What Cruise Planners does

Cruise Planners (legal entity CP Franchising, LLC) is the largest home-based travel agency franchise network in the United States, founded in 1994 in Coral Springs, Florida by CEO Michelle Fee alongside travel industry veterans Lynn Korn and Marvin Davis. The company distributes travel services through 3,500+ independent travel advisors operating home-based agencies across all 50 states under the Cruise Planners brand. End consumers served include individual vacationers, group travelers, corporate meeting and incentive clients, and couples planning destination weddings. Revenue is generated through two primary streams: (i) franchise fees paid by independent advisors joining the network, and (ii) override commissions earned on cruise, tour, and resort bookings routed through the network. Ancillary streams include travel insurance (via preferred partner Allianz Global Assistance USA) and travel services. Franchisees receive the proprietary CP Maxx platform, marketing programs, supplier relationships with 30+ cruise lines plus tour operators and resort partners, and the STAR University training program.

Core technology is the CP Maxx platform — a proprietary cloud-based system combining CRM, booking, and marketing tools for travel advisors. Between 2023 and 2025 Cruise Planners layered multiple AI features onto CP Maxx: Maxx Intelligence (2023, AI concierge), Ask Maxx (2024, natural-language knowledge retrieval), CP Genie Learning (2025, AI-enabled training), AI Cruise Search (2025, natural-language cruise discovery), and AI Cruise Confirmation Import (2025, structured-data extraction that eliminates 10-15 minutes of manual entry per booking). The AI stack runs on Google Cloud under a partnership announced October 2025, with modalities spanning text (NLP for Ask Maxx and AI Cruise Search) and structured data (booking confirmation extraction). Mobile applications for iOS and Android, an SMS travel reminder program, and a dedicated franchise discovery site (cruiseplannersfranchise.com) complete the technology surface. The company holds registered trademarks including CP Maxx, "Cruisitude," and CP Cares.

Customer and supplier segments are diversified at both ends. Consumers are reached exclusively via the B2C franchisee channel (long-tail individual buyers rather than enterprise customers), and supplier concentration is spread across more than 50 travel partners including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival, Princess, Holland America, MSC, Disney, Virgin Voyages, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking, Globus, Trafalgar, Sandals, and Beaches. Distribution is single-channel (U.S. domestic only), with marketing executed via corporate website, email, social media, the annual CP World convention (held on cruise ships and resort venues), franchise webinars, and per-advisor websites. Awards and recognition include 18 consecutive years as Entrepreneur magazine's #1 Travel Franchise, multiple Franchise Business Review accolades including #3 overall in the Top 200 Franchises of 2022, and supplier-side awards from Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Seabourn, and Azamara. Ownership remains with founder Michelle Fee as a privately held company with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or merger history.

Name

Cruise Planners

Legal name

CP Franchising, LLC

Website

https://cruiseplanners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cruise Planners is the largest U.S. home-based travel agency franchise network, operating 3,500+ independent travel advisors across all 50 states under its proprietary CP Maxx booking and CRM platform, selling cruise, tour, and resort vacations to individual and group consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Franchise Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (56151)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB), Cruise Planning & Booking (HSACAKAE)

Keywords

• Travel franchise network
• Home-based travel agency
• Cruise vacation planning
• Travel advisor franchise
• Booking commission services

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Cruise Planners charges franchise fees to independent travel advisors who join the network. The franchise provides access to the CP Maxx technology platform, marketing support, training programs, and the Cruise Planners brand.
2. Travel Booking Commissions: Franchisees earn commissions on travel bookings made through their agencies. Cruise Planners as a network receives commissions from cruise lines, tour operators, resorts, and other travel suppliers, with a portion flowing to individual advisors.
3. Travel Services: Additional revenue streams include fees for travel insurance, passport/visa services, and other travel-related services provided to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cruise Planners is the nation's largest home-based travel agency franchise network, recruiting and supporting more than 3,500 independent travel advisors across all 50 U.S. states. Franchisees are charged franchise fees for access to the proprietary CP Maxx technology platform (CRM, booking, marketing, AI tools), the Cruise Planners brand, training programs, and supplier relationships with 30+ cruise lines and major tour operators. Cruise Planners earns commissions on cruise, land tour, resort, and ancillary travel bookings made through the franchise network, with a portion passed to individual advisors.

Product overview

Cruise Planners operates as a home-based travel agency franchise network offering a unified product portfolio anchored by the proprietary CP Maxx technology platform. CP Maxx serves as the core CRM and booking system, enhanced with multiple AI-powered modules including Maxx Intelligence (AI concierge), Ask Maxx (knowledge retrieval), AI Cruise Search, and automated booking tools. Supplementary services include the CP Genie Learning training platform, STAR University certification programs, mobile applications for iOS and Android, and SMS-based client communication tools. The company provides franchisees with marketing support, booking technology, business intelligence tools, and comprehensive training, while offering end consumers travel advisor services spanning cruise planning, land vacations, group travel, destination weddings, and travel insurance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Travel Advisor Franchise Opportunity A multi-year franchise contract granting independent travel advisors the right to operate a home-based travel agency under the Cruise Planners brand. Includes access to the CP Maxx platform, STAR University/CP Genie Learning training, marketing programs, business coaching, supplier partnerships with 30+ cruise lines and major tour operators, and ongoing Home Office support. Pricing available via the franchise sales team at (888) 582-2150; recognized as Entrepreneur #1 Travel Franchise for 18 consecutive years and in FBR Top Franchise for 2026.
• CP Maxx Platform Cruise Planners' proprietary cloud-based all-in-one platform for travel advisors that combines CRM, booking capabilities, marketing tools, and client management. Includes AI-powered features such as Maxx Intelligence AI concierge, Ask Maxx natural language assistant, AI Cruise Search, AI Booking Automation, Cruise Confirmation Import, AI-Powered Recommendations, and Advanced CRM Filtering, all running on Google Cloud infrastructure.
• Cruise Planners Mobile App Consumer-facing mobile application for iOS and Android that allows travelers to browse travel deals, connect with their Cruise Planners travel advisor, and manage their bookings from a mobile device.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% franchise owner satisfaction rating according to Franchise Business Review
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Allianz Global Assistance USAcoreOthersAllianz is the preferred travel insurance provider for Cruise Planners. The partnership enables advisors to offer comprehensive travel insurance coverage including trip cancellation, medical emergencies, lost baggage, and travel delays to their clients.
• Cruise Lines (30+ Major Lines)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with major cruise lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America, Princess, Disney, MSC, Virgin Voyages, and luxury brands like Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, and Viking. Advisors receive exclusive deals, onboard credits, and priority access to group bookings.
• Tour OperatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with tour companies including Globus, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Avalon Waterways, AmaWaterways, and others providing land vacation options for clients.
• Resort & Hotel PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with resort chains including Sandals, Beaches, Hyatt, RIU, Hotel Xcaret, and other all-inclusive properties providing exclusive offers and amenities for clients.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dream Vacations: A home-based travel franchise network specializing in cruises, owned by World Travel Holdings. Like Cruise Planners, it recruits franchisees, provides proprietary technology and training, and earns commissions from cruise-line suppliers — the closest direct competitor in the cruise franchise space.
• Avoya Travel: A network of independent travel advisors (ICCs) selling cruises, land vacations, and packages with proprietary technology and supplier partnerships. Closely comparable to Cruise Planners in agent-network model, cruise-line relationships, and consumer-facing booking.
• Expedia Cruises: The cruise-focused franchise arm of Expedia Group, operating brick-and-mortar and home-based cruise retail agencies. Directly comparable to Cruise Planners as a cruise-specialist franchise network with strong supplier relationships, differentiated by parent brand and physical retail footprint.
• Nexion Travel Group: A host travel agency network providing back-office, technology, and supplier access to independent travel advisors. Directly comparable to Cruise Planners in enabling independent advisors to operate under a shared brand with supplier leverage, though Nexion spans all travel categories.
• OutsideAgents.com: A large host travel agency network providing technology, commission splits, and supplier access to home-based independent travel advisors. Comparable in serving independent travel entrepreneurs but uses a host-agency model rather than a franchise model.
• Travel Planners International: A host travel agency supporting independent travel advisors with back-office technology, supplier relationships, and commission processing. Comparable to Cruise Planners as an enabler of home-based travel entrepreneurs, though broader in category focus.

Broad incumbents

• American Express Travel: A broad travel agency and concierge business from American Express serving cardmembers with cruises, flights, hotels, and tours. Comparable in cruise-booking capability and supplier relationships but operates as a cardmember benefit and not as a home-based franchise network.
• AAA Travel: The travel agency arm of AAA serving members with cruise, tour, and vacation bookings through brick-and-mortar and online channels. Comparable as a multi-channel cruise retailer with strong supplier relationships, but operates as a member-organization service rather than a franchise.
• Travel Leaders Network: A large U.S. travel agency consortium with thousands of agency members selling cruises, tours, and leisure travel. Comparable in enabling cruise booking at scale via shared supplier relationships, though it is a consortium of retail agencies rather than a single home-based franchise brand.

Others

• Royal Caribbean International: A major cruise line and one of Cruise Planners' largest supplier partners. Included not as a competitor but as a key counterparty whose direct-to-consumer strategy represents both the supply source of Cruise Planners' commissions and the principal disintermediation risk to the franchise model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CruisePlannersAmEx
• Instagraminstagram.com/cruiseplanners
• Xx.com/Cruisitude
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cruiseplanners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/163271

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cruise Planners