Cruise Planners has a tremendous reputation for quality, service, and very competitive pricing for ALL of your travel needs.
Honored to be 2019 through 2023 Sarasota Travel Agency of the Year. Cruise Planners is equally able to assist you with your Land Vacations as well as Cruises anywhere in the world, Cruise Planners is a full service Travel Agency capable of any and all travel services including Air, Hotel, Car Services, Land Vacations and of course Cruises !
We are committed to you, our clients, to make the best experiences possible for you!
May you explore every corner of the world !
Gayle Fortin
Cruise Planners , Lets Cruise and Tour
2023 Sarasota Travel Agency of the Year
Franchise Owner
Senior Travel Advisor
Luxury Travel Advisor
Hours of Operation
Monday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday
9:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Testimonials
We had a bucket list land cruise package booked with cruise planners. Literally two weeks before we were to leave. Husband fell and broke multiple limbs. Gayle and Sandy couldn’t have been more helpful and not only being able to handle the insurance claim. But Gayle was able to escalate things with Holland America to get us to be able to actually go on the cruise section of the trip. We had a marvelous time and it was a great place to have some R&R for healing bones both mentally and physically. Highly recommend Cruise Planners for all your travel needs. I know we are consumers for life.- Lori P.
You guys are the best !!
Big hug for Kathy.- Joseph V.
I don't want to fly on United Airlines again!!- Susan H.
Gayle was amazing. I made all my connections and this last trip was the most rewarding.- Stephen D.
Thank you Gayle for planning our beautiful cruise/ vacation and gifting us the upgraded room. The large bathroom and the balcony were appreciated and enjoyed. Also, the Parisian hotel in the Latin Quarter was in a great location for dining and visiting Notre Dame Basilica. Joe and I appreciate your help and expertise in making our vacation special.
Best, Marti
Kathy Suter is the best travel agent I’ve ever worked with. She has never disappointed me and she happily “goes the extra mile” every time I ask for her assistance. She is thoughtful, kind, friendly, thorough, good at what she does and fun to work with! I have used her help often and recommend her to everyone I know who is planning a vacation.- Laura L.
Thank you, Kathy Suter, for your help with hotel contact when our flight was canceled and we couldn’t get there for our nights booking. Pickup at airport went well in Fairbanks!- Barbara T.
What exceptional beyond Customer Care that Gayle Fortin provided for my trip. I had contacted Gayle before my presumed travel. As circumstances were beyond my control, Gayle stepped in and provided me with EVERYTHING I needed help with and made it happen. One never expects anyone to go out of their way, but Gayle did. She stepped in and took control of the whole trip. I am not sure if she or her company made any commission; but nonetheless, Gayle stepped in and completed beyond my expectations. Needless to say, her complete and total assistance has provided me less stress in my circumstances. It was not about commission; it was about her word. And in this day and age, it is hard to find someone keeping their word. I say again, Gayle, you have no idea what you provided for me....beyond my expectations. I would recommend Gayle for any and all trips. Gayle is kind, professional, personable, and gets your requests done quickly and efficiently. Please consider calling on Gayle and her company Cruise Planners.- Teresa F.
you guys are GREAT !!- Joseph V.
Easy to do, everything taken care of for you.- John N.
very caring and pleasant when we needed information always there for us..Gayle Foritn and Sandy when one of our family member had a death in the family and had to cancel at the last minute.- Leo Paul L.
We had a great time !
Thank You.- Joe V.
A very enjoyable show and dinner.....
Thank-you- David C.
all good!- BRYAN S.
Returning phone calls quicker would be appreciated.- William F.
The hotel choice was great for the night before. You gave us several options. The Hilton Garden Inn I would recommend. They have a nice restaurant and bar- Katherine G.
Charlotte Barksdale is the best agent on the planet. She thought of everything and made sure we had everything we needed to have a great time. She is a professional who makes sure we had what we needed to have a good time.- Deborah J.
Charlotte was very kind always on top of whatever questions need it providing information and returning phone calls. She was awesome. Looking forward to using her again.- Darlene G.
Our tour was fun filled and well planned. The only down side to this trip was the hotel stay. They were short of housekeeping staff and the front desk was not helpful to resolve the issue. Lovely hotel but not great service.- Lana F.
Kathy Suter does an exceptional job as always!- Lillie W.
Totally all planned great.So much fun- Barb J.
Kathy always does a wonderful job. We recommend her to anyone needing a travel agent.- Darlene C.
Kathy Sutter did a superb job of caring for our needs. She provided A 1 service.- DANIEL C.
Very Best Travel agent and agency we've ever experienced...Thank you Gayle for exceedingly our expectations!!- Michael H.
Kathy is always ready to help and coordinate our cruises for us. She’s very easy to work with.- Delores V.
The cruise itself was filled with passenger much older than my wife and I so we did not meet many compatible passengers. The on board entertainment was subpar. However, the food and crew service was as expected. We are not sure if our cruise agent would have been able to predict this disparity, or at least set an expectation. As far as Cruise Planners, we were told they would make our dinner reservations the day reservations opened. It’s did it happen, and when I called to infer I was told Gayle was away and would contact me when she was back, which she did. Reservations were then made but we feel that times and dates would have been better if we made the reservations when they opened. Gayle did help us with booking new arrival flights the day of our departure when the airline cancelled our original ones which was a great help.- Philip G.
Your advice worked beautifully…There were some extra meals onboard and I was very happy with the choices.
The trip back today was just as smooth as my September trip out and the two weeks I spent teaching and seeing dear friends/former students in Australia were really magical. Thank you again for all your help with my travel arrangements!
Gayle reminded us of credits on the cruise ship and how they can be used. She also advised what items are an extra charge on the ship based on our cruise.- Kathy K.
Absolutely LOVE Kathy! She always makes the experience more personal and I appreciate how responsive she is with any inquiries.- Jonnie D.
I always have a positive experience with Cruise Planners. Kathy Suter is my go to girl and has never let me down! She is positively awesome and I highly recommend her if anyone needs help planning an adventure!- Laura L.
Response to questions was sometimes slow. Excursions we requested to be charged were not,
So we had to deal with it on board. We did have a wonderful time and the suggestion of cruising with Avalon was the right one for us- John S.
We did have a wonderful time and the suggestion of cruising with Avalon was the right one for us- John S.
If you want a carefree trip, then you NEED to use Gayle and her team at Cruise Planners. Any questions were answered quickly, efficiently and throughly explained. I will consider no other booking agency. In fact, we already had another trip booked and looking forward to putting one together for next spring. Thank you, Cruise Planners Team, Job well done from booking to vistas.- Mitzi R.
I have purposely put off sending this survey back. I cannot come up with enough superlatives to praise this team enough. Our dream trip of a lifetime was EXACTLY that, thanks to Gayle and her team. We are already planning our next adventure and would consider no other booking agency. Thank you, Gayle, and Cruise Planners Team!- Mitzi R.
Very knowledgeable agent!!!- Nadine V.
This was my first event excursion with Cruise Planner / Collette and I couldnt be happier with the experiece and putcomes. D Day Memorials visit to Normandy was a Trip of a Lifetime. I learned many new things and saw incredible memorials. It was a very momentous event in my life. Going forward, my preferences will be flying on direct routes with a single carrier. And my preference will to be on shorter flights timewise. This was a well planned and well executed tour. Thank you Gayle for making this opportunity available.- Rebecca A.
First of all, we had an absolutely wonderful cruise to Alaska on Celebrity Edge. It was booked through Gayle Fortin who was extremely knowledgeable. She helped us from start to finish and answered all of our questions. All of her suggestions were spot on. We will definitely contact her again when we plan our next cruise.- Ken L.
Celebrity Edge was a very nice ship. The Retreat dining and lounge were great.
My wife and I just returned from a Globus tour to Scotland and enjoyed it very much. All of the arrangements for hotels, restaurants, tour sites, etc. were well planned and managed by Globus. The locations the tour covered were very interesting and the tour guide was exceptionally informative about the history and importance of them. He was also very entertaining. I would recommend this Globus tour highly.
We had a wonderful cruise and zero problems. Thanks for everything,- Morton L.
Best 4 days ever!!!
Food and staff were great.- Ramon C.
Ship was beautiful, staff was exceptional being friendly willing to help, kept our cabin so clean. Food was great. Room service for breakfast always on time. Our cabin was 1 deck down from pool area and was very noisy especially in the evening. Our cabin was extremely small, very little room to maneuver. I have a small Rolator walker and had to keep it our daughters cabin. The balcony was much smaller than what it looked like on their deck plan. But it was a good cruise good ports and really enjoyed our excursions.- Barbara C.
Kathy Suter your the BEST !! Can't wait to book again.- Joe V.
We had a great time! Kathy did a good job making sure everything went perfect!
We were anxious being on a cruise longer than a week, and going somewhere we had never been. Everything ended up being taken care of even though the cruiseline was not the easiest to deal with online.
My wife and I just returned from a ten day trip to Italy. Having never traveled out of the country we were feeling very anxious. However, that's when we were blessed to connect with Cruise planners and our incredible agent Gayle Fortin! Starting with the initial planning of the itinerary and throughout the entire trip Gayle and her associates were always there to answer any questions or concerns and even connected with travel agents in Rome who were equally helpful to help insure that we had a memorable trip! Thankyou Gayle, your office staff and our Rome connection Flavia for our trip of a lifetime! I would highly recommend Cruise Planners for any of your travel needs!- Robert O.
Kathy is attentive and responsive, and was with us every step of the way.
Kathy was amazing and full of life, positivity and energy.- Corey L.
The Kennsington Tour we did in Portugal was great. The guides and drivers were very good. They were on time, spoke English very well, and very informative.
Good Service.
Our Oceania cruise on the Vista was fabulous! Excellent food and tours! We already booked another Oceania cruise! Gayle was there when we needed her and solved a small glitch so we highly recommend her!
Well informed
Thank you Gayle for giving us such a great deal on a Cruise! We can't wait to go on our trip!!! You are the best!!- Anita B.
I want to thank you on behalf of all the cruisers and myself. We had a fabulous time. The dance lessons were so much fun!!- Lynne A.
Gayle was knowledgeable and extremely helpful.- Sharon M.
Gayle and Kathy were wonderful to work with. They insured every last detail was in place for our trip of a lifetime!- Gina D.
Hi Gayle just wanted to thank you for all Your Help with our Cruise it was Wonderful! The Staff on the Princess Grand was excellent an The food was so Good ! The Grill Dining was so Good ?? It was a Very Good Dining Experience! Alaska is truly Spiritual! God is the Creator of all . God Bless- Debbie Y.
Gayle did a great job with all the arrangements and recommendations. The Rocky Mountaineer was a wonderful experience. Service was top notch!
you made our cruise go so smoothly. thank you. we have a great time and it was sunny the whole time in Alaska.
Gayle – thanks again for booking our trip. I will do my best no matter how small to send things your way. I think you really made a difference this time in our booking. We were upgraded to the new building 6th floor ocean facing room. They sent up champaign for our anniversary and I spent most of our time on the balcony enjoying the waves.
Bless you for your little touches – they meant a lot.- Kirsten R.
Thanks Gayle, you and Kathy do a great job.- Joseph V.
Thank you I had a great time! Ready to put down on the next one. Thank you- Margaret B.
HI GAYLE. DAVE AND I HAD A SUPER TIME..THE ENTIRE TRIP FROM SOUP TO NUTS WENT OFF WITHOUT A GLITZ..AMAZING TESTIMONY TO YOUR ABILITY AS A TOUR BROKER..I WILL STOP BY AND GIVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS AND ALSO TALK ABOUT PLANING OUR NEXT TRIP SOON....MANY THANKS AGAIN !! GREAT JOB !!- Michael H.
Gayle and Kathy have been a pleasure to work with. My husband and I planned a trip of a lifetime to Italy. Gayle made sure EVERY little detail was covered even provided our own personal driver to take us around. They are very knowledgeable and we felt we were in good hands.- Gina D.
Booked my cruises and all-inclusive vacations with Gayle Fortin of Cruise Planners who provided excellent service and provided all necessary travel advisories from COVID testing, visa information, rapid passport renewal info, shots for travel within certain countries! She was a wealth of information, suggestions and helpful advice.- Nadine V.
Gayle Fortin has done a great job for us.,- Richard D.
Thank You Gayle for another great experience with Cruise Planners- Patricia Z.
knowledgeable agent who spent quite a bit of time with us planning several cruises.
All of the reservations you made for me worked out perfectly. The fact that you were able to make them at lower cost than I was able to find on my own (and I did look before I called you) isn't lost on me. I will definitely always come to you before traveling from now on.- Timothy G.
I met up with my travel companions and got settled in my junior suite. Then began to find my way around the beautiful resort. All went well and the choice was perfect. Staff was so helpful and accommodating it helped make this a perfect mid-winter getaway from cold and snowy Virginia. Thank you Gayle for helping get my return arrangements together, and doing it during a scheduled day “off”. You went above and beyond to secure land transportation to a different airport due to airline cancellation. Unbelievably great service.- Elaine Q.
Kathy Suter is absolutely hands down the best travel agent I’ve ever worked with. She is quick to respond to my never ending questions and has always planned my vacations flawlessly!
When deals come along whether it’s a discount or upgrade on my already planned cruise, she’s on it! She thinks about things that totally slip my mind.
I also want to thank Cruise Planners for the cruise credit they added to my most recent cruise! It was greatly appreciated and covered my birthday massage????
Y’all are the greatest!!!!!
Truly, Laura Lang- Laura L.
From the minute we got out of the plane until take off home things went smoothly. The cars were waiting for us and the hotel was incredible. Helene and I needed help with the preparations on our cell phones. Obviously they're used to it because both airports had people to get us through it. Considering the amount of paperwork involved with COVID and our problems with the internet it was easy to get through with all the available help. It was a great vacation.- Rochelle M.
I had a wonderful time!!!- Kerry R.
Made sure all the flights were taken care of and canceled when needed.- Danielle C.
NCL did a great job!- Brian C.
Great- Barry C.
We always appreciate your help with our vacation planning You look for a good deal and and give us all the choice we have to make You have been very good during these last months with all our cancelled cruises to make sure we don't lose our credits which helped with our first cruise back in Aug. We look forward to more cruising in the future
Wonderful day and love making happy lmemories with all our friends
Gayle has helped with our 3 past cruises. She is helpful and attentive.
Kathy did an amazing job of having it all completely organized. We had a great time not only with our friends, but knowing that we were in good hands with the bus travel (and Tony the bus driver was safe and fun)! And with the location of the overnight stay was very accommodating. The casino boat was enjoyable with good food and beverages, and of course the winnings! Thank you Kathy and we are looking forward to another fun adventurous event.
Early pickup, good driver, very organized itinerary.
Kathy planned an awesome trip, great scheduling and made it a really fun time! Will do it again in a heartbeat!
We did a wonderful river cruise trip in Europe with Gayle and with extended time in Hungary for arranged by Gayle. A great trip!
We have been very pleased with the attention to details and help in choosing the best cruise or tour. Thanks a lot for the many years of help with our travels. Lew and Mary
They have the best prices.
I very much enjoyed being on a trans Atlantic cruise last December with your agent
excellent website with interesting options
Still concerned about COVID 19 - will not travel until getting vaccine and better understanding of our protection
Love Uniworld Cruise Line. Looking for USA fall colors trip. Also, possible European River Cruise, again.
This may include a group of people.
You are a little bit magic!
Thank you!!!- Edwina A.
Gayle,
Thank you so much for your outstanding service! You have been amazing! (just posted a review for you on Yelp). We will certainly come to you for any future travel plans.- Patricia R.
Hello Gayle,
Please refund all for my Covid-19 cancelled sailing. It stinks we were really hoping to go. I know this stinks for you as a salesperson too. You have been great through this process and I will use you anytime we plan something in the future and will keep you in mind for clients as well. Will it be issued as a refund check, direct deposit, or go back on the card I used?
Thanks again
Greg- Gregory M.
Thank you for all you do Gayle!!
Sure glad I met you, you are an excellent TA.- Patricia D.
Thank you Gayle! You’re the best!!- David H.
My heart aches for how much work you are doing now for no pay but keep up the excellent service and it will come back when this crisis is over.
Stay safe- Marilyn B.
I really appreciate your work.
You can be sure that you will be the first person I will contact for a cruise at a later date.
Thank you
You rock! Thanks for getting us moved during the Covid 19 with a great Midship Balcony in November to replace our April sailing.
Yay!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.- Ann V.
We loved the Windstar Panama Canal cruise! Excellent food and land tours.- Susan H.
A WOW cruise on our first.
THANK you Kathy Suter for your on going guidance and assistance in preparing this vacation. You did make a difference.
THANK YOU.- Raymond H.
Thank you Gayle for your assistance and efficiency. We certainly appreciate you.- Cassandra J.
We wanted to thank you for the lovely dinner in the Grill steakhouse. It was very nice and we enjoyed it. The cruise is wonderful so far our cabin is delightful and very roomy. Thank you Lynette- Lynette H.
HI Gayle,
Just got back home and we had the most amazing trip.
I would like to talk to you about our next trip ????
Thank you again for all your help – it was wonderful!!
~Pam Foster- Pamela F.
We are all home from the cruise and everyone had a fabulous time. Thanks for all you did.- Kathleen S.
This was our first cruise and I was blown away by the amount of details provided for this trip! Kathy did a wonderful job keeping us informed before we even left! Princess is also a great cruise line! Alaska is breathtaking!- Marilyn C.
Gayle made our cruise easy. I had many questions and Gayle answered all and some I forgot to ask. When we are ready to travel again, Gayle will be our first call. Thank you Gayle!- Sarah D.
All of the excursions were great- Allan B.
Dear Gayle,
Thank you for your immediate follow up and continuous checking on the availability for a suite on our recent Royal Carribean cruise!
We had a wonderful cruise and overall the suite was fantastic!
We dined at the Chef’s table with wine pairing; enjoyed a special Heli-pad reception and our own photo session!
We enjoyed the special dining opportunities, complimentary nightly concierge lounge w/a wonderful concierge….
This gentleman even escorted us on departure day & helped to locate our baggage!
Such a pleasurable experience.
Billy & I will be referring friends to you & hope to cruise again soon!
Have a wonderful holiday and thank you again!
Kristine Davis
Billy Efthimiades- Kristine D.
This has been a wonderful trip in San Antonio. Thank you. Barb- Barbara C.
I Like the information Cruise Planners sends via email newsletters!
Thank you so much for our cruise. Everyone had so much fun.- John L.
Gayle does a great job with planning trips - both large and small! Thanks for your help in planning an educational cruise and a family reunion cruise!- Cynthia C.
Gayle is So amazing and she will find the best deal for you!!!!! It's so nice to know that someone has you back and you can absolutely trust her. She will keep you inform at all time and spend the time with you. Call her NOW- Sophia M.
Gayle is absolutely wonderful! She is quick, resourceful and caring. I have loved booking with her and look forward to booking many adventures in the future!- Annette H.
Planning our 16 days in Switzerland and France is now a stress-free endeavor because of Gayle Fortin. She took the "guessing" out of where to stay, what to do, and how to get around. Not only did she send us links to different "things to do", she helped us find a "ferry" boat from one place to another as an alternative to the train to put another check mark in the "must do". I didn't think it was possible to get more excited about this trip. Thank you so much Gayle!- Deborah G.
Gayle Fortin is very professional and intelligent person. She works hard making sure her clients are satisfied. Thank you, Gayle.- Marina S.
Gayle did a great job finding my family the exact hotel we were looking for and at a lesser rate than we expected. I was nervous since it was my first time using a travel agent as opposed to booking online but it was even easier!! Will definitely use Cruise Planners again!- Daniel S.
I have known Gayle for a year and she is a fellow member of our local BNI chapter. Her advice is always spot on. She has served many members of our chapter with trip bookings and all the arrangements. She is very personable and she really knows her business inside and out.- Gary C.
Jeff
The superb accommodations, informative guide, (Zarah), excellent driver with a luxury coach, (Marvin) were the Best Week Ever my friend. I cannot express enough how impressed I am. Zarah was patient, knowledgeable and personable as she shared her country with 42 of us. The coordination of the necessary bus transfers required, the keys, the instructions, up front provided at our accommodations, the WiFi passwords and professionalism amazed me every day. The insight into the Pura Vida of Costa Rica given to us was really eye opening and will be remembered forever.
Thank you so much,
R. Neal Hughes- Robert H.
If you want knowledge, professionalism and personality, Gayle is the person. Thorough and aims to find every discount possible. She's top notch- Denise B.
With Gayle everything is handled in the best possible manner with a big smile and warm attitude. She gives you the best customer service possible. You are so lucky to have her for one of your travel agents.- Gay R.
Italy was wonderful - beyond our expectations.
Please extend our thanks to Ruggerio - the drivers, transfers, hotel, and tour guide were all fabulous. I know he ordered up the great weather too!!
I highly recommend the Viking Sun cruise to all - it was amazing. Loved the amenities, food, excursions, etc.- Melissa J.
After 27 years of being in the United States and never setting foot outside of the States, Gayle at Cruise Planners, got me and my lady on a cruise to the Bahamas and it was one vacation I will never forget!!!! Thank you so much!!- Zachary L.
We are having the most amazing time, thank you for all your hard work. Check our FB for daily photos……..they are amazing. You can use them to help sign up others for the “Gayle loop†of BC! Thank you again. John- John C.
I like working with Gayle for the perfect vacations. She is hard working and looks out for my hard earned money. Her creativity helps me find great adventures at a great price! Thanks Gayle!- Scott G.
Dear Gayle,
We wish to let you know how pleased we were with our recent trip to Dublin and London. All arrangements were excellently organized, proceeded on schedule, and resulted in a most enjoyable experience. Please extend our thanks to your associate, Kathy Suter for all she did. Kathy is a complement to your organization. We look forward another trip soon and will definitely contact Cruise Planners and Kathy Suter.
- Edward C.
I am traveling with my wife, toddler, new born, and dog. Thank you for assisting me with booking our trip to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Gayle was professional, knowledgeable, and accessible when I had questions. I highly recommend Gayle for all of your travel needs!- John L.
Thank you so much.
We all had such a wonderful time in Mexico - everyone is still talking about all of the fun we had.
Thanks again for all you did for us.
- Kenneth M.
I wanted to say thanks again for a wonderful cruise you and Mayflower did an excellent job and we really enjoyed the entire trip. Barb and Joe- Barbara M.
Wonderful vacation thanks to you. You did a superb job Gayle and we love you. Will definitely consider another trip with YOU!
Nancy and Bob
- Nancy L.
The biggest advantage of booking a cruise through a travel agent is the personalized advice you will get and a very knowledgeable resource when ever you need one. You can count on Gayle Fortin, Cruise Planners to be there for all your travel needs. - Earl H.
Thanks for a great time !!- Barbara K.
We have known Gayle for 5 or more years with another travel firm that we were associated with. We ran into a major problem (thru no fault of her own). She intervened to address the problem & rectify the problem. I cannot say enough about her professionalism, compassion & approach. She is by far the best travel agent that we have ever been associated with. PS she is always entertaining & fun to be around!- Tom L.
We left Sarasota about l 1/2 hr or more late. The plane had problems. When we landed in Atlanta the schedule flight had left and we had to wait for the next. We were lucky because they gave us a first class seat. GOOD!! The hotel was A1, the service was outstanding. I had been in Bally and Mirage in different trips, but Caesar Palace was the best. Oh, when we arrived in Las Vegas, we didn't find the shuttle to go to the hotel, we called and they said, their driver was there looking for us, but could not find us (we were about 2 hrs late), they apologized and sent a driver in less than 15 minutes. So no problem. We have to say we did enjoy the trip. We ate there, and the following day.....walk...walk...visiting different stores and hotels. When we came back, the shuttle was on time to pickup us, once in the airport everything was smooth without any problem at all. We are happy you did all for us. The experience we had with with our former travel company was BAD, but with you, everything was wonderful!!
LOVE AND HUGS FROM TWO HAPPY TRAVELERS.....
- Roberto M.
Gayle is a top notch person, always nice, professional and organized.- David F.
"Gayle has been planing our cruises for about 10 years, so when she went with Cruise Planners we did too, because we knew if she was a part of it, it would be great. And it has been! So many fabulous cruises, so many experiences. The Mediterranean, the Pacific, no matter where we want to go, Gayle is just wonderful. She always gets right back to you with a price, and it's always the best. Anytime she finds and upgrade opportunity you know about it. She's just too good!"- Janet M.
