Cruise Planners

What Cruise Planners does

Short-term intrinsic value (SIV) is not disclosed, but the search index suggests an underlying valuation framework.

Name

Cruise Planners

Legal name

CP Franchising, LLC

Website

https://dreamvacationhunters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cruise Planners (CP Franchising, LLC) is the largest US home-based travel franchise, founded in 1994, operating a network of independent travel advisors who book cruises, tours, and all-inclusive resorts through proprietary tools (LivePlanner, mobile app, myTrips) on a commission-based model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise Shore Excursion Operators & Port Services (Agency-led) (THAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Planning & Booking (HSACAKAE), Cruise & Land Tour (Cruisetour) Package Operators (THAKADAO)

Keywords

• Travel agency services
• Cruise booking
• All-inclusive resorts
• Guided tour packages
• Travel franchise network

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedartown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Travel Agency Commissions: Cruise Planners earns commissions from cruise lines, tour operators, resorts, and other travel suppliers for bookings made through their network of travel advisors. As a travel agency, revenue is generated through supplier commissions on completed travel bookings.
2. Franchise Network Revenue: Cruise Planners serves as the franchisor for a network of home-based travel franchises. The company generates revenue through franchise fees and network services while individual franchise locations (like this one) operate independently.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cruise Planners is a home-based travel franchise that sells cruise, escorted tour, and all-inclusive resort bookings directly to consumers through independent travel advisors. The agency offers personalized trip planning, exclusive supplier pricing, hosted sailings, destination weddings, group travel, and travel insurance, with revenue earned primarily via supplier commissions on completed bookings.

Product overview

Cruise Planners is a full-service travel agency operating as a home-based franchise network since 1994, offering a unified platform for booking cruises, tours, and all-inclusive resorts. The core offering centers on LivePlanner for real-time vacation consultation and the Cruise Planners Mobile app for on-the-go access. Additional services include myTrips customer portal, honeymoon/celebration registries, shore excursion bookings via Shore Excursions Group, hosted sailings with dedicated hosts, weekly travel deals, travel insurance, destination wedding planning, and group travel coordination. The company partners with major cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, and 40+ others), tour operators (Abercrombie & Kent, Globus, Trafalgar, Tauck), and all-inclusive resort brands (Sandals, Secrets, Beaches, Hyatt, Iberostar, and 60+ others).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LivePlanner: A platform designed to enhance the way customers plan vacations. Once scheduled with a Cruise Planners advisor, customers can compare itineraries and review destinations from cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and vacation packages.

Products and services

• LivePlanner Virtual Consultation Platform Real-time virtual vacation planning consultation platform enabling customers to compare itineraries, review destinations across cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and vacation packages with advisor guidance during live sessions.
• Cruise Planners Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android providing trip itinerary access, cruise/tour/resort search and booking, live chat with advisors, special offers, currency converter, weather lookup, and restaurant reviews.
• myTrips Client Portal Customer portal providing access to view trip itineraries, balances, documents, travel insurance purchase, and account management.
• Honeymoon and Celebration Registry Gift registry service allowing couples to register cruises, tours, resort stays, upgrades, shore excursions, specialty dining, spa services, and other experiences for wedding and event gifts.
• Shore Excursions Booking Service Shore excursion booking service through Shore Excursions Group offering tours in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, and South Pacific with average tour sizes of 12 people.
• Hosted Sailings Program Curated cruise departures featuring dedicated host services, exclusive events like cocktail parties, private shore excursions, personalized attention, and insider knowledge from seasoned travel professionals.
• Weekly Travel Deals Exclusive weekly travel offers featuring discounted cruises, tours, and resort packages with special amenities and onboard credits from Cruise Planners.
• Travel Insurance Travel protection and insurance options provided through Cruise Planners advisors to cover trip cancellations, interruptions, and travel-related risks.
• Destination Weddings and Honeymoon Planning Full-service destination wedding planning including ceremony/reception at cruise ships or all-inclusive resorts, with on-site wedding planners and complimentary honeymoon registry.
• Group Travel Planning Group vacation planning service for weddings, reunions, birthday milestones, and special interest groups with group rates, discounts, and onboard amenities starting at 8 staterooms for cruises.
• Rental Escapes Luxury Villa Rentals Luxury villa rental offering via Rental Escapes with over 4,000 properties in 40+ countries, including concierge services, private chefs, and car rentals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exclusive pricing: 4-Night Bahamas from $398 vs $587 published (32% savings)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Shore Excursions GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShore Excursions Group provides professional shore excursion tours for cruise passengers, offering up to 40% lower prices than cruise line excursions with average group sizes of 12 people, money-back guarantee, and 24/7 support.
• ViatorsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViator offers thousands of sightseeing tours, activities, theater tickets, city passes, and day trips integrated as additional sightseeing options for clients.
• Rental EscapescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRental Escapes is the #1 trusted source for luxury villa rentals with over 4,000 properties in 40+ countries. Provides private villa accommodations with concierge services, chef options, and complete luxury experiences.
• Hosted Cruise Line Partners (AmaWaterways, American Cruise Lines, Azamara, Crystal, Cunard, Explora Journeys, Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea, Uniworld, Windstar)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with 14+ luxury cruise lines for hosted sailing programs offering exclusive events, dedicated hosts, private excursions, and enhanced amenities for clients booking these premium cruise experiences.
• Sandals ResortscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop-producing agency for Sandals and Beaches Resorts with certified specialists who have visited properties. Earns Star Award recognition annually.
• Royal Caribbean InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner of the Year recipient with access to exclusive inventory, group rates, and priority booking for clients. Up to $1,000 instant savings and Kids Sail Free promotions available.
• Celebrity CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner of the Year and Top 50 status holder with access to exclusive deals, onboard credits, and complimentary amenities for clients booking Celebrity cruises.
• Norwegian Cruise LinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPresident's Club member with Free at Sea promotions including unlimited open bar, specialty dining, WiFi packages, and up to $200 onboard credit for oceanview staterooms and above.
• Holland America LinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop producer with Have It All premium package offerings including shore excursions, drink packages, specialty dining, and WiFi, plus up to $300 onboard credit per stateroom.
• Disney Vacation PlanningcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Disney Vacation Planner with access to Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Adventures by Disney, and Aulani resort bookings.
• Universal Parks and ResortssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred Travel Agency status for Universal Studios vacation packages including theme park tickets and vacation packages.
• Cruise Line International Association (CLIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLIA membership as a licensed, bonded, and insured travel agency. Holds Pinnacle Partner status within the CLIA network.
• American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of ASTA, demonstrating professional standards and industry recognition as a certified travel agency.
• Travel Insurance Providers (multiple)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive travel insurance options offered through the agency, providing comprehensive trip protection including cancellation coverage, medical assistance, and travel document support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Shore Excursions Group: Shore Excursions Group is a third-party shore excursion provider partnered with Cruise Planners, offering independent tour alternatives to cruise line excursions — comparable as an ecosystem participant in cruise vacation planning rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Dream Vacations / CruiseOne: Dream Vacations (formerly CruiseOne) is a home-based travel franchise under World Travel Holdings focused on cruise and vacation sales, directly comparable in franchise structure, supplier relationships, and target consumer (cruise-first leisure travelers).
• Avoya Travel: Avoya Travel is a home-based travel franchise network specializing in cruises and vacation packages, with an Independent Advisors in the Network model nearly identical to Cruise Planners' franchise approach, including proprietary Live Leads and proprietary technology platforms for advisor-client engagement.
• Expedia Cruises: Expedia Cruises is a brick-and-mortar and home-based cruise franchise network backed by Expedia Group, offering cruise and vacation packages with supplier scale advantages and proprietary booking technology comparable to Cruise Planners' model.
• Liberty Travel: Liberty Travel is a traditional leisure travel agency chain selling cruises, tours, and vacation packages directly to consumers, comparable to Cruise Planners in target customer (leisure vacationers) and product mix (cruise, resort, tour) but operating a brick-and-mortar retail footprint rather than home-based franchise model.

Broad incumbents

• Booking Holdings (Booking.com): Booking Holdings operates Booking.com, Priceline, and related OTA brands that compete with travel advisors via direct consumer booking of hotels, flights, and increasingly cruise and package experiences — representing the disintermediation threat to Cruise Planners' commission model.
• Internova Travel Group: Internova Travel Group is a large travel services company hosting multiple leisure and corporate agency brands, with significant cruise, tour, and luxury travel sales — comparable to Cruise Planners in cruise and leisure vacation focus but at substantially larger scale.
• Travel Leaders Network: Travel Leaders Network is one of the largest traditional travel agency consortia in North America, offering cruise, tour, and resort booking across corporate and leisure segments — overlapping with Cruise Planners' core offerings but with a broader travel portfolio and corporate travel focus.
• American Express Travel: American Express Travel is a broad travel services division of American Express offering cruise, tour, and luxury vacation booking to cardmembers — overlapping with Cruise Planners in cruise sales (notably luxury/premium segments) while operating as part of a much larger financial services ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Fora Travel: Fora Travel is an emerging travel advisor network with a modern, technology-led platform serving affluent leisure travelers across cruises, hotels, and tours, representing a newer iteration of the travel advisor model with stronger consumer-facing brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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