CRUISE PLANNERS/AMERICAN EXPRESS

What CRUISE PLANNERS/AMERICAN EXPRESS does

Cruise Planners/American Express, operated as Bunny's Cruises and Vacations by franchise owner Bunny Muter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is an individual home-based travel franchise providing personalized cruise, tour, and all-inclusive resort booking services. The franchise operates within Cruise Planners, founded in 1994 and described as the country's largest home-based travel franchise network, and is affiliated with American Express Travel Services. Bunny Muter is a Certified Sandals Specialist, Certified Avalon River Cruise Specialist, and CLIA member, with documented expertise in family, group, multigenerational, destination wedding, and milestone-celebration travel.

The business runs on Cruise Planners' proprietary technology platform, which includes LivePlanner (a real-time virtual consultation tool enabling advisors and clients to co-view and favorite cruise, resort, and tour options), the myTrips client portal (itinerary, document, and balance access), an iOS/Android mobile app (day-by-day itineraries with Google Maps, booking search, live chat, currency converter, weather, restaurant reviews), and an integrated booking search spanning hundreds of cruise lines, tour operators, and all-inclusive resort brands. These tools, combined with supplier-issued Pinnacle Partner and top-producer recognitions across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, MSC, Norwegian, Viking, Oceania, Silversea, Seabourn, Azamara, and others, drive top-of-funnel lead capture through the website, email newsletter, social media, content marketing, client referrals, and the Where2Next survey sweepstakes.

Revenue is generated entirely through supplier commissions on bookings — cruise lines, tour operators, and all-inclusive resorts pay commissions to the franchise as a licensed travel agency, and the consumer pays no separate planning fee. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: clients initiate contact via the website consultation request form, phone (954-351-7070), email, live chat, or LivePlanner, and the advisor manages planning, group coordination (8+ staterooms), travel insurance distribution (Allianz), and shore excursion upsells (Shore Excursions Group). The franchise also serves as an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and a Universal Parks and Resorts Preferred Travel Agency, with a sustainability partnership through Trafalgar / One Tree Planted driving paperless booking adoption.

Name

CRUISE PLANNERS/AMERICAN EXPRESS

Legal name

CP Franchising, LLC

Website

https://bunnyscruisesandvacations.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cruise Planners/American Express is a Fort Lauderdale home-based travel franchise (Bunny's Cruises and Vacations) offering personalized cruise, tour, and all-inclusive resort booking services to individual travelers, families, and groups, earning supplier commissions via the Cruise Planners proprietary platform and American Express affiliation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Planning & Booking (HSACAKAE), Cruise Air/Hotel Add-On Packagers (Fly-Cruise Specialists) (THAKAKAK), Private Cruise Concierge & Itinerary Planning Services (THAEAEAH)

Keywords

• Travel agency services
• Cruise bookings
• All-inclusive resorts
• Vacation planning
• Group travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Travel Agency Commissions: As a licensed travel agency franchise, the business earns commissions from cruise lines, tour operators, and all-inclusive resort suppliers on bookings made on behalf of clients. Commissions are paid by suppliers and do not represent an additional cost to the traveler. The franchisee offers value-added services such as travel insurance, shore excursions, and concierge services that may generate additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cruise Planners/American Express is a home-based travel agency franchise that provides personalized travel advisory services for individual consumers. The franchisee (Bunny Muter / Bunny's Cruises and Vacations) books cruises, escorted tours, all-inclusive resort stays, group travel, destination weddings, and honeymoons on behalf of clients, earning commissions from cruise lines, tour operators, and resort suppliers. Services are supported by the Cruise Planners proprietary platform including LivePlanner virtual consultations, the myTrips client portal, and a mobile app.

Product overview

Cruise Planners operates as the country's largest home-based travel franchise company since 1994, providing full-service travel advisory services under the American Express affiliation. The company offers a unified platform combining cruise, tour, and all-inclusive resort bookings, supported by proprietary tools including LivePlanner for real-time consultation sessions, the myTrips client portal for itinerary management and document access, and a mobile application for on-the-go booking and travel planning. Additional services include group travel planning, destination wedding coordination, honeymoon and celebration registries, hosted sailings with dedicated hosts, and shore excursion booking through partner networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LivePlanner: A live consultation platform allowing customers to compare itineraries and review destinations from various Cruises, All-Inclusive Resorts, and Vacation Packages with their Cruise Planners advisor.
• Cruise Planners Mobile

Products and services

• Cruise Vacations Personalized cruise booking service across major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, MSC, Norwegian, Viking, and others. Offers exclusive pricing, onboard credits, and upgraded amenities.
• Escorted Tour Vacations Guided land tour bookings with suppliers including Trafalgar, Globus, Collette, Insight Vacations, Kensington Tours, and others across global destinations.
• All-Inclusive Resort Vacations Booking service for all-inclusive resorts across Caribbean, Mexico, and international destinations including Sandals, Beaches, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Iberostar, Secrets, Dreams, and other resort brands.
• Group Travel Coordination Coordinated group bookings for 8+ staterooms on cruises and smaller groups for land tours, managing room assignments, individual payments, group discounts, and onboard amenities.
• Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Planning Planning service for destination weddings, vow renewals, and honeymoons at cruise lines or all-inclusive resorts, including free honeymoon and celebration gift registries.
• LivePlanner Virtual Consultation Proprietary real-time virtual consultation platform enabling travel advisors to plan vacations collaboratively with clients by presenting cruise, resort, and vacation package options from multiple suppliers.
• myTrips Client Portal Client portal allowing travelers to view trip itineraries, check balances, access travel documents, purchase travel insurance, and schedule consultations with their travel advisor.
• Cruise Planners Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS and Android providing day-by-day itineraries with Google Maps, reservation summaries, cruise/tour/resort search and booking, live chat with advisors, currency conversion, weather lookup, and restaurant reviews.
• Honeymoon and Celebration Gift Registry Free gift registry service allowing couples to register cruises, tours, land vacations, upgrades, shore excursions, specialty dining, and spa services, with friends and family able to contribute toward travel gifts.
• Shore Excursions Shore excursion booking service through Shore Excursions Group partnership, offering professionally guided tours at up to 40% lower prices than cruise line offerings with average group sizes of 12 people.
• Travel Insurance Travel insurance coverage through Allianz Global Assistance covering trip cancellation, medical emergencies abroad, lost baggage, and travel delays.
• Luxury Villa Rentals Rental Escapes luxury villa rental bookings as an alternative to traditional resort or cruise accommodations.
• Disney Vacation Planning Authorized Disney Vacation Planner service for Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World bookings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exclusive savings of up to 55% on select Celestyal Cruises Greece/Italy/Croatia sailings, up to $300 resort credit, up to $1,200 per couple on guided tours, and up to $850 instant savings on Royal Caribbean sailings.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Express Travel ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCruise Planners is a franchise affiliated with American Express Travel Services, operating as independently owned and operated travel franchises. The American Express branding provides brand recognition and consumer trust, while the franchisee operates autonomously.
• Cruise Line International Association (CLIA)coreOthersCruise Planners is a member of CLIA, the world's largest cruise industry trade association. Membership provides accreditation, industry intelligence, and credibility as a certified travel agency.
• American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)coreOthersCruise Planners is a member of ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents. ASTA membership signifies adherence to industry standards and best practices.
• Shore Excursions GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShore Excursions Group provides professionally guided shore tours at prices often up to 40% lower than cruise line offerings, with an average tour group size of 12 people. The franchisee offers these excursions as part of cruise vacation packages, earning commissions on bookings.
• Allianz Global AssistanceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAllianz Global Assistance is the preferred travel insurance provider offered through the franchisee. Insurance covers trip cancellation, medical emergencies abroad, lost baggage, and travel delays. The franchisee earns commissions on insurance policies sold.
• Trafalgar / One Tree PlantedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCruise Planners partners with Trafalgar on a paperless booking initiative. For each Trafalgar package booked using e-documents, one tree is planted through One Tree Planted. Cruise Planners has achieved up to 84% e-docs adoption rate — the highest among all Trafalgar partners — and paperless booking has increased by 117%. Over 150 acres of land have been reforested to date.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Caribbean International: Major cruise supplier that Cruise Planners books on behalf of clients. Comparable as the dominant cruise product in the same category, but operates the vessels directly and competes for direct bookings against travel agencies.
• Expedia Group: Major OTA group with cruise, tour, and resort booking capabilities through Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. Comparable as a mass-market distribution channel for cruise and resort inventory that competes for the same consumer booking moment.
• American Express Travel: The franchisor's brand partner, offering direct cruise and vacation booking services to Card Members. Comparable consumer-facing booking channel and brand-affiliated cruise/tour distribution, but operated at much greater scale and owned by American Express.

Direct peers

• Avoya Travel: Independent travel agency network with a host-agency model for home-based advisors. Comparable as a competing platform offering advisors access to supplier commissions, marketing, and proprietary booking technology.
• Travel Leaders Network: Large traditional travel agency franchise and consortium serving leisure and corporate clients. Comparable in offering cruise, tour, and resort bookings through affiliated advisors with supplier commission economics.
• Dream Vacations / CruiseOne: Home-based travel franchise network specializing in cruises, tours, and resort vacations with a similar independent franchisee model. Directly comparable as a competing franchise platform serving the same advisor-consumer market.
• Oasis Travel Network: Host travel agency for independent advisors, with cruise, tour, and resort product focus. Comparable business model for home-based travel advisors earning supplier commissions.

Emerging players

• Scott Dunn: Luxury tour operator specializing in tailor-made itineraries and resort bookings. Comparable as a high-touch travel advisor model competing for affluent experiential travel demand, though operating at larger scale and with proprietary product.
• Tripadvisor: Travel discovery and meta-search platform with cruise and tour booking capabilities. Comparable as a consumer-facing research-to-booking funnel that increasingly captures intent that previously flowed through travel advisors.

Others

• Allianz Global Assistance: Travel insurance partner of Cruise Planners and a leading travel-insurance provider. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that monetizes the same traveler via commission-bearing insurance products sold alongside bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Bunnys-Cruises-and-Vacations/152898038069258
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cruise-planners-american-express

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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/AMERICAN EXPRESS