Investing in a franchise is exciting — yet it can be an overwhelming process. This is an investment in your future, so we encourage you to take your time and find out the facts so you can make the best decision for yourself. Listed below are several of the questions asked most frequently when considering starting a travel agency. If you still have questions, please schedule a call with a franchise development manager or request more information to learn more about becoming a travel agency owner.
As with any business, this depends on several factors. While marketing your Cruise Planners® business is important, the most important factor is you and the effort you invest in your business. We have franchisees who work their business five hours a week and those who work 80 hours. It’s completely up to you, but this too will affect your earning potential. While we cannot tell you how much money you will make, during your due diligence period, you’ll have the opportunity to speak with other Cruise Planners® franchisees about their experiences with running a home-based travel business. Click here for testimonials from our travel franchise owners.
We get this question more than any other. Building your database is a very important part of your Cruise Planners® business. At STAR University training, you’ll learn about the need for community involvement, our free direct mail program, free weekly email campaigns, and an entire day learning how to market and advertise your business. With the “Full Sails” direct mail program, you’ll receive 250 names, but your best source is to start with friends, family and business contacts and ask them for their business and referrals. As a Cruise Planners® Travel Agent, you will be able to provide customers personal service by planning their perfect vacation, so it starts with you and your contacts. Cruise Planners has many programs that help you with what is known as acquisition marketing. Between your free franchisee website as well as direct mail, social media, email newsletters and campaigns, print on demand postcards and more, no one provides more resources to help you find customers than Cruise Planners!
That’s a simple answer. The internet got too big. If you Google “cruise vacation,” you’ll see there are over 518,000,000 results. Travel trends change, cruise ships are larger, and there are more all-inclusive resorts worldwide than ever before. Travel professionals have the best deals in the best locations usually for less than the ones listed online. Agents offer superior customer service, which is something clients can’t get online. Click here to see more benefits of using a travel agent.
Your ongoing training will never end. Our online virtual training platform, CP Genie, has hundreds of webinars, videos, and modules for your continuing education. All of our learning materials are on-demand and at your leisure. Along with CP Genie, we host four to six live webinars each week on different topics all associated with helping you grow your travel business. These too are housed for on-demand viewing so you can learn at your own pace. Also, all of the cruise lines and land suppliers have their own individual educational series as well. Some even reward you with free travel if you complete their classes! And we provide you access to it all.
For all levels of the franchise, STAR University includes hotel accommodations, all breakfasts, lunches and most dinners, training materials, and transfers to and from the ship inspections held during the training week. With the full franchise fee, we reimburse you up to $500 in airfare for one coach class economy ticket.
Training is held in the beautiful city of Fort Lauderdale, FL, the cruising capital of the world.
You can start the day you finalize your franchise agreement. You’ll be immediately given a user ID and password to start your self-guided orientation process. During this time, we’ll activate your customized website and you can order your business cards and set up your new home-based office. You’ll start online training through Cruisitude® Academy, then we will help you plan your in-person, hands-on training here in Fort Lauderdale, which we offer every two months.
Yes you can. A Cruise Planners® franchise is perfect for couples, business partners, life-long friends or families. There can be two owners and up to three associates per franchise. As your volume grows, you can add more people.
Absolutely! In fact, many people start part-time and transition to full-time when they are ready. As with any new business, it will take some time to start seeing a return on your investment. How much time will that take? Well, that’s completely up to you! With the Cruise Planners® franchise opportunity, you can work the business when you want and from where you want.
You do not have to have an office in a traditional brick-and-mortar location, but we do recommend you set up a home office where you can run your business without any distractions.
Cruise Planners has been making vacation wishes come true for nearly 30 years, and we are the nation’s largest, most award-winning travel agency franchise in the industry.
No. We are focused on selling and supporting franchises here in the United States.
No. All of our franchisees are home-based and can sell travel to anyone who resides in North America.
After you’ve viewed the Guide to Cruise Planners and have filled out our short request for information, we will contact you to answer your questions and see if we are a good match for each other. If we are, you’ll be invited to attend one of our Franchise Opportunity Webinars. You’ll then receive the FDD electronically to review. There is a mandatory 14-day waiting period before you can sign your franchise agreement. During this time, Cruise Planners will conduct a background check and be available for any questions.
No, you can sell it all! From all-inclusive resorts and hotels to guided luxury tours and all types of cruises, Cruise Planners® franchisees truly sell the world.
If you are passionate about travel and managing a growing travel business opportunity at the same time, then Cruise Planners may be the right choice for you. We look for people who take a hands-on approach to managing their business and stay involved in their local community. Ask yourself these questions: Do you like the planning part of a vacation? Do you have friends and family who call you for advice when planning their vacations? Do you talk about your trips for months afterward? Do you start planning your next vacation while on your current one? Do you want to be your own boss? Do you want the flexibility to work where and when you want? If you answered yes to any of these, then you need to be an owner of a Cruise Planners® travel franchise!
No. In fact, most of our Millionaires Club members didn’t come from the travel industry and HAD NEVER SOLD TRAVEL. Our franchise owners come from all backgrounds including bookkeepers, computer programmers, auto mechanics, hair dressers, attorneys, stay-at-home parents, nurses, and so much more. No matter what you did in your past career, Cruise Planners can be your successful future.
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