by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Thu October 22, 2026
Cruise Planners has unveiled a new suite of artificial intelligence tools and technology enhancements designed to help travel advisors streamline vacation planning, automate digital marketing and identify sales opportunities.
The announcements, made at the company’s CP World 2026 event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, include three AI-powered tools: Maxx Assist, which helps advisors research and assemble vacation itineraries; Maxx Reach, which identifies potential sales opportunities among existing clients; and Genius Agents, which automates aspects of digital marketing.
The company also introduced enhancements to its Trip Summary itinerary-building platform and Maxx SharePlace, a new collaboration hub that allows franchise owners to share marketing materials and other resources.
“At Cruise Planners, we don't just follow technology trends. We invest in building the technology that moves our industry forward,” says Michelle Fee, founder and chief executive officer of Cruise Planners.
She adds that the company aims to use AI to help advisors become more productive and identify opportunities to grow their businesses.
Maxx Assist uses conversational AI to help advisors research travel arrangements that complement an existing cruise or tour booking. Advisors can use the tool to explore hotels, flights, transfers, excursions and travel insurance before incorporating their selections into a client-facing itinerary. The system uses information about the client's destination and travel dates to streamline the research process, according to Cruise Planners. The tool is included in the company's franchise offering at no additional cost.
Maxx Reach focuses on sales. The AI-powered tool analyzes client preferences and other buying signals to identify potential matches between existing customers and relevant cruise brands, sailings, tours and promotions. Advisors receive weekly lists of recommended clients, along with a proprietary score indicating the strength of each match and suggested talking points for outreach. They can then send promotional materials and track their communications through CP Maxx.
Genius Agents, meanwhile, is designed to help advisors manage their online presence through three specialized AI agents. The Reputation Agent helps manage online reviews and flags sensitive feedback that may require a personal response. The Search Agent works to improve local business listings and search visibility, while the Social Agent creates and publishes personalized social media content. Cruise Planners says the agents can learn from advisors' feedback and actions over time.
The company also announced updates to Trip Summary, including the ability to import travel details from supplier confirmations and synchronize bookings and itineraries in both directions. Other additions include a redesigned interface, customizable proposal sections, expanded supplier searches, hotel images and client-view tracking. Trip Summary is included in the franchise offering at no additional cost.
Maxx SharePlace is intended to make it easier for franchise owners to exchange resources, including templates, text snippets, promotional flyers, newsletter assets and informational materials. Advisors can find and adapt materials created by other members of the network rather than starting from scratch.
Other technology updates introduced during 2026 include a redesigned corporate website and franchisee websites, a revamped consumer-facing mobile app, expanded hotel booking capabilities, an updated flight tracker with multi-city searches and airfare price alerts, and AI-powered cruise search and booking-import features. Cruise Planners also updated its Ask Maxx conversational AI tool and Maxx Intelligence business resources.
The company said the new tools are intended to reduce the time advisors spend on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on client relationships and sales rather than replacing the personal service they provide.
“We believe the future of travel belongs to advisors who combine the power of advanced technology with the irreplaceable value of personal relationships,” Fee says. “That's why we continue to make significant investments in proprietary technology and AI.”
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