Company News

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – April 27, 2022 – Classic Vacations has chosen Cruise Planners Travel Advisor Angela Kelso as the recipient of a Scholarship to attend the 2023 E3 Summit in the name of Cruise Planners late COO and Co-Owner, Vicky Garcia. The scholarship will cover the cost for participation as well as air accommodations. “Classic Vacations wants to honor Vicky and her legacy by offering a Cruise Planners franchisee the opportunity to take part in this event which focuses on entrepreneurship and education for the travel professional,” said Jeff Verlotta, business development manager. “We know these are core attributes that Vicky held dear.” Kelso has been franchise owner since 2019 and is a Mega Star sales tier and has a focus on selling luxury land vacations including Classic Vacations. “It is a tremendous honor and participating in the event focusing on entrepreneurship and education for the travel professional is truly appreciated,” said Kelso. “The first time I met Vicky was at a Cruise Planners training event. She left a lasting impression on me then that I still carry with me today. Her passion and enthusiasm was infectious and an inspiration to me.” This is Classic’s 5th year of E3 and it stands for Elite, Education, Experience. “This is a beautiful tribute to our beloved Vicky is a testament to the lasting legacy she left behind,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and Founder of Cruise Planners. “Thank you to Classic for this gesture to honor her memory in the way she would have wanted: empowering travel advisors to soar.” The conference will take place Aug.27-31, 2023 at the Secrets Bahia Mita in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and will feature workshops, seminars and chances to network.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – April 25, 2022— Earlier this year, Cruise Planners CEO and Founder Michelle Fee deemed 2023 the “Year of Travel” and judging by the robust and strong wave season that just wrapped up, 2023 is set to be the “Year of Travel and BEYOND”. According to the company, 2023 departures are up 22% over the full year of 2019 and 13% up over the full year of 2022. Cruise Planners is currently pacing at 73% ahead of 2022 in purchases, and although the timeframe coincides with the effects of the Omicron variant from early 2022, the company does expect this number to decrease but notes the expectation is to still finish the year incredibly strong and well above 2022. Nearly 50% of the weekly bookings are for 2024 Departures, meaning the demand for travel extends to the year ahead which allows Cruise Planners to be set for another strong year in 2024. These numbers are exciting, considering the setback of the last few years, and Cruise Planners advisors are busy booking quality trips and vacations for their clients. “What a year it’s been so far, and I mean that in the best possible way,” said Fee. “It’s been heartwarming to see our advisors going full speed ahead and it doesn’t look like they’re stopping anytime soon. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2023!” In addition to these astounding numbers, Cruise Planners already has a 20% increase in the number of franchises who will be inducted into the Millionaires Club Member tier of sales ($1 million+ in total sales volume) and are on pace to end the year at 50% more set to join this prestigious club in 2024. This bodes well for the industry and the company as a whole, as advisors are building strong, sustainable travel businesses. Cruise Planners recently was awarded Celebrity Cruises highest honor, the Chairman’s Award and was named by Franchise Business Review as a 2023 Top Low-Cost Franchises and Top 50 Franchises for Women. Allianz also honored Cruise Planners as a top partner for 2022, and Entrepreneur Magazine noted Cruise Planners 22 years of being on the Franchise 500 list.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – April 21, 2022 – Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced the recipients of the 2023 Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards and Cruise Planners top agent Michael Consoli took home the prestigious “Travel Innovator or the Year Award”. Award winners were inducted at the CLIA Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards Gala Dinner during the CLIA Cruise360 conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Thursday, April 20, 2023. “I am so incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized with this award,” said Michael Consoli, a franchise owner since 2002. “Our success is a team effort and I am very proud of what we have accomplished in bringing positive ideas and influence to the travel sphere.” The awards identify individuals and organizations whose efforts and accomplishments represent a significant contribution to the cruise industry. This award specifically recognizes a CLIA Travel Agency Member that has demonstrated innovative and visionary leadership in their approach in promoting cruise travel, growing their cruise travel sales and supporting their affiliated travel advisors. Consoli has achieved unbelievable sales through sharing his expertise through social media, hosting consumer events and providing his guests with exceptional service. In addition, he curates and personally escorts several unique, invitation-only journeys throughout the year traveling with his guests whom he calls his “Wanderlust Society.” Consoli posted an astounding $20 million dollars in sales in 2021 (despite the pandemic) and beat that by increasing his sales to $24 million in 2022. An amazing feat considering his team consists of just 4 people. “Michael has broken record after record and shown us how mighty a small, but experienced and dedicated, team can achieve amazing sales,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and Founder of Cruise Planners. “CLIA couldn’t have picked a better recipient for Travel Innovator of the Year and we are very proud of Michael and his team.” Consoli is the top producing agent at Cruise Planners and has been named their #1 producing luxury agent as well as being named Viking Cruises Global Top Producer for the past nine years.

At Cruise Planners, we know that owning your own business can be a dream come true. That's why we're always excited to share success stories from our network of travel advisors. Our franchisees, Julie I. and Tawnee S., recently had the incredible opportunity to partner with Celebrity Cruises and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to design the inaugural Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cruise. The event was such a success that it even caught the attention of the media – check out the video below to see the highlights.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – April 6, 2022 – On the heels of an incredibly busy and successful wave season, Cruise Planners proudly hosted their bi-annual Elite Summit for top producers on Avalon Waterways’ Envision in Europe. The event had over 85 attendees from all over the U.S. Advisors, Cruise Planners executives and supplier partners gathered on the Danube to network, learn and revel in the fruits of their labor.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – March 29, 2023 – Allianz Partners, a leader in travel insurance and travel assistance, has named Cruise Planners one of their top travel agency partners for 2022. Allianz Partners recognized Cruise Planners for their outstanding efforts in protecting their clients travel investments in a year that saw strong demand for travel. “Cruise Planners has a longstanding relationship with Allianz Partners that we are proud of because it allows our advisors to give their clients peace of mind and an ally when they are traveling,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and Founder of Cruise Planners. “We are thrilled to be recognized and know our advisors do all they can to help protect their client’s travel investment.” “It’s a pleasure to recognize Cruise Planners for their outstanding efforts in protecting their clients’ valuable travel investments,” said Richard Aquino, Vice President and Head of Sales at Allianz Partners USA. “Travel has rebounded tremendously and we’re proud to play a role in both protecting travelers non-refundable travel deposits and provide them with travel assistance when they need us.” Allianz Global Assistance provided travel insurance to millions of Americans in 2022. Cruise Planners has been an exclusive Allianz partner for over 15 years and has been previously recognized as a top partner.