Cruise Planners’ Vicky Garcia Honored Posthumously with Prestigious Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla DEC. 14, 2023 – Cruise Planners’ late Co-Owner and COO Vicky Garcia was honored by Travel Weekly with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious recognition honors individuals who have played a substantial role in advancing the travel industry.
Vicky’s love for the travel industry, fierce drive and philanthropic spirit helped build Cruise Planners, the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network, to the successful company it is today.
With over 30 years in the travel industry, Garcia started her career as a cruise line reservations agent where she then climbed the ranks to a leadership position at Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, and then finding her home with Cruise Planners in 2004.
Vicky is remembered as an avid supporter of the travel industry, with ever-lasting connections to the people within it. Vicky championed various causes, including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and CP Cares, the charitable organization initiated by Cruise Planners where she played a crucial role in raising over $3 million. She was also recognized as a business leader as South Florida’s Top 25 Influential Business Women, The Boys & Girls Clubs 100 Outstanding Women of Broward County, and the godmother of Viking Cruises’ Viking Magni.
Vicky was not only a huge reason for Cruise Planners’ success but she was also one of my closest friends. Her positivity and energy were just a couple of things that made her such a great person to be around,” said Michelle Fee, Founder and CEO of Cruise Planners. “There is not a more deserving person than Vicky to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. I just wish she was here to accept it in person.”
Vicky is remembered for her huge personality and infectious laugh. Her ability to light up the room and make everyone feel special will never be forgotten. Vicky will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of meeting her.
In attendance to accept the award was John Garcia, Vicky’s brother and several of her best friends including Michael Consoli and Corey Ratley in addition to the Cruise Planners Executive team Michelle Fee, Theresa Scalzitti, Brian Shultz and Scott Koepf.
Watch Vicky Garcia’s Tribute for the Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award here: https://youtu.be/GHtGuYGqOOE
Company Background: Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as “Best-In-Category” for 2 years.
Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.
