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CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Cruise Planners continues to pave the way in the field of technology and was recognized at the 5^th annual Franchise Innovation Awards in Atlanta, GA during the Franchise Customer Experience Conference. The company took home the coveted “Most Innovative Use of Technology: Products” award for their patent pending LivePlanner™ tool that they unveiled in November 2022 at their annual convention. The goal of the awards is to identify and recognize the franchisors creating and implementing the most original and successful innovative strategies and tactics to build their brand.

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized for the undisputed talent of our technology team,” said Michelle Fee, CEO & founder of Cruise Planners. “LivePlanner™ is a gamechanger and will help our advisors deliver the best experience they can for their clients and we’ve only seen the beginning.”

An independent jury of judges evaluated the innovation and objective of each of the more than 150 entrants, and we’re proud to say that we were one of the 22 recognized. Franchise innovators, game-changers, and disruptors competed in four categories: Marketing & Branding, Products & Services, Operations, and Human Resources.

Twenty-two winners were chosen from among the four categories. Each winner will be profiled in Franchise Update magazine.

Cruise Planners’ LivePlanner™ is the first interactive vacation planning tool of its kind within the travel industry. Hosted within Cruise Planners’ proprietary business management software, CP Maxx, LivePlanner™ gives franchises the opportunity to complete a live walkthrough of vacation options with their clients. These options include cruise itineraries with all major cruise lines, all-inclusive resorts, custom vacation packages, and more. With Cruise Planners advanced technology, there will be even more travel options available to advisors as the program evolves.

• Cruise Planners agents have had thousands of sessions since launching in 2022
• Average sale is 26% higher than a traditional sale without the use of LivePlanner™
• The average close rate is above 45%

“I’m immensely proud of our team for consistently creating tools and applications that make a tangible difference for our advisors,” said Brian Shultz, CIO. “We always want to be one step ahead of their needs and continuously innovate to have more great things coming down the pike for them, so stay tuned.”

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — With an unwavering commitment to innovation, Cruise Planners launched a new interactive product called “LivePlanner” during its annual Convention. This product allows Cruise Planners agents to showcase vacation options with imagery, videos, and more to help their clients plan the perfect vacation whether it’s a cruise, all-inclusive resort, and FIT Packaged trip.   All of it is done live and in real-time, making this an innovative technology for the travel industry and is patent-pending.

Clients can use either a laptop or desktop device creating a live session experience between themselves and their travel advisor and plan a vacation in real-time. This revolutionary software will have the capability for clients and agents to be on video and screenshare, further contributing to the interactive experience. All of this without needing to install any special software.

“We have been diligently developing this tool by using focus groups made up of team members and experienced advisors to ensure it’s both easy to use and to fine-tune important details,” said Brian Shultz, Chief Information Officer. “Our advisors can now add this to their arsenal of proprietary tools to help them close more sales and showcase their expertise in travel.”

New clients can access this feature and request a consultation from the agent’s website while existing clients can schedule their own sessions via their myTrips account on the agent website. Once a client makes a request for a LivePlanner session, they’ll be able to:

• View their upcoming consultation dates scheduled
• View all past consultations with the option to view a session “summary” which outlines the information shared during the consultation

During the session, clients may utilize the built in video feature if they wish to share their camera. They can also “favorite” or “unfavorite” items shared during the session by their agent, which helps the agent narrow down the search toward the perfect vacation. Any items that are favorited will be captured in their CP Maxx client profile and once the consultation has ended, clients will be sent to the “Session Summary” screen. There they can view any attachments sent by the agent during the consultation and share any and all trips with others via email.

“LivePlanner will change the game on the consultation aspect of working with clients to plan travel,”  said Michelle Fee, CEO and founder of Cruise Planners. “We are excited to create a tool that will help advisors better understand what excites their clients about a vacation and helps clients understand more about the experiences and trip options, allowing agents to interactively consult with clients located anywhere in the world. Additionally, LivePlanner allows advisors to personalize a unique experience for their customers. We’re proud to offer this industry-first tool to our Cruise Planners advisors.”

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Cruise Planners Chief Sales Officer, Theresa Scalzitti, celebrated the naming of Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Traveller as its godmother in the fjords of Beagle Channel’s Glacier Alley in Chile this past weekend. The dual naming ceremony included the World Navigator, which has been in service since last year but was never formally named. Adventurer Karen Lundgren serves as the godmother of the World Navigator.

Scalzitti, Cruise Planners chief sales officer, has spent the majority of her nearly 30-year career in the cruise and travel industry, championing travel advisors.

“This was a surreal moment for me. To be asked to be the godmother of Atlas Ocean Voyages’ new ship World Traveller is a dream come true,” said Scalzitti. “Thank you Atlas for this once-in-a-lifetime honor.”

VIP guests at the dual naming ceremonies included travel advisors, shareholders, media and dignitaries from Argentina and Chile. World Traveller was named Nov. 19, followed by Zodiac sightseeing of Pia Glacier. In the evening the portraits of the godmothers were unveiled at a gala welcome reception prior to dinner. The naming festivities for World Navigator took place on Nov. 20, preceded by a celebratory luncheon on that vessel.

“Both yacht-style vessels specialize in expeditions to some of nature’s most spectacular destinations,” said James Rodriguez, Atlas’ president and CEO. “What a historic weekend for Atlas. It was inspiring to name these two spectacular ships surrounded by majestic glaciers.”

Both expedition ships are Polar Category C- and Ice Class 1B-certified and cater to global travelers with a passion for exploring both iconic and off-the-beaten-path destinations. The intimate vessels offer every five-star comfort, from an all-inclusive onboard experience and luxurious accommodations to in-depth excursions and customized private tours for a truly personalized voyage.

With only 100 suites, guests enjoy nearly a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio and a special camaraderie and bond with their fellow explorers. This allows discerning travelers to immerse themselves in unique and awe-inspiring moments in remote and captivating destinations, from the Arctic to Antarctica, as well as discover destinations in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Americas.