Cruise Value Center, a cruise seller in East Brunswick, N.J., suddenly closed its doors on Monday after 14 years in business.
CVC was acquired a year ago by Travel Holding Entity of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Richard Smith, managing partner of Travel Holding Entity, could not be reached for comment.
Jeff Kivet, CVC’s former CEO and chairman, who became a consultant and special adviser to CVC after the acquisition, confirmed that CVC’s doors closed.
“As far as we know, the doors are closed, the employees were sent home and nobody is answering the phone,” Kivet said. “My attorney is finding out what is going on.”
When Travel Holding Entity acquired CVC for an undisclosed price last fall, sources said CVC’s annual sales volume was around $70 million. Travel Holding Entity also owns Cruises of Distinction, and Smith said that the two agencies were expected to top $100 million in combined sales in 2008.
There was no answer at CVC’s toll-free and local telephone numbers. The website address was working but no cruise prices could be pulled up.
In an email to friends and associates, Ross Spalding, general manager of CVC, said he had resigned from his position “due to the unfortunate situation at Cruise Value Center.”
A CVC employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that employees were sent an email at 11 p.m. on Sunday night, informing them that the agency’s doors would close Monday.
The agent said it was not clear whether they would be paid commissions on sales they had already closed, or if the cruise lines were going to be paid for cruises clients had booked.
“They left us all hanging,” the agent said.
