Cruise Planners is the nation’s largest home-based travel agency franchise, with more than 3,000 franchise owners operating in all 50 states. Cruise Planners franchise owners own and operate their own independent travel agency business and earn income by helping clients plan and book memorable travel experiences, including cruises, land tours, and all-inclusive resort vacations.
United States:
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
Only the brands that exceed FBR’s franchisee satisfaction benchmark are displayed on our website. Download the detailed Cruise Planners Franchisee Satisfaction Report for free.*
Highlights include:
*This franchise business model allows for both full- and part-time involvement. Only full-time franchisees were surveyed for this research.
Not all franchise systems share their results publicly. Cruise Planners does. Download the franchisee satisfaction report on Cruise Planners for free.
As a Cruise Planners franchise owner, you own and operate your own travel advisor business while leveraging the support, systems, and buying power of a nationally recognized franchise brand.
Franchise owners earn income through commissions paid by travel suppliers for booked travel services, including cruises, hotels, car rentals, travel insurance, and related services. Clients are not required to pay a planning fee. Franchise owners pay a royalty to Cruise Planners ranging from 0%–3% of gross commissionable sales, depending on volume.
The corporate office does not sell travel or compete with franchise owners, allowing franchisees to retain full ownership of their client relationships and sales activity.
Cruise Planners provides comprehensive, award-winning marketing support designed to
help franchise owners stay connected with clients and generate repeat business.
Marketing resources include:
Cruise Planners provides a comprehensive training and support program designed to help franchise owners launch their business with confidence and continue developing over time.
According to the Franchise Disclosure Document, new franchise owners receive approximately 84 hours of initial training, which includes classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and guided onboarding. This training is delivered through STAR University,
a structured six-day, in-person program held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and covers core business and travel industry fundamentals such as product knowledge, sales, marketing, operations, reservations, accounting, and proprietary technology systems.
Training continues well beyond initial onboarding. Franchise owners receive ongoing education through Cruisitude Academy, Cruise Planners’ learning management system that offers hundreds of on-demand courses, recorded training sessions, and educational resources. The home office team also hosts multiple live webinars each week focused on supplier updates, technology enhancements, sales strategies, marketing best practices, and industry trends.
In addition to formal training, each franchise owner is paired with a personal business development coach who provides ongoing, one-on-one coaching focused on business planning, performance improvement, accountability, and long-term growth.
Additional training opportunities include specialized workshops, technology training, quoting and booking classes, advisor events, and networking opportunities designed to support continued education throughout the life of the franchise.
Hear what it's like to be a Cruise Planners franchisee
Learn how Laura de la Horra became a Cruise Planners franchisee
Becoming a travel agent sounds like an exciting career! But how do you get clients, especially if you have no prior experience? We talked to several Cruise Planners franchisees about how they got started.
Summer Bowers is originally from Colfax, North Carolina, but currently lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, with her Army active-duty husband. They have two wonderfully adventurous children, ages 4 and 5. Summer began as a part-time travel advisor in 2019. In 2023, she became co-owner of a Cruise Planners travel franchise.
This husband and wife team from Cruise Planners have owned their franchise for less than a year and are THRIVING. Watch this conversation to find out how they've managed to garner so much success in so little time with this travel franchise.
Gianna Borell was awarded the Excellence in Franchising Award because she exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding Cruise Planners franchise owner. She’s dynamic, driven, and deeply committed to excellence. Having built a business with annual sales over $14M, Gianna leads with positivity, gratitude, and an infectious can-do spirit that inspires those around her.
Watch to this conversation from Franchise Business Review with the Chief Information Officer of Cruise Planners. He talks the cutting edge technology of the Cruise Planners’ brand that allows franchisees like Debra and Tony Thune (featured here) to work their business while cruising in the Caribbean. Technology is key in a travel franchise — learn how it allows franchisees to claim the lifestyle they want.
These days, workers in remote corporate roles may feel more tethered to their desks than ever. That's because, of the 21.6% of U.S. workers who work remotely, less than half spend their work hours away from the office.
Since opening his Cruise Planners franchise in Mobile, Alabama, in 2014, Ariel Chavez has steadily grown his travel business into a thriving, million-dollar venture. Recognized as a 2025 Rock Star in the "Giving Back" category, he has built his success on personalized client care, a commitment to continual learning, and strong community involvement. Ariel and his husband actively support local nonprofits, reflecting his belief that successful entrepreneurship should always include giving back and uplifting others.
Cruise Planners is a travel franchise brand that offers individuals with a passion for travel an incredible career opportunity. Without the stress of a brick-and-mortar location, franchisees can truly work from anywhere. Spain? Sure! Morocco? You bet! Florida? Of course. You get it.
Nick Pena has been a dedicated Cruise Planners Franchise Owner since 2014. Nick’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and a desire to break free from the corporate grind. After a successful 16-year career in pharmaceutical sales, Nick made a bold move to achieve the independence and work-life balance he craved.
If you ask Adam Martindale why he loves owning and operating his Cruise Planners travel agency, he'll gladly rattle off a lengthy list. One of his favorite benefits, however, is that he gets to work from anywhere while traveling the world and growing his business. In this on-demand webinar, FBR's President and COO, Michelle Rowan, chats with franchisee Adam and Stacie Faulds, Cruise Planners' Assistant Vice President of Marketing, about what it takes to be a Cruise Planners franchise owner, and how the travel franchise became the nation's largest home-based franchise in the travel space.
Colleen and Nate Chapman, driven by their love for travel, embarked on a second career as Cruise Planners travel agents in the summer of 2024. The couple share their passion for travel with thousands of followers, making a rewarding career change as franchisees.
Watch the webinar replay to learn more about the lifestyle that Kyle and Robert have crafted for themselves by helping their large clientele experience vacations of a lifetime while they travel the world and enjoy the spoils of their labor of love. Scott, AKA The Sales Coach, shares his insights on what the Cruise Planners franchise looks for in a potential franchise owner and how the franchise trains, supports, and cares for its vast and ever-growing network of passionate travel agents.
Kyle Nichols’ natural passion for travel and exploring the unknown has served him well as a Cruise Planners franchise owner with a reputation for delivering bespoke vacations of a lifetime. He is so adept at his profession that his franchisor has selected him as their 2024 Franchise Rock Star in the Millennial category. His tireless service with Cruise Planners goes above and beyond by focusing on a niche market of small-ship cruise getaways that often dock at exotic ports of call. His knack for researching, planning, and executing dream vacations has made him a Rock Star to his clients and franchisor.
Jeff Page joined the Cruise Planners franchise with a foundation rooted in the culinary arts. He spent his formative years in the kitchen, honing his skills and passion for exceptional service—a work ethic that serves him well today as a successful Cruise Planners franchise owner.
Cruise Planners franchise owners Matt and Chelsy Hoffman share their formula for success while providing the world a glimpse of their life as Cruise Planners franchisees via their popular YouTube channel, Hoffman Happy Travels.
While his success as a travel agent didn’t come overnight, Ariel Chavez credits the Cruise Planners corporate team and franchise system for providing the training, marketing support, and proven steps that helped him steadily grow his clientele.
Whether it's a work-from-home franchise opportunity, a mobile franchise, or a franchise business model that allows you the flexibility you desire, here's how you can find work-life balance while pursuing your passion and creating a legacy for your family.
Once Caroline Swift had been introduced to the Cruise Planners franchise model and saw the level of unmatched support provided to franchisees, she knew she had found the missing piece of the puzzle.
Each franchise brings a unique set of products, services, culture, and values to its brand, its community, and its franchise family. But what makes certain business owners excel to Franchise Rock Star status? FBR's Franchise Rock Star Awards honor franchise owners who set exceptional examples of success within the franchise business model.
The Cruise Planners travel agency franchise offers franchise owners a flexible, home-based franchise opportunity driven by cutting-edge technology. Work from anywhere while helping clients book their dream vacations!
Americans are ready for adventure! Travel is back, and travelers are seeking assistance from experienced travel agents. You don’t need to be a seasoned traveler to embark on a new career with Cruise Planners, but you do need to have a passion for travel and for helping others.
Cruise Planners franchisee Valerie Dorsey shares her insights on what it's like to be Cruise Planners franchise owner.
Franchise Business Review interviews Cruise Planners franchisee Michael Consoli about what it’s like to own a Cruise Planners business.
How to become a Cruise Planners home-based travel agent. This low-cost travel agency franchise encourages franchisees to enjoy work-life balance.
FBR Insider Insights: How Joel Wilder’s search for a travel agency franchise turned into a full-time Cruise Planners Franchise business.
Congratulations to 2020 franchisee rockstars, the Zeneri’s, from Cruise Planners. Hear about their franchising journey and their advice to prospective franchisees.
"I love owning my own business, the freedom to make my own decisions, hold myself responsible and accountable for my success. I love travel and this is the perfect franchise for me!" Read More about Adam Martindale's experience as a Cruise Planners Franchise Owner Here.
Melanie Sweet opened her Cruise Planners franchise in Fort Worth, Texas in April 2020. Below are the excerpts from the Q&A interview she did with Franchise Business Review earlier this year. Read more about her story here.
One of the ways you might land a job you love is to tap into what you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work, which is how these two Cruise Planners franchise owners turned their love for world travel into full-time careers.
A home-based business grants you added flexibility, but a home-based franchise gives you lower risk, lower cost, instant brand-recognition and more.
Not only was Cruise Planners identified as a top franchise opportunity because of their high franchise owner satisfaction, but the travel franchise was also recently recognized for its commitment to building a strong company culture. Franchise Business Review last month announced the franchises named to its first-annual FBR Culture100 awards list, of which Cruise Planners was one of the franchises named.
Andy and Lilly Popick, owners of a Cruise Planners franchise in Broward County, Florida, had planned to lead a group of 47 people on a trip to Australia in April. The trip was canceled, and instead, both worked as part of two federal emergency response missions aimed to support individuals and medical professionals affected by the coronavirus.
While travel sales slowed down during the pandemic, as restrictions begin to ease, there will be a huge amount of pent up demand and customers will increasingly seek experts to help them navigate the new travel landscape in the upcoming months.
Laura De La Horra says running a successful travel agency franchise is about the connections and the people. Read her full story here.
If you're comparing low-cost franchise opportunities, there are several tips you should keep in mind to ensure you ultimately choose the best brand for you.
Charles “Russ” Russell is a Cruise Planners New Braunfels, TX since 2013 and offers insights and advice for others in this interview with FBR.
If you have ever dreamed of skipping your morning commute and earning a good salary working poolside, the good news is that you can make that dream come true with a home-based business.
Susan Palenik, a Cruise Planners franchise owner, says she is grateful for the financial success she was able to achieve but is most appreciative of the personal freedom and flexibility to work anytime from anywhere.
Cruise Planners offers franchisees the chance to travel the world, and they encourage their franchisees to support causes they care about in addition to charities chosen by the corporate office under its umbrella, CP Cares.
Ronda Zeneri, who owns a Cruise Planners franchise with her husband, says she wishes they had bought their business sooner! Read more about her experience.
If you are looking for an encore career or just beginning to research retirement income ideas, investing in a Cruise Planners franchise could be the right fit for you.
Janice Sinardi owns a Cruise Planners franchise in Tampa, FL. Janice sat down with Franchise Business Review to chat about her experience with the Cruise Planners brand.
Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners, built a franchise that is anchored in the success of its franchisees.
Rick Carlson is a franchisee of Cruise Planners and has served his clients since the purchase of his franchise in 2000.
Michael Consoli was able to make his dream of working in the travel sector a a reality by investing in a Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative franchise. He shared how he did it and more with Franchise Business Review.
Actual owner reviews from our third party, independent surveys.
