Cruise Planners Continues to Focus On the Future of Travel

With a “Back to the Future” Themed Annual Convention, Cruise Planners celebrates the future of travel by bringing their network together in Mexico.

CANCUN, Mexico — Cruise Planners travel advisors were excited to safely return to its largest in-person event by hosting its annual convention in Cancun, Mexico at the El Dorado Royale. With clever “Back to the Future” movie nods and creative sessions focused on energizing Cruise Planners travel advisors, the five-day event was jam packed with information, entertainment and innovation.

“Cruise Planners’ conventions never disappoint. They are always filled with fun, engaging high-quality productions, videos and best of all, their exciting new innovation announcements,” said Vicki Freed SVP, Trade, Sales Support and Service for Royal Caribbean International. “Cruise Planners certainly did not stop during the pandemic and they will go into the future stronger than ever.”

Cruise Planners leaders reflected on the success of several new programs introduced in 2020 – mainly as a result of the pandemic.  The Where2Next™ Virtual Travel series proved to be enormously successful with twelve events completed to date and over $20 million in total sales resulting from the events.  The Task Manager tool which allows advisors to create a series of tasks and sets reminders and is integrated throughout their entire CRM system, helps advisors never miss a step in servicing their clients.  Over 125,000 tasks have been created so far.  And the All-Inclusive Resort Tool bringing hundreds of resorts into one easy to search and filter location within Cruise Planners’ proprietary booking tool, CP Maxx.

During the executive opening, Cruise Planners executive team including Michelle Fee, CEO and founder; Vicky Garcia, COO and co-owner; Brian Shultz, CIO; Theresa Scalzitti, CSO; and Scott Koepf, SVP of Strategic Development shared over twenty major announcements to the network including:

1. SOAR Dashboard Analysis – Highly Detailed Business Analytics dashboard for Advisors containing 120 different metrics to analyze their business and includes a heightened focus on setting and tracking business goals
2. Enhanced Sales Opportunities Tool – Allows advisors to easily track the sales stage of their leads and integrates with Task Manager for follow-up reminders
3. White-Label Websites– Customized, professional websites for cross marketing with local businesses and organizations
4. Landing Page Templates – Helps advisors easily create professional landing pages on their websites to promote groups, promotions, blogs and more
5. Enhanced Website Customization Options – Ability to further customize the homepage of their site to showcase franchisee’s unique attributes, services and specialties
6. Enhanced Social Media and Digital Services – A new, third level of social media and digital footprint management.  The new “CP Pro Elite” program includes daily posting to Facebook and Instagram, Facebook digital ad boosts, directory listings and reputation management, all in one easy to use dashboard
7. Enhanced Trigger Emails – New cleaner and more concise messaging
8. Shore Excursion Marketing Email Triggers – Automated emails focused on shore excursion sales leading to a 40% higher conversion
9. Client Lead Form & Contact Sharing – Automated Advisor Contact Sharing built into the client lead form
10. Care Team – One Stop Customer Service for franchisees including Phone, Email and Chat communication methods
11. Hotel Booking Engine – Coming soon, a new hotel booking engine that incorporates American Express hotel programs, enhanced commissions, customer savings
12. Automated Marketing Program – New marketing program that encompasses emails, push notifications and more utilizing AI and big data
13. Dedicated Supplier Landing Pages – Robust landing pages on all consumer websites for top suppliers showcasing supplier videos, exclusive offers, featured itineraries and more
14. Automated Client Texting Communications – Text communications sent automatically for important date reminders such as deposit and final payment dates, as well as, the ability to send quotes and other information in the method preferred by clients
15. Destination Content Provider – Destination content on over 9,000 destinations will be available throughout their websites, customer marketing tools and more
16. CP Destination Hub – Central place for all destination content including community sourced information from the Cruise Planners network such as hotel, restaurant, transfer and activity recommendations
17. Sherpa Travel Restrictions Interactive Map – Interactive map with real-time travel restriction information available on consumer websites and advisor CRM to help easily stay up to date on the ever-changing restrictions by country
18. 2022 Events – With 5 Bootcamps, 2 Elite Events, 3 CP Tech Days, Land and Luxury Event and the Annual Convention, there are 12 In Person Events available for advisors in 2022 in addition to 6 STAR University training events for new franchisees
19. Romance Travel Specialist Program – Advisors will be able to receive this designation after completing robust wedding and honeymoon training program 
20. Task Manager Integration in the Mobile App – The very popular Task Manager tool will now be fully integrated into the advisor’s mobile app which allows them to quote, sell and service from anywhere

“The Power of Cruise Planners is strong, we are ready to put the pandemic behind us and focus on the future of travel,” said CEO and Founder, Michelle Fee. “Our travel advisors have been incredibly resilient and our entire team’s performance continues to solidify our leadership in the industry.”

Fee continued, “We are fighters, we aren’t going to stop innovating, marketing, and helping our network grow into the future.  There’s no turning back – there’s only looking ahead.”

Day 1 ended with Keynote speaker, Shari Wallack, President of Buy the Sea.  Wallack published her memoir, From Hell to Challah and shared her inspirational message about struggle and perseverance during the pandemic.  Wallack hopes that travel advisors can grow, learn, and benefit from her story.

“The future is bright with Cruise Planners,” Fee said about sales for 2022 and beyond.  Cruise Planners, together with strong supplier partnerships, will help rebuild the travel industry and propel us into the future.”