CruiseOne Offers Military Veterans Chance to Win Free Travel Franchise

CruiseOne  agents aboard Norwegian’s Breakaway for the travel franchise’s 2013 annual conference © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

CruiseOne^®, one of the nation’s leading home-based and military-friendly travel franchise companies, , is celebrating Military Appreciation Month this May with the launch of its third annual Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General contest, which begins on Monday, May 19, 2014 and continues until Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. Five deserving U.S. veterans will each receive a CruiseOne home-based travel franchise, a total value of $63,500.

“We not only thank our veterans for performing the highest call of duty by serving our country, but we also invite them to put their military skills to use in the civilian workforce by owning a travel franchise and making vacation dreams come true,” said Debbie Fiorino, senior vice president of CruiseOne, part of World Travel Holdings.

The CruiseOne franchise contest is open to former members of any of the five branches of the U.S. military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who are retired, off active duty and/or honorably discharged prior to the contest start date.

To participate, candidates must complete an online entry form by Friday, Aug. 8. The form and all contest details can be found at www.OperationVetrepreneur.com or on CruiseOne’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CruiseOneFranchise.

There will be three rounds of judging as part of this contest. First, candidates will participate in a phone interview with a CruiseOne franchise development specialist. Semi-finalists will be required to submit a franchise application, business plan and resume, all of which will be scored by the CruiseOne executive team. Final candidates will be invited to participate in follow-up phone interviews before winners are selected.

Five grand prize winners will be announced in August 2014. Valued at $12,700, each grand prize includes a free CruiseOne franchise with a waived $9,800 initial start-up fee and monthly service fees. The new recruits will report for active duty in October, when they participate in weeklong franchise training at CruiseOne’s state-of-the-art world headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. Winners will be reimbursed up to $500 for their travel and provided with complimentary accommodations during the training program. Once their training is completed, winners will be armed with all the tools and knowledge that they need to start up their own CruiseOne franchise.

“Studies show that veterans are among the most successful business owners in the franchising industry and that approximately 250,000 transition out of the military each year,” said Tim Courtney, vice president of franchise development and ambassador of veteran affairs for CruiseOne. “We recognize this fact and proudly recruit military veterans to join our network when they return home. In fact, veterans appreciate our extensive training program and the flexible work-life balance owning a home-based business provides, enabling them to simultaneously be successful and maximize their family time. Operation Vetrepreneur is just one way CruiseOne supports military veterans.”

A member of VetFran, CruiseOne offers many military veteran incentive programs including a 20 percent discount off the franchise fee and additional discounts for hiring former members of the U.S. military or active-duty military spouses as associates. The company aims to have 25 percent of its travel franchise system consist of veterans and their spouses by December 2014.

CruiseOne’s Vetrepreneur program will aid military veterans in finding work that will separate them from their past lives while still using the disciplinary skills they have acquired. This opportunity will enable military veterans to rise to success in the travel franchise industry while still granting them time to also relax and vacation anywhere in the world.

Consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a military-friendly franchise, CruiseOne’s accolades include a number one ranking by Forbes in its “Top 10 Military Friendly Franchise,” inclusion on USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans” and recognition as a “Top Veteran-Friendly Franchise” by Entrepreneur and U.S. Veterans magazines. For the past four years, CruiseOne was named to G.I. Jobs magazine’s Military Friendly Franchises^® lists, which represents the top 10 percent of the nation’s franchises that are doing the most to support military veterans.

Military veterans with a passion for travel and entrepreneurism who are interested in working as a CruiseOne franchise owner, visit www.OperationVetrepreneur.com or call 888-249-8235.

CruiseOne, Home-Based Travel Franchise

Celebrating 22 years in business, the home-based travel franchise CruiseOne^® is ranked in the top one percent of all franchises worldwide and is a member of the International Franchise Association. As part of World Travel Holdings, one of the world’s largest cruise retailers, CruiseOne franchisees are able to offer their customers the lowest possible pricing on vacations with its 100 percent “Best Price and Satisfaction Guarantee.” CruiseOne has received partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line^®, Royal Caribbean International^®, Celebrity Cruises^® and Carnival^® Cruise Line. For more information on CruiseOne, visit www.CruiseOneFranchise.com; Like CruiseOne on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CruiseOneFranchise, and follow on Twitter at @CruiseOneBiz.

Begins May 19, 2014 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends August 8, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. ET.  Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 or older at the start of the Contest, have a computer and internet connection, be a legal resident of the US or DC and a former member in good standing of one of the five branches of the U.S. military who is retired, off active duty and/or was honorably discharged prior to the start date of the Contest.  If selected as winners, Contestants must commit to a 5-year CruiseOne home-based franchise, which requires attendance at a 6-day New Franchisee Training Class in Ft Lauderdale, FL and a starting investment capital (for more information, go to www.cruiseonefranchise.com ; or call 888-441-2542).  Only one submission per contestant. To enter, complete the online entry form available on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/cruiseonefranchise) or on the website (www.operationvetrepreneur.com) ; If qualified and selected to move to the next round after a phone interview, Semi-Finalists must submit a résumé, CruiseOne franchise application and 1,200 words-2,200 words business plan. Submissions must comply with the Submission Guidelines in the Official Rules. Only complete, valid submissions will be accepted. Sponsored by CruiseOne, Inc., 1201 W. Cypress Creek Rd. Ste. 100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.  See [www.OperationVetrepreneur.com] for complete Rules and details. 

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WTH’s Sean Tolkin Sets Record for Marathon at Sea; Raises $50,000 for Make-A-Wish

Sean Tolkin, business development director at World Travel Holdings, became the first American to run a marathon at sea, doing it in record time (3 hours 43 minutes) onboard Norwegian Breakaway, and raising $50,000 to benefit Make-A-Wish®, the official charity of WTH’s CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. divisions © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Sean Tolkin, business development director at World Travel Holdings, became the first American to run a marathon at sea, doing it in record time (3 hours 43 minutes) onboard Norwegian Breakaway, and raising $50,000 to benefit Make-A-Wish^®, the official charity of WTH’s CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. divisions.

The “Run Like a Champion, Cruise Like a Norwegian” marathon was held during the CruiseOne^® and Cruises Inc.^® National Conference. As of race time, Tolkin raised nearly $50,000 for the non-profit organization, that is dedicated to helping children feel stronger, more energetic and able to deal with their life-threatening medical conditions.

“I am beyond thrilled with the outpouring of support I received from my colleagues, friends, family and passengers leading up to and onboard Norwegian Breakaway this week,” said Tolkin, whose final laps were cheered on by hundreds of cruise agents attending the conference. “This marathon blended my love of the travel industry with my passion for running all in the name of a good cause, to benefit our signature charity Make-A-Wish.”

During the time it took Tolkin to run the 26.2 miles, or 210 laps around the track, the ship, Norwegian’s newest, traveled 74 nautical miles. Hundreds of onlookers cheered on Sean during each lap, with several agents and World Travel Holdings employees joining Sean for each mile.  As a result of the marathon, Make-A-Wish will be able to grant five wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Keri Rivera, corporate alliances manager for Make-A-Wish®; Sean Tolkin, business development director for World Travel Holdings, parent company of CruiseOne® and Cruises Inc. ®; and Captain Evans Hoyt, Norwegian Cruise Line® © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Combined with $53,000 raised by the 700 agents attending the national conference, CruiseOne^® and Cruises Inc.^® raised more than $103,000 for Make-A-Wish.

CruiseOne franchises home-based travel agencies; Cruises Inc. is a host network for home-based cruise agents who are independent contractors. For more information, visit www.CruiseOneFranchise.com or www.SellCruises.com. 

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CruiseOne Hosts ‘Second Chance’ Sweepstakes for Laid-Off, Retired, Current Teachers to Win Cruise Franchise

CruiseOne, a cruise-only agency franchise company, is offering teachers – current, laid-off and retired – an opportunity to launch a new career path. A “Second Chance at Success” contest will provide five winners with the opportunity to start a new career as a CruiseOne franchise owner.

“Each member of the CruiseOne executive team fondly remembers a teacher who had an impact on their life,” said Dwain Wall, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CruiseOne. “This contest is not just for those who have recently been laid-off – it’s also for the teachers who influenced us – for Mr. Flannery, Mrs. Cianciulli, Mrs. McLelland…without them, our executive team knows we would not be where we are today.”

To enter CruiseOne’s contest, current teachers, laid-off teachers or retired teachers (including teachers’ assistants and professors) must complete an online entry form by October 31, 2011.  The form and all contest details can be found at www.SecondChanceAtSuccess.com or on CruiseOne’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/cruiseonefranchise.

“Historically, we’ve found that teachers make great travel agents and former educators are currently some of CruiseOne’s top producers,” said Wall.  “Teachers have an instinctive knack for sales and many bring exactly the right approach, and passion for success, to our business.  We are excited to see how our winners do in 2012!”

The five Grand Prize Winners will be announced by late-November, 2011.  They will receive a free CruiseOne franchise including a waived $9,800 initial start-up fee, as well as one year of waived monthly service fees.  Additionally, CruiseOne will bring the winners to its new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for six days of in-depth training.  Winners will be reimbursed for their travel and provided with complimentary accommodations during the training program.

“The travel industry, and cruising specifically, is growing at an amazing rate,” said Wall.  “CruiseOne is the ideal opportunity for teachers seeking the ability to work from home, be their own boss and most importantly, enjoy a profitable career in a field that lets them see the world.”

Initial submissions will be judged by members of the CruiseOne network development, marketing and executive teams.  Semi-Finalists will be selected after a phone interview, and asked to submit a resume, CruiseOne Franchise Application and a 1,200 to 2,200 CruiseOne Business Plan.

For more information, visit www.SecondChanceatSuccess.com. 

About CruiseOne:

CruiseOne, the nation’s largest home-based franchise travel agent network, was founded in 1992 and currently has more than 720 locations.  The company is part of World Travel Holdings (WTH), the nation’s largest cruise retailer.  The franchise has relationships with every major cruise line and many tour operators and as a result, offers consumers the lowest possible pricing.  CruiseOne is consistently recognized for its efforts, including being named Royal Caribbean’s “Partner of the Year,” Celebrity Cruises’ “National Account Partner of the Year” and Carnival Cruise Line’s “Travel Partner of the Year.”  A proud member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), MinorityFRAN, and VetFRAN, the company is consistently ranked in major editorial awards including Entrepreneur magazine’s “Top 500”, Forbes magazine’s “Top 20 Franchises to Start,” the Franchise Market “Top 100 Companies,” and FranchiseBusinessReview’s “Top Low Cost Franchises.”