), and ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors).
History
The company was co-founded by Marvin Davis, Michelle Fee, Lynn Korn in 1994 in Coral Springs, Florida. Prior to the retirement of Davis and Korn in 2007, their shares in the company were purchased by Palm Beach Capital.[6][7]
In 2013, CEO Michelle Fee,[8] the late COO Vicky Garcia and CFO Tom Kruszewski together purchased the company from Palm Beach Capital.[9] In May 2022, Fee became the sole owner of Cruise Planners. The company has approximately 115 employees at their headquarters in Coral Springs, Florida.[10]
In September 2022, Cruise Planners announced it would join Signature Travel Network, one of the travel industry's largest travel agency networks.[11]
Awards and recognition
Cruise Planners is the most awarded travel franchise company in the industry. Franchise Business Review awarded Cruise Planners "Best in Category" in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and Cruise Planners has been listed on Entrepreneur’s Annual Franchise 500 List since 2004.[12] Cruise Planners was named #20 on Travel Weekly's 2023 Power List.[13]
In 2019, the Broward County Commission proclaimed January 29th as "Cruise Planners Day" in recognition of the company's economic and positive impact on tourism and the community.
References
- Kate Taylor. Franchise Players: How a Travel-Loving Cosmetologist Became a Franchisee NBCNews.com, 7 August 2014, retrieved 15 October 2017^
- Bobbi Dempsey. Cruise Planners Offers Innovative Solutions TravelPulse, retrieved 23 September 2017^
- Bob Woods, special to CNBC.com. 9 low-cost franchises that can make you a millionaire CNBC, 2016-05-11, retrieved 2016-10-20^
- Andrew Sheivachman. Travel Agents Struggle to Market Against Online Travel Giants Skift, 26 October 2016, retrieved 15 October 2017^
- Jamie Biesiada. Across industry, bonuses and accolades for National Travel Agent Day Travel Weekly, retrieved 23 September 2017^
- Ultimate CEO Fee on building a business in a technology-driven world South Florida Business Journal, retrieved 15 October 2017^
- Theresa Norton. Cruise Planners CEO Fee to Christen AmaSerena TravelPulse, retrieved 23 September 2017^
- Laura Dunn. Women in Business: Q&A with Michelle Fee, CEO & Co-Founder of Cruise Planners Huffington Post, 26 June 2014, retrieved 15 October 2017^
- Claudette Covey. 'The Model Has Completely Evolved:' One-On-One With Cruise Planners' Michelle Fee TravelPulse, retrieved 23 September 2017^
- Tom Stieghorst. Succeeding with the Cruise Planners formula Travel Weekly, retrieved 23 September 2017^
- Cruise Planners Joins Signature Travel Network www.travelmarketreport.com, retrieved 2022-09-01^
- Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative - Franchises & Business Opportunities Entrepreneur, retrieved 23 September 2017^
- Jenn Martins. Travel Weekly Power List 2023 www.travelweekly.com^