Expedia CruiseShipCenters' Stronger Together program added two industry veterans into its fold. Ed Mass of Anchors Away Cruises and Tours will convert his agencies in Clearwater and Port Charlotte, Fla., to Expedia CruiseShipCenters; meanwhile, Paul Podwika of Classic Cruise and Vacations in State College, Pa., will become Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Nittany Valley.
"The travel agency of the future has cutting-edge technology, strong online presence, relevant marketing, customer retention programs and a network of successful vacation planners," said Mass, a 35-year veteran of the travel business. "Expedia CruiseShipCenters is leading the way in all of these areas, which is why we chose to use their systems and strategies to grow our business."
Anchors Away and Classic Cruise and Vacations follow in the footsteps of Cruises International and Just Cruises and Vacations, who also joined the Expedia CruiseShipCenters operation this year.
The new additions bring the franchise network to a total of 127 locations in North America.
Using CruiseDesk, Expedia CruiseShipCenters' customer relationship management technology, agents have an integrated tool set enabling them to manage their research, bookings, marketing and contact database, all through one online system.