Cruise Planners Co-Owners Travel to Europe with Top Producing Agents
Coral Springs, Fla. (PRWEB) April 21, 2015 -- Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, the nation’s largest home-based travel franchise business network in the industry, invited its top-producing travel agents on a week-long Italy land tour. The group was escorted by Cruise Planners co-owners Michelle Fee and Vicky Garcia as well as representatives from Europe Express and Oceania Cruises.
The group started in Florence and visited many amazing Italian cities complete with wine tastings at local wineries, private cooking lessons in a Tuscany villa and exclusive city excursions. The group stayed at the Villa La Palagina in Tuscany, experienced a tour of Milan complete with a visit to the Duomo de Milan, and toured Lake Como with a final night’s stay at the Grand Hotel Bristol Resort & Spa in Lake Maggiore. The luxurious trip revolved around shopping, great food and wine, and authentic Italian experiences.
“This year, we have grown our land-based business so it was a natural decision to experience Europe with so many of our top-producing agents,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative. “Europe Express showed us an exceptional itinerary, guided hospitality and culturally immersive experiences, which will only help positively impact our total land sales.”
As an added bonus, the agents also learned about Oceania Cruises’ product and European sailings while on the trip. Both Oceania and Europe Express attract high-end travelers with a focus around food, wine and European destinations, so the collaboration showcased a combination of pre- and post-cruise extension packages for travelers throughout Italy.
“Our partnership with Cruise Planners grows stronger each day and their sales continue to increase,” said Kier Matthews, Vice President of Sales for Europe Express. “This trip was a celebration of our partnership.”
Cruise Planners travel professionals sell all types of vacation experiences and as franchise owners are able to be their own boss.
“We train our agents to be well-rounded, full-service travel concierges,” Fee said. “Our positive business growth and product expansion is a strategic effort for Cruise Planners agents.”
About Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative
Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the travel industry. Cruise Planners operates a network of more than 1,000 franchise owners who independently book amazing vacation and travel experiences for their clients. The Florida-based Home Office team positions franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing, booking and lead-generating tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be lauded and has been named the No.1 Cruise Tour / Travel Agency by Entrepreneur for 12 consecutive years. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology and named to the Fast 50 by the South Florida Business Journal.
Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla. with more than 20 years of experience, Cruise Planners has achieved top producer status with every major cruise line. Accolades include numerous Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly for the past six years, American Express Travel Representative Excellence Award for 11 consecutive years (2004 – 2014), Silver Stevie Award for Management Team of the Year (2014), American Express Agency of the Year (2010), Royal Caribbean International President’s Award for Overall Achievement (2012 and 2014), Royal Caribbean International Home-Based Partner of the Year (2007 – 2013), Norwegian Cruise Line Franchise Agency of the Year (2011-2014), Celebrity Cruises Home-Based Account of the Year (2013-2014) and Southeast Region Travel Agent Partner of the Year (2010), American Express Vacations Best of the Best Globe Award (2008 – 2014), Globus Family of Brands Premier Agency Partner (2009- 2014), Platinum Member of the 500 Club for Sales Excellence (2014), Platinum Circle Member with Viking River Cruises (2009-2012), Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Top Producer (2008-2014) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises Top Producer. Cruise Planners is one of the Top 50 franchises for Veterans according to GI magazine, the Top Franchise Brand for Veterans according to Franchise Business Review, has been named one of the Top 25 franchises for African-Americans by Black Enterprise magazine and is a member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. For more information, visit http://www.cruiseplanners.com.
Stay in Touch: Media can stay up-to-date with Cruise Planners by visiting our media room, following us on Twitter @Cruisitude or on Facebook. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should locate a travel advisor near them. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit our franchise site.
Caitlin Murphy, Cruise Planners, http://www.cruiseplanners.com, +1 954-344-8060 Ext: 117, [email protected]
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