Cruise Planners-American Express Travel launched mobile versions of more than 900 Web sites in its network. The sites, which are accessible from any Web-enabled phone or smartphone, connect clients with their Cruise Planners travel agent from any location.

“At Cruise Planners, we are always thinking of the next big thing,” said Vicky Garcia, COO of Cruise Planners. “We know consumers are using their mobile devices to purchase vacations, research travel plans and interact with their valued travel advisor, and we just made it easier and faster.”  

Cruise Planners said its in-house technology team developed the coding with responsive technology to make the user experience intuitive, which is in line with the brand’s overall move to a more mobile- and user-oriented interface.

The new site provides a “lean” version of the homepage, a cruise search function, port destination information, land vacation details, the latest travel deals, highlights of Completely Packaged “CP” Vacations and Cruise Planners’ exclusive American Express benefits.

Consumers may use their mobile devices to contact their Cruise Planner travel advisors on the phone, email or social media. Travelers can sign up to obtain exclusive deals and the monthly e-newsletter through the new mobile site.

Furthermore, Cruise Planners also offers a Cruise Planners Mobile app, which is available for free in the Apple Store and Google Play.  It is a customizable, consumer-facing app that franchisees can use to promote their business and help clients manage travel details. The app, which has been out for a while, was designed to make the user experience seamless from desktop, tablet and smartphone. Cruise Planners said the app has proven a huge success for agents who are managing their business on the go.

“We were committed to making this technological investment for our franchisees as a way for them to more easily communicate with their customers,” Garcia said. “From a travel agent perspective, each of our franchisees is now even more ahead of the tech curve, with a competitive edge and a more contemporary look.” 

Cruise Planners said its main Web site attracts 73 percent of its traffic from traditional desktop users and the remaining 27 percent from mobile devices – a number that it believes will continue to rise.