From tropical escapes to ultra-luxurious retreats, these trending destinations are topping travelers’ lists

Wakefield, Mass. (February 27, 2025) – As travelers start planning their much-needed spring break getaways, Villas of Distinction®, the world’s premier luxury villa rental company, has unveiled the top destinations for Spring Break 2025. Based on booking trends, families and multi-generational travelers are driving demand for villa vacations. With private chefs, butlers, and resort-style amenities, Villas of Distinction properties cater to travelers looking for more space, privacy, and a personalized vacation experience in some of the most breathtaking locations worldwide.

Spring Break 2025’s Top 5 Destinations:

• Hawaii leads the list, driven by its easy accessibility from the West Coast and the benefit offered by vacation rentals, which provide more space and amenities than traditional hotels.
• Jamaica follows closely, renowned for its fully staffed villas featuring private chefs, butlers, and infinity pools, making it an attractive option for travelers seeking more value for their vacation dollar.
• Martin remains a favorite for its versatility in accommodating various group sizes.
• Barbados is emerging as a standout with its elegant villas, private pools, and access to world-class golf courses.
• Turks & Caicos continues to draw luxury travelers with ultra-exclusive beachfront villas that offer both private space and resort-style amenities.

Compared to 2024, new destinations like Barbados and Costa Rica have emerged as popular spring break hotspots, while Mexico continues to experience consistent growth year-over-year.

“Spring break is about creating unforgettable moments, and our villa offerings in these destinations provide the perfect setting for families and groups looking to elevate their vacation experience,” said Jamie Cash, chief operating officer for Villas of Distinction. “From fully staffed estates in Jamaica to oceanfront escapes in Mexico, our curated collection of properties ensures travelers can relax in privacy while enjoying world-class service.”

For travelers ready to book their dream spring break retreat, visit www.villasofdistinction.com or call 1-800-289-0900.

About Villas of Distinction_®
Villas of Distinction_®, as part of World Travel Holdings, is an award-winning, full-service villa experience creator with a portfolio of thousands of privately-owned villas in more than 52 destinations worldwide including the United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Central America, and beyond. Many villas feature excellent staff and state-of-the-art amenities – like private pools, home theaters, in-villa game rooms, and fitness centers. The luxury villa provider has gained its guests’ trust by ensuring every villa meets strict standards so that each home exceeds expectations. Since 1989, the Villas of Distinction team has made vacation planning effortless by helping travelers find their perfect vacation home and curating one-of-a-kind getaways at the world’s top villas. Travel Advisors have named Villas of Distinction as the Gold winner for “Best Villa Rental Company Overall” in the annual Travvy Awards since 2015. www.villasofdistinction.com

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Customers can earn points on every cruise and redeem for exclusive rewards 

Wakefield, Mass. (February 13, 2025) – Cruises.com is redefining the cruise booking experience with the launch of Cruises.com Rewards, the first-of-its-kind, points-based rewards program in the cruise industry. This game-changing program gives customers the freedom to earn and redeem points on any cruise booked through Cruises.com, unlocking more value and flexibility than ever before.

With Cruises.com Rewards, travelers can not only earn points through cruise bookings but also by completing easy activities like profile updates and surveys. Points can be redeemed for Onboard Credit (OBC), cash back, merchandise and more, making every cruise booking more rewarding.

“For the first time, cruisers can earn rewards points for booking any cruise line through Cruises.com, access tailored promotions based on their preferences, and seamlessly organize their past and upcoming trips—all in one place,” said Rosemarie Reed, senior vice president of marketing for Cruises.com. “We’re giving our customers more value, more choices, and more rewards than ever before.” 

The Value Cruises.com Rewards Members Will Receive:

• Earn Points on Every Cruise. Customers earn points on every cruise line booked through Cruises.com, maximizing their rewards.
• Keep Track of Loyalty Numbers. Customers can conveniently store all their cruise line loyalty numbers in one place.
• Combine Cruise Line & Credit Card Loyalty Benefits. Customers will continue to earn their cruise line and/or credit card loyalty perks while also earning Cruises.com Rewards points.
• Exclusive Promotions & Offers. Rewards members receive personalized deals, including military discounts, special promotions, and customized offers based on their preferences.
• Flexible Redemption Options. Points can be redeemed for onboard spending, cash back, travel perks, brand merchandise, and more, with new redemption options added regularly. Customers can redeem the points they are earning on the current cruise they are booking.

For more information or to sign up for Cruises.com Rewards, visit Cruises.com. Or for questions, call 1-800-288-6006 to speak with an expert Travel Advisor.

About Cruises.com
Cruises.com is the smart way to book. Our team of Travel Experts makes it easy to find and book the perfect cruise, offering a seamless, stress-free experience. Customers enjoy all cruise line promotions plus unlock exclusive perks through Cruises.com Rewards. For more information, visit Cruises.com, like us on Facebook at Cruises.com, or follow us on Instagram @cruisescom.

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Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (January 15, 2025) – Dream Vacations/CruiseOne is ranked #1 franchise in the travel category and #41 overall in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500^®, the world’s first and most comprehensive franchise ranking. For 46 years, achieving placement on the annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500 has been a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry and is recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne is recognized for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

“Earning a spot in the Franchise 500 is always an honor and is something we’re incredibly proud of,” said Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager for Dream Vacations/CruiseOne. “It’s a reflection of the passion and commitment of our franchise owners and headquarters team, who work tirelessly to create amazing travel experiences while building thriving businesses. This recognition underscores what we’ve always known—that Dream Vacations/CruiseOne is not just a franchise; it’s a gateway to turning dreams into reality for both travelers and entrepreneurs.”

In Entrepreneur’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the company’s 46-year-old ranking formula continues to evolve as well. The editorial team researches and assesses several factors, including costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.

Over its 46 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. The homebased travel agency franchise’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.

“The Franchise 500 is more than a list. It’s really a collection of life-changing opportunities, featuring strong and resilient brands that future franchisees will be proud to be a part of,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. “This year’s honorees represent the bold ideas, operational excellence, and adaptability that make franchising a cornerstone of entrepreneurial success.”

To view Dream Vacations/CruiseOne in the full ranking, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2025 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 14th. Those passionate about travel with an entrepreneurial spirit who would like to be part of a travel agency network that cares more about its agents and travelers, should visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com to learn about franchising with Dream Vacations/CruiseOne.

About Dream Vacations and CruiseOne®
Dream Vacations and CruiseOne® are home-based travel agency franchises that give their agents the flexibility to run their businesses their way. CruiseOne, established in 1992, and Dream Vacations, introduced in 2016, provide agents with powerful tools and resources to plan seamless, personalized travel experiences. As part of World Travel Holdings, they have been named franchise partner of the year by major cruise lines and are recognized for their dedication to supporting military veterans. Find out more at www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com. Connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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Travel advisors gain smarter tools, innovative programs, and immersive learning opportunities designed for success

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (January 14, 2025) – Dream Vacations and CruiseOne are changing how travel advisors learn, grow, and thrive. With AI-powered upgrades to its award-winning Learning Center and an exciting lineup of events in 2025, the network continues to offer training that drives real results.

“We’re always looking for ways to make learning more effective and accessible for our advisors,” said Charity Santiago, vice president of training and events. “The tools and events we’ve rolled out this year are built to help our network meet their goals and push their businesses forward.”

Smarter Learning, Real Results

The revamped Dream Vacations/CruiseOne Learning Center makes finding and completing training more straightforward. With a new, user-friendly design, advisors can now access intuitive learner dashboards, more intelligent search features, and an AI-powered learning assistant that directs them to the content they need—faster and more efficiently. Plus, the AI assistant summarizes key points, saving time and keeping everyone on track.

The focus on curating and balancing the prefect curriculum is making a real impact. In 2024, advisors completed more than 100,000 learning modules. The team’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne earned the 2024 Lenny Award for Best Customer Training from Litmos, joining the ranks of globally recognized brands.

Award-Winning Training Series

Dream Vacations’/CruiseOne’s dedication to training excellence earned the Business Intensive, Foundations, and Masterclass series a Silver Magellan Award and recognition for the MarTech Summit, which brought together fresh marketing and tech insights for the network.

This year, advisors can look forward to more powerful training, including:

• Cruise Control Intensive: A deep dive into Cruise Control, the franchise’s proprietary booking engine, designed for agents who want to master the tool and stay on top of new updates.
• Regionals: The Dream Vacations/CruiseOne Regional Trainings have evolved into mini-conferences full of valuable content and opportunities for advisors to connect, learn, and grow. This year Dream Vacations/CruiseOne is proud to host regionals in Orlando, Fla.; Dallas, Texas; San Francisco, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; and Washington D.C. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne will also feature a Virtual Regional for its network.
• Immersive Education Series: The Immersive Education Series gives travel advisors targeted instruction in dedicated subject matter. These tailored trainings provide meaningful experiences in destination or working with leading experts to deepen an advisor’s understanding of key concepts. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne offers the following immersive programs:

• • MarTech Summit

• • Group Summit

• • River Summit

• • Luxury Summit

• • Land Summit

Flexible Learning

With a wide range of learning opportunities and delivery methods, Dream Vacations/CruiseOne keeps agent engagement top of mind. More than 400 travel advisors participated in Zoom-based events alone, proving the effectiveness of these trainings. The virtual offerings provide a convenient and flexible learning option that can fit into advisor’s travel plans and busy schedules.

The 2025 Dream Vacations/CruiseOne National Conference will take place November 9 – 15, 2025. The training and events team is introducing a new conference format for 2025, combining a five-night cruise on the Star Princess with a one-day land event prior to the cruise.

Those passionate about travel with an entrepreneurial spirit who would like to be part of a travel agency network that cares more about its agents and travelers, should visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com to learn about franchising with Dream Vacations.

About Dream Vacations and CruiseOne®
Dream Vacations and CruiseOne® are home-based travel agency franchises that give their agents the flexibility to run their businesses their way. CruiseOne, established in 1992, and Dream Vacations, introduced in 2016, provide agents with powerful tools and resources to plan seamless, personalized travel experiences. As part of World Travel Holdings, they have been named franchise partner of the year by major cruise lines and are recognized for their dedication to supporting military veterans. Find out more at www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com. Connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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