The 2025 Dream Vacation and
CruiseOne National Conference in Ft. Lauderdale this month unfolded as a
statement of intent from one of the industry’s most influential travel
franchise networks. Part celebration, part strategy summit, part technology
showcase, the weeklong gathering aboard the new Star Princess demonstrated how
an organization with deep cruise roots continues to reinvent what it means to
support travel advisors in a rapidly evolving marketplace. This year’s
theme—THRIVE—captured both the tone and trajectory of an event designed to
equip advisors with the tools, insights, and confidence to grow their
businesses in 2026 and beyond.
More than 1,000 attendees were
immersed in a program that moved at the pace of innovation, covering marketing
technology advancements, artificial intelligence integrations, new educational
pathways, supplier engagement, and celebrations of advisor excellence.
What defined the event was the
company’s renewed commitment to operational simplicity and strategic growth for
its franchise owners. As a home-based, entrepreneur-driven brand, Dream
Vacations and CruiseOne prioritize the business success of its network. In
2025, that commitment crystallized through substantial upgrades across its
technology stack, training ecosystem, marketing engine, and advisor support
structure. The results are evident in record engagement and sales growth,
fueled by powerful MarTech tools that streamline workflows, improve visibility,
and boost productivity.
“What we're seeing right now is a return to
normalization … I'll call it pre-COVID patterns,” says Brad Tolkin, Co-Chair
and CEO of parent company, World Travel Holdings. “There’s more availability today than there was for the last three and a
half years in the leisure travel arena, and it's all great product. In the
cruise industry it's bigger ships and generally more availability than there
has been over the few years, and that was really a result of the snapback. It
was much more than anyone expected, and it gobbled up future inventory very
very quickly. And so what we're seeing right now is a return to normalization.”
Tolkin noted that decreasing
booking windows is another trend to note. “We are seeing almost a seismic
shrinking of the booking window – the time between the book date and departure
date, and in cruise, we are seeing just north of 25 percent of our cruise
bookings taking place within 90 days. And that is an all-time high.”
The
CLIA Key
One of the most noteworthy
announcements came from the training division. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne became
the first CLIA Premier Agency Member to earn elective credits for its franchise
education program—an unprecedented milestone that positions the brand’s
training curriculum along recognized industry certification pathways. CLIA’s
evaluation highlighted the depth of the Initial Training Program, which
combines online foundations, live instructor-led learning, and onboard ship
inspections. Advisors who complete the program now earn 40 elective credits and
a ship-inspection credit, covering more than half of the requirements toward
CLIA’s Certified Cruise Counselor designation. For new franchise owners, this
transforms early learning into immediate professional advancement, elevating
both credibility and competitive edge.
The curriculum’s redesigned
structure reflects the realities of modern travel entrepreneurship. Franchise
owners often juggle business operations with sales responsibilities, and the
multi-phase program is now built to support that dual role. New advisors are
guided through the essentials of running a business—setup, ethics,
operations—while advanced instructor-led phases focus on sales development,
destination knowledge, and mastery of Cruise Control, the brand’s proprietary
booking engine. As part of the broader education strategy, advisors also
benefit from complimentary CLIA courses, ongoing virtual workshops, and
immersive experiences such as the River Summit on AmaWaterways held earlier
this year, which expanded advisors’ understanding of the fast-growing river
cruise market.
Tech
Forward
Technology played a central
role at this year’s conference. The marketing and IT teams unveiled a year of
significant advancements: customizable website enhancements, expanded SEO
capabilities, new digital content tools, and improved analytics that integrate
real-time Google and Meta insights. A suite of AI-powered solutions—including
an AI Search Assistant, an award-winning AI Learning Assistant, personalized
itinerary builders, and automated marketing tools—demonstrated how the network
is investing in smart systems that reduce administrative burden and free
advisors to focus on client relationships. These initiatives contributed to
measurable gains, including a 50 percent increase in website traffic and a 50
percent jump in lead generation via the enhanced Agent Directory.
The conference offered deep
educational engagement during the week. Advisors participated in 22 live
workshops, 30 virtual workshops, themed events, expert panels, supplier
sessions, and like-minded meetups. Topics ranged from blogging and marketing to
advanced sales strategies and AI optimization.
Advisors chimed in with their
appreciation for tech tools, recently debuted or about to debut, that have made
their work easier and given them more time.
The 2025 Dream Vacation and CruiseOne National Conference. (Photo Credit: Lark Gould)
“The remodeling of the CRM, specifically
Cruise Control, is the thing that we've been asking for for a long time. They
are focusing on making it easier to use, clearer, a true competitor to the CRMs
out in the market,” Sue Peyer, a Dream Vacations travel advisor based in Norcross,
GA, told Travel Pulse. “And the beauty of it is that it is
allowing me to be able to keep everything in-house instead of paying a third
party for it. Everything is really at the touch of a hand. It's going to
definitely save time, I think.”
Achievements
and Milestones
In recognition of advisor
achievements, this year’s awards ceremony honored excellence across sales,
marketing, social media, public relations, and advisory services. The Franchise
of the Year Award went to Madson & Associates, an Orlando-based agency with
a longstanding commitment to the Dream Vacations community. The Rookie of the
Year honor went to Kevin and Donna Gott of Livermore, CA, recognized for
translating a lifetime of service into a fast-growing travel business built on
care, curiosity, and client connection.
Looking ahead, the 2026
National Conference will be held aboard Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas—the
first industry event ever hosted on an Icon Class ship. The announcement
reinforces the company’s commitment to immersive, experiential learning and its
strong supplier partnerships. The event promises access to senior leadership,
hands-on training, new product previews, and signature celebrations set against
one of the most technologically advanced ships at sea.
In a year defined by
transformation across the travel industry, the network's direction offers a
compelling reason for advisors to take notice. Dream Vacations and CruiseOne
are not simply keeping pace with change—it is engineering the infrastructure
that enables travel entrepreneurs to thrive long-term.
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