Awards & Recognition

At Cruise Planners, we’re always proud to celebrate the achievements of our dedicated advisors. We’re thrilled to shine today’s spotlight on Theresa Curbelo, who has recently been featured on the front cover of TravelAgeWest magazine and honored as TravelAgeWest’s Trendsetter Award Runner-Up for Best Group Booking Effort. This award not only recognizes her professional excellence but also her heartfelt dedication to the first responder community.

At Cruise Planners, we know our low-cost franchise opportunity is one of the very best in the travel industry. We've worked hard over the years to refine a business model that allows our franchisees to stand out in a competitive field while enjoying all the perks of operating a home-based business. Still, it's always nice to receive outside recognition because it reminds the world of just how smart an investment our low-cost franchise opportunities truly are.

Our Work-from-Home Travel Agency Is a Franchise Partner of the Year! Cruise Planners is exceptionally proud to announce that we’ve been recognized as the Franchise Partner of the Year by Royal Caribbean International. As the nation's largest work-from-home travel agency, Cruise Planners has been given this prestigious award as an acknowledgement of exceptional achievements in sales, customer service, and innovation within the cruise industry — recognition we could not have achieved without the hard work of our franchisees. A Long-Standing Partnership Michelle Fee, founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, expressed her pride in the award, highlighting the strong partnership between the two companies. She credited the hard work of the Cruise Planners corporate team and our franchise owners for earning this recognition. The partnership dates back to 2014, with Cruise Planners consistently ranking as a top partner for Royal Caribbean, receiving previous awards like the Chairman's Award and the President's Award. "We’re committed to our long-standing partnership with Royal Caribbean, and receiving the esteemed Franchise Partner of the Year award is truly a source of joy and pride for us," said Michelle. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our team, our network of franchise owners and agents, as well as the trust their clients place in us to provide exceptional service and travel experiences." Looking Ahead in the Cruise Industry Vicki Freed, senior vice president at Royal Caribbean, acknowledged the collaborative efforts between cruise lines and travel partners in driving industry success. She praised Cruise Planners' travel professionals for their expertise in matching clients with ideal vacations. With the launch of new ships like Icon of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, and Star of the Seas, Freed expressed excitement for the industry’s future. "These are extremely exciting times for the entire cruise industry – cruise lines and travel partners alike. The sky's the limit at Royal Caribbean, and the strong performance we've seen is thanks in large part to our valued travel professionals and their incredible knowledge when it comes to matching their clients with the right vacation experience," said Vicki. "I'm very proud to honor these experts who consistently work with us and continue to see success with their businesses.” We’re the Number-One Travel Franchise Cruise Planners is the number-one travel franchise opportunity in the US, empowering our network of 2,500 home-based independent travel agents to make the most of our industry through innovative marketing programs, advanced booking technology, and industry-leading training and support. Cruise Planners has received numerous awards, including being named Entrepreneur magazine’s No.1 travel franchise for 18 consecutive years and ranking #3 on Franchise Business Review's Top 200 Franchises list. When you become part of the Cruise Planners brand family through our low-cost franchise investment, you’ll immediately benefit from our trusted and highly recognized name as you grow your franchise with our help and carve out a name for yourself in the travel industry! Ready to set sail with a travel industry expert? Get in touchtoday to become a work-from-home travel agent with Cruise Planners!

We’ve always believed in our brand and our opportunity as being one of the very best in the industry, but it’s always nice to receive some outside recognition. We’re very proud to announce that Cruise Planners has once again been ranked by Entrepreneur as a top franchise choice for 2024 and has been included in the 45th annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500® list. It’s a distinction that few brands can boast of and attests to the strength and value of our opportunity, and we couldn’t be more pleased.

The Cruise Planners travel franchise isn’t the largest home-based franchise agency for nothing. Our network of more than 2,500 travel advisors has been nurtured over the course of three decades to make us leading experts in our industry — and we aren’t just tooting our own horns!

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. Oct.4— Cruise Planners franchise owner Juan Velazquez was one of eight semi-finalists who competed in the prestigious Carnival Cruise Line ‘Your Winning Plan’ business challenge. Velazquez beat out 1,000 other contestants to make it to the finals and traveled to Houston, TX for the finale event held at The Revaire. Carnival created the challenge to help travel advisors craft overall business plans that boost their success and increase sales. The line held a series of daylong training events around the US and one virtual event.