Cruise PlannersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Cruise Planners franchise requires a total initial investment of $11K – $20K, including a $11K franchise fee and an ongoing 1.5% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $11K – $20K
- 1st pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 23rd pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- 1.5%
- 0th pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 2,797
- 44th pct Recreation & …
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Recreation & Entertainment avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Large franchise systems benefit from brand recognition, supply chain leverage, and proven operations.
Bottom line
- Total investment $11K – $20K including a $11K franchise fee, 1.5% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 92/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- CP Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Cruise Planners Holdings, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 3111 N. University Drive, Suite 800, Coral Springs, Florida 33065
- Auditor
- CohnReznick LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $20.1M
- vs $44.3M prior year
Overview
About
Cruise Planners franchisees operate travel agencies specializing in cruise bookings, earning commissions (1.5-3%) on cruise fares booked through major cruise lines. Day-to-day activities include client consultation, itinerary planning, cruise line booking coordination, and customer service. Revenue depends entirely on commission structures set by cruise lines and booking volume, with no salary or guaranteed income.
- CEO
- Michelle Fee
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2005
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 51
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $11K | $11K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $250 | $3K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $0 | $7K |
| Total initial investment | $11K | $20K |
Source: Cruise Planners 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $11K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $250 – $3K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $695 – $11K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 1.5%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 1.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $695 |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 1.5% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Cruise Planners Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2,797
- Opened
- 458
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 256
- Turnover rate
- 9.2%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +7.8%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +5.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 51 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Cruise Planners presents meaningful caution due to absent financial disclosures, regulatory violations, active litigation, and unprotected territories—making true profitability and franchisee success rate impossible to validate independently.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CohnReznick LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 92 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo financial performance disclosure (Item 19) prevents assessment of actual franchisee profitability and ROI
- 02MEDRegulatory violations including Maryland Securities Commissioner consent order indicates disclosure and registration failures
- 03HIGHLitigation involving fraud/deceptive practices counterclaim and trademark disputes suggests franchisor-franchisee relationship strain
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees within same market
- 05MINORExtreme investment range spread ($1,945-$20,465) suggests undefined startup costs and inconsistent onboarding
- 06MEDCommission-based revenue model with no income disclosure creates unpredictable cash flow and recovery timeline
- 07MINOR3-year term is relatively short, limiting long-term business stability planning
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 3 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 3 years |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 2 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- Proprietary CRM system (CPMaxx)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Proprietary CRM system (CPMaxx)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2,997 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Cruise Planners · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Cruise Planners franchise?
The total investment to open a Cruise Planners franchise ranges from $11K – $20K, with an initial franchise fee of $11K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Cruise Planners franchise owners earn?
Cruise Planners does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Cruise Planners's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Cruise Planners (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Cruise Planners franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Cruise Planners has 2,797 total units in the United States, including 2,655 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 458 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Cruise Planners a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Cruise Planners as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 92 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.