Expedia Cruises Franchise

The Expedia Cruises business connects a Canadian cruise-agency heritage with a United States franchise system. Its Canadian affiliate, CruiseShipCenters International, has franchised cruise-specialist travel agencies since January 1988. CruiseShipCenters USA Inc. was formed in March 2007 and began offering U.S. franchises in April 2008. The U.S. franchisor is owned by Expedia, Inc., part of Expedia Group, and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Before 2020, the franchise was offered under the Expedia CruiseShipCenters name. Locations have since been rebranded as Expedia Cruises. The current opportunity is a retail storefront travel agency, typically using approximately 800 to 1,200 square feet. It focuses on cruises and related leisure travel, with revenues generally paid by travel suppliers as a percentage of bookings. Owners can recruit independent vacation consultants to sell approved products through the center and its shared systems.

Investment and business format

The estimated initial investment is $149,300 to $258,545, including a $49,000 initial franchise fee. That estimate combines pre-opening expenses with a working-capital allowance for the first 12 to 24 months; the owner needs separate funds for personal living expenses. The franchise fee includes specified discovery-day travel credit, professional real estate and leasing broker services, and an opening-marketing contribution. The retail center remains the base of the franchise even though authorized consultants can use CruiseDesk remotely.

Initial training blends online study, regular one-to-one trainer sessions and five days at Cruise Management Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia. The curriculum covers travel suppliers and products, relationship development, selling, operations, consultant recruitment and onboarding, marketing, CruiseDesk functions and leadership. The schedule includes 22 hours of International Cruise Academy, 48 hours of new-franchisee training, 6.75 hours of consultative selling instruction and 35.5 hours of in-person academy training. Required training must be completed successfully before opening.

Training is provided for up to two owners without an additional tuition charge. Owners pay travel, accommodation and applicable meal expenses; a third attendee carries a $495 training fee. Pre-opening assistance includes guidance on licensing and site selection, lease assistance, prototype center layouts and equipment specifications, a new-center marketing kit, the operations manual, CruiseDesk access, business email accounts and a center website.

Ongoing guidance covers operating procedures, CruiseDesk, approved suppliers and travel products, marketing participation, and administrative and accounting practices. Assistance is provided through manuals, bulletins, telephone or field consultations. Consultant training is available at the owner’s or consultant’s expense. New centers must participate in the Platinum Marketing Program for at least 24 months. Franchisees also attend national and regional meetings, with travel and other attendance costs paid by the franchisee; optional additional training may carry fees.

Expedia Cruises offers an appealing combination for an owner who wants to lead a travel-sales team: a recognizable travel brand, a local place for customers to meet an adviser, and a common platform for researching and completing bookings. Cruise specialization gives the center a clear identity, while flights, hotels and other approved travel products let consultants help organize more of a customer’s vacation. The ability to recruit a consultant team makes coaching, relationship building and service quality central to the owner’s role.

This is an active ownership opportunity, particularly during the first three years, when substantial in-person owner participation is required. For someone who enjoys developing people and following through on customers’ plans, the combination of storefront service and digital booking tools provides a tangible business to build in the local community. The network’s shared systems and travel-agency training give the owner a structured starting point for that work.

Read more in Expedia Cruises Franchise: Retail Model, Training and Owner Role.