I hate this kind of news, I really do. Yet another Travel Retailer has bitten the dust. What’s even worse is how this all came down. I’m applaud at how cold and callus this was handled and honestly, this story sounds like something Anti-MLM critics would come up with to attack an MLM as just another example makeing a HUGE fuss about how shabby, crooked, and flawed the MLM model is all over the Internet.

But alas, since this is a “traditional business model” and not an MLM, mums the word and nobody seems to be all that concerned. Even if it was brought up, the bad economy would certainly be a leading excuse to defend such deplorable behavior in the traditional business world.

Cruise Value Center, a cruise seller in East Brunswick, N.J., suddenly closed its doors on Monday after 14 years in business. Employees were sent an email on Sunday night, informing them that they don’t have a place to come to work Monday morning.

An agent, who spoke with Travel Weekly on the condition of anonymity, said it wasn’t 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 anonymous agent said.

Yep, sounds like something straight out of the pages of “MLM Myths and Legends”.

Too bad it’s not an MLM company huh?

Jeff Kavit handed over the reigns to a company called Travel Holding Entity out of Michigan last year, and of course couldn’t be reached. While the Cruise Value Center web site is still up, the 800 number no longer works. What’s surprising to me at least is that Cruise Value Center did an annual sales volume of $70 million and combined with Cruises of Distinction, also owned by Travel Holding Entity, was expected to produce $100 million in sales.

Ross Spalding, general manager of Cruise Value Center also resigned from his position (although it’s not specified when) “due to the unfortunate situation at Cruise Value Center.”

Back in June we were informed that Magic Johnson Travel folded abruptly, although not like this. Late last week, Liberty Travel consolidates and lays off a segment of its offices. Now with Cruise Value Center, I’d say the traditional travel industry is a real mess.

Too bad they don’t have the Government to bail them out like American Express does.

But as usual, the focus isn’t on any of this, it’s on little ol’ YTB and our critics seem to be in a tizzy about selling off an old office building for $1.5 million that we no longer need due to a 430,000 square-foot home office. (For the record, and to clarify the St. Louis Business Journal report, the Home Office is 130,000 square-feet on a 59 acre spread to expand even more.)

But hey, what do I know about what’s really important or relevant and what isn’t right?

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Tags: Cruise Value Center, Liberty Travel, Magic Johnson, Travel Agent Issues

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under Brick and Mortar, Critics, Cruise, Cruise Value Center, Home Based Business, Liberty Travel, Travel Agent Issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.