Expedia Cruises franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening an Expedia Cruises franchise takes $197,050 – $328,745 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $49,000. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated. The ledger below itemizes every figure we can source for Expedia Cruises, each one dated, so you can check the numbers before anyone gets your contact details.
Expedia Cruises franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $49,000 | $49,000 | $49,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $197,050 | $328,745 | $197,050 to $328,745 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $197,050 | $328,745 | $197,050 to $328,745 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Expedia Cruises's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Expedia Cruises cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Expedia Cruises's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Expedia Cruises's disclosed cost sits against the Auto & Travel category:
- Minimum startup cost of $197,050 — about in line with the Auto & Travel median of $177,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $49,000 — about 1.5× the Auto & Travel median of $33,740.
Category medians are computed from the Auto & Travel brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Auto & Travel franchises
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How Expedia Cruises's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2019–2022: began the window at 86 units; 24 units opened, 32 closed, ending at 77 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Expedia Cruises or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Expedia Cruises for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Expedia Cruises is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Expedia Cruises grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Expedia Cruises can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Expedia Cruises franchise
Expedia Cruises is an auto & travel franchisor with 77 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2019 and 2022, it began the window at 86 units; its filings record 24 unit openings and 32 closures, ending at 77 units. Its parent company is Expedia.
Disclosure filings report 1 franchise-related lawsuit. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
Expedia Cruises is a travel agency franchise under Expedia Group that specializes in cruise vacations while also offering comprehensive travel services like hotel bookings and vacation packages. Franchisees benefit from brand recognition, training, and support, allowing them to provide personalized travel planning and access to advanced booking technology.
Expedia Cruises franchise: quick answers
- How much does an Expedia Cruises franchise cost?
- $197,050 – $328,745 all-in to open, per Expedia Cruises's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Expedia Cruises units are there?
- 77 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Expedia Cruises's units held up?
- 71.3% of units at risk between 2020 and 2022 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).