Michelle Fee Holds the Honor of Most Influential Travel Agency Executive in the Florida 500 for the Second Year in a Row
Cruise Planners CEO Triumphs as Florida 500’s Only Travel Agency Business Leader
For the second year in a row, Michelle Fee, CEO and founder of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, is recognized in Florida Trend’s Florida 500 list. The power list highlights 500 of the most influential executives across major industries statewide. The year-long research initiative provides an engaging look at Florida executives who are movers and shakers within their community and beyond.
Fee is named within the hospitality and tourism category among other influential business leaders, including:
- Arnold Donald, CEO, Carnival Corporation
- Frank J. Del Rio, president and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
- Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO, Celebrity Cruises
- Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises
- Tom McAlpin, president and CEO, Virgin Voyages
Pioneering the Nation’s Largest Travel Advisor Network
Cruise Planners has transformed since its emergence, 25 years ago. Fee’s visionary leadership has taken an unconventional start-up concept from its inception to what is now the largest nationwide network of home-based travel advisors. With numerous advancements, award-winning innovations and industry-rumbling technology, Fee’s essence has been at the forefront of it all.
“It was really important to me when I founded Cruise Planners that our team always evolved to stay on top and continue developing leading industry technology,” says Fee. “Everything was created with a commitment to our travel agents and we concentrated on giving our franchise owners amazing tools they need for success and marketing combined with technology called MarTech.”
What does Cruise Planners Represent?
Cruise Planners headquarters, affectionately named Home Office, based in South Florida is a powerhouse of marketing, technology and business development teams with a main goal in mind: Supporting its nationwide network of 2,500+ travel advisors from the ground up. The business model offers aspiring entrepreneurs with a love for travel, an opportunity to do what they love with the full support of a franchise system behind them. The record-breaking company continues to grow and recently relocated to a new, modern office to accommodate their rapid growth and create an optimal work environment for its team members.
New Spaces - Onward and Upward
The energetic theme of Cruisitude®, the company’s coined term describing a positive state of mind combined with a passion for travel, radiates from every corner of the new Cruise Planners Home Office, located in Coral Springs, Florida. Fee with COO and co-owner Vicky Garcia, designed the unique space to incorporate vibrant hues creating a happy medium between work and play for team members to connect and freely collaborate. The award-winning Home Office now holds its 130 team members including plenty of open space with anticipated growth in mind.
“Michelle is a standout CEO and leads by example. Cruise Planners fun-loving and positive culture embodies Michelle’s core values of putting family first and her continued commitment to our franchisees and the community,” says Garcia. “I’m so proud of her – she’s not only my business partner but also my best friend, mentor, partner in crime and travel buddy all in one – together we’ve accomplished so much and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
Fee is a native Floridian and believes in corporate social responsibility and giving back within the community in order to create a positive change. CP Cares™ – Cruise Planners’ philanthropic non-profit organization – started in 2008 as a humble effort to support causes that are near and dear to our hearts and has to date raised more than $2 million dollars through various fundraising efforts benefiting local, national and international charities.
Cruise Planners actively supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s goal of a world without blood cancer. Fee was named the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year in 2014 by the South Florida Chapter after raising a record-breaking $292,000 for cancer research.
The most recent CP Cares campaign donated supplies and money to the Bahamas devastated in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Cruise Planners Home Office Team members, franchise owners and industry partners have overwhelmingly supported the initiative across many support channels.
