Entrepreneur Magazine 2008 Ranked #1
CRUISE PLANNERS RANKED #1 CRUISE AGENCY FRANCHISE BY ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE FOR 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR
CORAL SPRINGS, FL – (January 28, 2008) – Cruise Planners, a South Florida-based national cruise agency with a franchised network of more than 700 experienced travel professionals, has been ranked as the #1 cruise agency franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine for the fifth consecutive year (2004-2008). The #1 ranking is published in Entrepreneur’s January 2008 issue and online at www.entrepreneur.com as part of the magazine’s annual Franchise 500® list of the world’s top franchises.
“This is a tremendous honor that further validates our family-friendly business approach and our absolute commitment to helping our agents maximize the potential of their individual franchises,” said Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners. “Offering a great product got us to #1 back in 2004, but it’s the hard work and commitment to serving our members that keep us at the top.”
Initially published in 1980 as the first official ranking of franchises in the industry, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® is still the best and most comprehensive rating of franchises in the world. According to Entrepreneur, the most important factors in compiling the Franchise 500® include financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the system. The publication also considers the number of years a company has been in business and the length of time it's been franchising, startup costs, litigation, percentage of terminations and whether the company provides financing. Financial data is analyzed by an independent CPA.
Cruise Planners’ top ranking on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® follows closely on the heels of the company being named “Homebased Partner of the Year” by Royal Caribbean International in December 2007. In 2005, Cruise Planners was honored with Carnival’s “Agency of the Year” award, and the company is an annual recipient of the American Express Travel Services Rep Excellence Award.
