Cruise Planners Wins Azamara’s Inaugural Franchise Partner of the Year Award

Coral Springs, FL, Feb. 17, 2025—Cruise Planners, the nation’s largest home-based travel franchise network, has been named Azamara’s first-ever Franchise Partner of the Year. This award highlights Cruise Planners’ unparalleled performance, innovation, and unwavering commitment to promoting Azamara’s premium cruise experiences.

“We are thrilled to be named Azamara’s Franchise Partner of the Year. At Cruise Planners, we are passionate about delivering world-class travel experiences, and this recognition showcases our advisors’ dedication and expertise,” said founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, Michelle Fee. “Our ongoing partnership with Azamara allows us to continue elevating the travel experience for our clients.”

Throughout 2024, Cruise Planners demonstrated a remarkable ability to grow Azamara sales by leveraging its proprietary technology, dynamic marketing initiatives, and advisor training programs. The franchise’s dedication to promoting Azamara’s Destination Immersion® voyages played a pivotal role in this success.

Azamara’s Chief Sales Officer North America, Michelle Lardizabal, praised Cruise Planners' efforts. “Cruise Planners is an incredible partner that has not only delivered on performance but continues to support Azamara’s growth and evolution,” said Lardizabal. We’re thrilled to recognize Cruise Planners as our 2024 Franchisee Partner of the Year and thank the entire organization for their commitment and support that have played a pivotal role in our success.”

With its innovative marketing strategies extensive training programs, and client-first philosophy, Cruise Planners continues to be a leader in the travel industry. This award further cements the franchise’s position as a premier travel partner empowering advisors to create unforgettable travel experiences.

Company Background: Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as “Best-In-Category” for 2 years.

Cruise Planners received a 99% franchise owner satisfaction report from Franchise Business Review for 2024. Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.

Visit our website, www.cruiseplanners.com, for more information or to view the complete list of awards and honors. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit https://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/.