“Iteration with intention: not only to support your work but to accelerate it.” —Sandi Szalay, Dream Vacations/CruiseOne’s VP of Marketing
I heard that phrase just a couple of days ago during the marketing and technology (MarTech) presentation at Dream Vacations/CruiseOne’s 2025 National Conference—now taking place on board the brand-new Star Princess after kicking off at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina. It hit the nail on the head, because it speaks to what travel advisors have been asking for: technology that supports—rather than complicates—the way they do business.
In other words, it’s not just about rolling out new flashy marketing and tech tools; it’s creating an efficient and seamless ecosystem that travel advisors will actually use to enhance their selling power.
In fact, during the MarTech presentation, VP of Marketing Alicia Linden noted that in 2025 the network thrived. “This year proved that when you combine the right MarTech tools, and creativity, growth follows,” she said. “Our advisors are busier than ever and continue to increase sales year over year, which is why working smarter has never been more important.”
Among the many new tools that the MarTech teams have rolled out for their franchisees are AI learning assistant within its Learning Center, which allows travel advisors to quickly seek help finding relevant training or receiving concise course summaries with step-by-step instructions; and AI-tailored itinerary builders, which allows advisors to import bookings and itinerary information faster than before by integrating travel itinerary content with suppliers; plus advisors can now activate performance tagging on their websites to access real-time Google and Meta analytics, giving them true ROI visibility and empowering data-driven ad spend.
But, as both Linden and Szalay noted, there’s still lots of things cooking that are set to be released soon, zeroing in on automation. One thing that resonated with the franchisees were the enhancements to Cruise Control, Dream Vacations/CruiseOne’s proprietary online reservation system.
Szalay noted that it all starts with the first page you log on to, which offers a whole new workplace that’s more intuitive. “Metrics are delivered at a glance and client payment notifications are front and center,” she told the audience. Other updates include updated processes and customization options that will reduce clicks and streamline the booking journey; a new navigation and intelligent global search that will introduce faster access to features across the CRM and booking tools; more detailed franchise and individual performance insights; and a smart tables feature that allows advisors to quickly sort and manage data.
On the marketing side, they’ve introduced a land-only email subscription that allows advisors to control how they market land-only products to their clients; they’ve created videos for social media and TV ads that can be customized by advisors for their own branding; and they’ve updated the online quotes with an online payment option and bonus offer display.
“Our MarTech tools are designed to save advisors time, increase efficiency and simplify daily tasks so they can focus on what matters most—their clients,” added Szalay. “When technology removes friction behind the scenes, it gives advisors more time to grow their business and live the lifestyle they’ve envisioned.”
‘Spilling the Tea’ with the Advisor Members
We had a chance to chat with some of the Dream Vacations/CruiseOne franchisees to get their take on the enhancements.
Franchise Owner Sue Peyer, of Wandering Beagle Travel said that she’s most excited about the enhancements to Cruise Control. “That’s the thing that we’ve been asking for, for a long time, and I really appreciative that they’re going to focus on making it easier to use. It’s becoming a true competitor to the CRMs out in the market, and the beauty of it is that it’s allowing me to be able to keep everything in house instead of paying for a third party CRM.”
Added Franchise Owner Melissa Cohn, “I’m very excited. [Cruise Control] looks so much more user friendly. Everything is really at your fingertips. It’s going to definitely save time, and I think they’ve worked really hard on this remodel. It really shows that they took all of our requests; I mean, as much as they could.”
Franchise Owners Kara & Rex Rountree, part of the Great Escapes Travel Group, are very excited about the enhanced franchise and individual performance insights that Cruise Control will generate. “We have 24 associates and we have an incentive clause where they get bonus commission when they hit certain sales goals and right now, we can’t see that [information] easily. It looks like now it’s going to drill down and it will be easier for us to see those [metrics]. That’s going to be awesome.”
One thing travel advisors do not have a ton of is time, so I asked if training on these new tools is a challenge. All four advisors we spoke with said, “no.” Said Kara Rountree: “It’s just sitting through a webinar—probably one hour of your time—to understand it. They build things so you can’t break it. So, I always tell our associates and anybody I run into, click every link.”
They also love the fact that there is now enhanced email automation, which, as Cohn says, saves you a few minutes, which means another sale. “It could take 30 minutes to write an email,” noted Kara Rountree, “and now it will be boom.”
Peyer also pointed to branding standards as something that she’s glad to see. “For me, even more than saving time, one of the biggest things is making sure that I have brand consistency in how my associates approach final payment. It’s going to be easier to keep them to my brand standards. So that’s huge.”
“We’ll be able to write our own template,” added Kara Rountree, “and that’s the one they have to use.”
All franchise owners agree that using all the tools that are provided is essential to growing one’s business. They use the mailers, they use the website, the referral program, the agent directory, custom banners, affiliate links, and so on. As Cohn noted, “It’s a no brainer,” if they’re providing the tools, take advantage of them. Added Peyer, “We’re receiving all these amazing tools that a lot of people have to spend a bunch of money on.”
And of course, the elephant in the room is AI, which can be a tool, but can also be quite intimidating. These franchise owners embrace it. As Kara Rountree told us, “The thing about AI is you look at it as a tool to help me be a better me and boy has it ever. I’ll write my letters, my blog, my Facebook posts, my everything in it, and it has my style. It knows exactly what my style is; I don’t have to tell it anymore.”
Cohn added, “It’s definitely not going to replace us.” She referenced an itinerary that one of her clients sent her that was filled with errors, telling them “This is not possible—you can’t get between these two countries.”
In other words, travel advisors are not expendable, and the new tech and marketing tool—many incorporating AI—are built to amplify what they already do well, sharpening efficiency without replacing the human touch. And all four advisors agree that human connection is everything.
