Cruise Planners Adds Competitive Edge with Completely Packaged Vacations

Cruise Planners travel advisors can overtake competition with an enhanced Completely Packaged Vacations, a custom solution that bundles vacations to provide the best rates and commission levels available. This is in response to a demand from Cruise Planners travel advisors for even more competitive packaging to rival other network package giants.


“We have created something better than just a standard reservation; through CPV we bring increased value and customization surrounded by strong customer service,” said Vicky Garcia, COO and co-owner of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative. “We want our agents to win every sale through customizable programs with the most competitive rates for unique customer experiences, so they can continue to grow their franchises.”

There are three distinct elements of CPV, which are available for Cruise Planners travel agents:

• Completely Packaged Vacations – Started in 2012 as bundling the best rates for popular cruise ports and itineraries with a focus on contemporary market cruises, these packages have been top sellers within the Cruise Planners network and helped increased commissions for CP agents. Destinations include Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean and the packages may bundle car rental, hotel accommodations and excursions or tours with the cruise. Agents are able to book any number of these highly discounted packages with no minimum number of bookings.
• Completely Packaged Vacations Elite – This new program introduces a focus on river cruises and luxury vacation packages, combining land and cruise travel, excursions, transportation and more. With an increasing number of Cruise Planners agents focusing on higher-end travel, CPV Elite allows agents to offer customers great value without sacrificing their commission. One example is bundling Celebrity Cruises’ Signature packages throughout the world. Some standouts include trips to destinations at the time when world-famous events are happening such as the America’s Cup in Bermuda, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and the British Open in the United Kingdom. 
• In-house CPV Concierge: Cruise Planners agents have access to an in-house concierge team responsible for creating competitive, completely packaged vacations. If agents want to add custom upgrades, excursions or VIP elements to an already established package or if agents are looking to create a new package, the CPV Team can negotiate with vendors on the agents’ behalf. Both CPV and CPV Elite packages allow agents to offer clients a richer value while benefiting from fully commissionable package elements.

“CP Vacations and CP Vacations Elite are outstanding options that truly set me apart from other travel agencies,” said Kelley Austin, Cruise Planners franchise owner and Millionaire Club Member. “The value proposition cannot be beat, and the support of our CP Vacations team is unparalleled. Thanks to the value of our CP Vacations package, what started as an individual booking request for Hawaii next year has turned in to a customized CP Vacations Group trip!”

Cruise Planners Home Office will be creating marketing tools such as flyers, web-based visual aids and interactive email campaigns to bring the Completely Packaged Vacations to life. CPV packages will save agents time as finding hotels, researching locations, checking availability with blackout dates, confirming logistics, and more are taken care of by the CPV Team.

“The same tasks that would normally take an hour for each agent to do takes the CPV Team 10 minutes because of the volume we are creating,” Garcia said. “Clients looking to shop around and comparison shop will find that they can’t match CPV’s bundled prices with exclusive amenities.”

Like all special rates, Completely Packaged Vacations are based on availability, inventory control, and include time-sensitive terms – so agents must be proactive in closing the sale.

“Agents who are struggling with navigating group benefits can now go to market with pre-packaged, fully-commissionable exclusive offers without having to re-invent the wheel,” Garcia said. “We expect savvy agents to leverage these pre-made packages to build their business as we recognize that earning commission on the complete sale, offering excellent customer service and providing clients with the best value is the smart way to grow their business year over year.”