Cruise Vacations
Cruise Vacations Inc. is a privately held, Edmonton-based travel agency founded in 1994 that sells cruise vacations and land tours to Canadian consumers across 15+ cruise line partnerships, generating revenue through booking commissions, insurance commissions, and cancellation service fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersEdmonton, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cruise Vacations does
Cruise Vacations Inc. is a privately held, Edmonton-based travel agency founded in 1994 by David and Maureen Jenkins and currently led by President Jason Jenkins. The company specializes in cruise vacation planning and booking services for individual consumers, families, and solo travelers across Canada, distributing volume through 15+ cruise line partnerships spanning contemporary, premium, luxury, river, expedition, and small-ship segments. Its go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: experienced cruise counselors handle inquiries via phone, email, and in-person consultation at the Edmonton office, supported by hosted cruise information nights and President's Hosted Cruises featuring Jason Jenkins accompanying customers on select sailings.
The underlying platform is a standard travel agency booking system with third-party integrations for car rentals, travel documents (Sherpa), shore excursions (ShortTrips), and travel insurance (Manulife). There are no proprietary AI features, data assets, or algorithmic capabilities disclosed; the value proposition rests on human expertise, personal relationships, and curated partner access rather than technology differentiation. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions from cruise line bookings, supplemented by insurance product commissions and a $100 per-booking cancellation service fee creditable toward future bookings. The company is a member of the Ensemble Travel Group consortium, holding Top 10 producer status, and has earned Centurion recognition from Holland America and Gold i-Excel status from Princess Cruises, placing it among the top 75-100 agencies globally by sales volume with those lines.
Cruise Vacations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cruise Vacations
- Legal name
- Cruise Vacations Inc.
- Website
- https://cruisevacationsinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cruise Vacations Inc. is a privately held, Edmonton-based travel agency founded in 1994 that sells cruise vacations and land tours to Canadian consumers across 15+ cruise line partnerships, generating revenue through booking commissions, insurance commissions, and cancellation service fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cruise Vacations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Agency Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ocean Cruise Specialists (Mainstream/Contemporary) (THAKAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cruise Planning & Booking (HSACAKAE), Hotel + Pre/Post-Cruise Land Stays (Cruisetours) (THAEAHAC), River Cruise + Land Tour Packages (Cruisetours) (THAEACAK)
Keywords
Where Cruise Vacations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edmonton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cruise Vacations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Travel Agency Commissions: Cruise Vacations earns commissions from cruise lines and tour operators on each booking made through their agency. As an Ensemble Travel member, they have access to preferred partner pricing and commission structures.
- Service Fees: The company charges a $100 per booking service fee for cancellations, which can be credited toward future bookings within 12 months.
- Insurance Sales: Cruise Vacations sells Manulife travel insurance products, earning commissions on each policy sold.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cruise Vacations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cruise Vacations Inc. is a full-service traditional travel agency that books cruise vacations on behalf of individual travelers across 15+ cruise line partners including Holland America, Princess, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Viking, Norwegian, Azamara, Explora Journeys, Windstar, Paul Gauguin, and AmaWaterways. The agency earns commissions on each booking and offers ocean, river, luxury, family, adventure, sailing, transatlantic, Caribbean, and world cruise itineraries, plus land tour packages through partner Collette, Manulife travel insurance, and car rental booking.
Product overview
Cruise Vacations Inc. operates as a full-service travel agency specializing in cruise vacations. The company offers a unified platform combining cruise booking services with land tour packages. Their core offering centers on cruise booking assistance across multiple cruise lines (ocean, river, luxury, adventure, and specialty cruises), complemented by land-based vacation packages through partner Collette. Additional services include car rental, travel insurance, and travel documentation assistance. The company functions as a travel agency aggregator, connecting customers with cruise lines and tour operators rather than operating its own ships or hotels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cruise Booking Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 10 producer in Ensemble Travel consortium
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cruise Vacations
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cruise Vacations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cruise Vacations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ensemble Travel GroupcoreCruise Vacations is a member of Ensemble Travel Group, North America's largest travel company. Ensemble provides access to preferred partner pricing, exclusive promotions, and marketing support. Ensemble operates in over 900 locations in USA, Canada and Australia with offices in New York City, Toronto, Montreal and Sydney, Australia.
- CollettecorePreferred land tour partner operating since 1918. Collette offers guided tours to all 7 continents with guaranteed departure dates, small group touring limited to 24 guests, and 4-star plus accommodations. Cruise Vacations promotes Collette tours alongside cruise bookings.
- Manulife Travel InsuranceminorTravel insurance provider available through Cruise Vacations bookings. Insurance can be purchased via joinsherpa platform link on website.
- Holland America LinecoreMajor cruise line partner. Cruise Vacations holds Centurion status (Top 100 agencies globally) with Holland America. David Jenkins serves on Holland America's worldwide advisory board.
- Princess CruisescoreMajor cruise line partner. Cruise Vacations holds Gold i-Excel status and is among Top 75 agencies globally for Princess Cruises sales.
- SilverseacoreLuxury cruise partner offering all-inclusive ultra-luxury voyages. Exclusive discounted pricing and President's hosted cruise options available through Cruise Vacations.
- Viking CruisescoreRiver, ocean and expedition cruise partner. Offers all-inclusive pricing including airfare, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, transfers, beer & wine. Hosted cruise events organized with Viking.
- Regent Seven Seas CruisescoreLuxury all-inclusive cruise partner. Exclusive shipboard credit bonuses offered on 7+ day sailings ($300-$750 depending on length).
- Oceania CruisescorePremium cruise line partner offering gourmet cuisine focus. Exclusive discounted pricing and bonuses available through Cruise Vacations.
- Norwegian Cruise LinecoreMajor contemporary cruise line partner with Freestyle Cruising concept. Exclusive insider rates available through Cruise Vacations.
- Explora JourneysminorLuxury cruise line partner. Zero and low single supplement fares available through Cruise Vacations.
- AzamaraminorBoutique cruise line partner focused on destination immersion. Available through Cruise Vacations booking platform.
- Windstar CruisesminorSailing and small ship cruise partner. Available through insider booking link on Cruise Vacations website.
- Paul Gauguin CruisesminorLuxury cruise line specializing in South Pacific destinations including Tahiti and Fiji. Canadian resident discounts available.
- AmaWaterwaysminorPremium river cruise partner. Special booking rates and itineraries available through Cruise Vacations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cruise Vacations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cruise Planners: Cruise Planners is a large US-based cruise-specialist franchise network and Ensemble member agency, selling across ocean, river, and luxury cruise lines with a home-based advisor model. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as a cruise-only agency with multi-line partnerships and consortium affiliation; differs in franchise/home-based structure and US geography.
- Cruise.com: Cruise.com (operated by World Travel Holdings) is one of the largest online cruise-only agencies in North America, selling across multiple cruise lines including Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and luxury brands. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as a cruise-specialist retailer; differs in scale, digital-first model, and US-centric operations.
- Vacations To Go: Vacations To Go is a large Houston-based cruise-only agency founded in 1984, selling discounted cruise inventory across ocean, river, and luxury lines with high booking volume. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as an established, high-volume cruise-only agency; differs in US footprint, discount-focused positioning, and direct (non-consortium) operating model.
- Dream Vacations / CruiseOne: Dream Vacations (formerly CruiseOne, a World Travel Holdings brand) is a major cruise-focused home-based travel advisor franchise, selling across major ocean and river cruise lines. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as a multi-line cruise specialist; differs in franchise model and US-based advisor network.
- Avoya Travel: Avoya Travel is a prominent US cruise-and-vacation agency with a network of independent advisors, strong cruise-line partnerships (including top-tier statuses), and patented Live Leads booking technology. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as a cruise-specialist agency with elite supplier recognition; differs in technology platform and US scale.
- Expedia Cruises (formerly CruiseShipCenters): Expedia Cruises is a retail cruise-travel franchise under Expedia Group, with storefront locations across North America selling cruise and vacation packages. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as a multi-line cruise agency; differs in franchise structure, Expedia brand/platform integration, and broader vacation offering.
Others
- Ensemble Travel Group: Ensemble Travel Group is North America's largest travel company consortium, of which Cruise Vacations is a Top 10 member agency. Not a direct competitor but the consortium owner/operator — comparable as a strategic ecosystem relationship through which Cruise Vacations accesses preferred supplier pricing, marketing, and member programs.
Broad incumbents
- Travel Leaders Group: Travel Leaders Group is one of the largest US travel agency networks, with thousands of advisors selling cruises, tours, and vacation packages across all major cruise lines. Comparable to Cruise Vacations as a cruise-selling travel agency; differs in broad-vacation portfolio, US scale, and large corporate-travel arm.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cruise Vacations social profiles
Digital presenceCruise Vacations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cruise Vacations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Cruise Vacations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cruise Vacations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cruise Vacations
What does Cruise Vacations do?
Cruise Vacations Inc. is a full-service traditional travel agency that books cruise vacations on behalf of individual travelers across 15+ cruise line partners including Holland America, Princess, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Viking, Norwegian, Azamara, Explora Journeys, Windstar, Paul Gauguin, and AmaWaterways. The agency earns commissions on each booking and offers ocean, river, luxury, family, adventure, sailing, transatlantic, Caribbean, and world cruise itineraries, plus land tour packages through partner Collette, Manulife travel insurance, and car rental booking.
Is Cruise Vacations a public or private company?
Cruise Vacations is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Cruise Vacations founded?
Cruise Vacations was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cruise Vacations based?
Cruise Vacations is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Cruise Vacations make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Travel Agency Commissions are the primary driver. The others are service Fees and insurance Sales.
Who are Cruise Vacations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cruise Planners, Cruise.com, Vacations To Go, Dream Vacations / CruiseOne, Avoya Travel and Expedia Cruises (formerly CruiseShipCenters). Ensemble Travel Group is listed as an others. Travel Leaders Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cruise Vacations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cruise Vacations.
What industry is Cruise Vacations in?
Cruise Vacations's product category is Travel Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAKAG, Ocean Cruise Specialists (Mainstream/Contemporary), with a secondary code of HSACAKAE, Cruise Planning & Booking. Its NAICS code is 561510.