Cruise Planners Proclaims Its Commitment to the Cruise Industry

In a recent internal executive video to Cruise Planners travel advisors, the executive team remained consistent in supporting the industry

On the heels of Norwegian Holding LLC’s Frank DelRio’s strong and heartfelt message to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Tourism Ports Committee where he passionately stated, “Enough is enough,” the Cruise Planners team echoed his sentiments. 

“Frank summed up how we are all feeling,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and founder of Cruise Planners on an internal video message to the network. Citing all of the cruise line executives represented including Arnold Donald of Carnival Corp, Michael Bayley of Royal Caribbean Group and Rick Sasso of MSC Cruises, Fee said: “They have given us a lot of optimism, and the Cruise Planners team is going to be right alongside them rebuilding the cruise industry.” 

Cruise Planners Commitment to the Cruise Industry

According to recent sales data, Cruise Planners travelers are waiting on the sidelines for the cruise ships to be sailing again. While cruise booking volume still remains much lower than 2019, Cruise Planners continues to market and promote future cruise bookings for its network of 2,500 travel advisors. Cruise Planners also continues to develop innovative hands-free programs for its advisors such as email marketing to Future Cruise Credit holders and the Where2Next Virtual Consumer Events, many of which are focused on cruise vacations.

Cruise Lines Know What Makes Cruise Planners Different 

Cruise Planners’ executive duo of Fee and COO & co-owner, Vicky Garcia, have hosted more than 55 internal video messages since the onset of COVID with high-profile travel industry guests such as Richard Fain and Vicki Freed of Royal Caribbean Group, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo of Celebrity Cruises, Adam Goldstein of CLIA, and many, important, candid and transparent partners in the industry. Topics over the past six months have ranged from cruise line response to COVID-19 to additional training resources to new marketing and tech tools purpose built to assist and support advisors through this industry crisis. 

Recently, Katina Athanasiou, Chief Sales Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, was a guest and referenced Cruise Planner’s forward-thinking strategy in response to COVID-19. “Cruise Planners’ operations during this time has been nothing short of amazing,” she said. “The fact that you continue to support your franchise owners, invest in marketing and host executive chats proves that Cruise Planners has gone above and beyond – and it shows.” 

Advocating for a Safe Return to Sailing 

Cruise Planners was also part of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Tourism Ports Committee meeting to amplify the voices of thousands of travel advisors and the small business owners who are behind the cruise industry. Noting that many travel advisors are eagerly awaiting back-to-water sailing plans from all of the cruise lines around the world. And during this time, Cruise Planners hasn’t stopped creating custom solutions for its travel advisor network.

“We are working harder than ever during this pandemic since we are even more connected,” Fee said. “We are proud that we won’t have to restart like other brands – since our marketing team hasn’t stopped, our business development coaching team has ramped up efforts, our technology team has continued to innovate and create custom solutions during COVID that will carry on for the lifetime of our business and more.” 

Primed to Rev the Cruise Planners Engine 

Cruise Planners adjusted to the COVID-19 crisis like many businesses quickly deploying their workforce to be completely home-based. While other large agencies have had to significantly reduce their workforce, Cruise Planners continued their same level of service to their network. 

“We knew that if we can push forward during this time, we are going to be that much closer and further along than everyone else,” said Vicky Garcia, COO and co-owner of Cruise Planners. “We didn’t want to have to restart our engines when the industry fully recovers, and now we will just need to put our foot to the pedal and rev it up even more.”