Hosted Cruise Expert

Bon Voyage Event for Hosted World Cruise

On a hosted cruise, there is a hand-picked Voyage Host who cruises along with our guests and is there to serve as an extra resource. They host a welcome reception, arrange times for the group to get together and chat, host an exclusive shore tour and are there to offer tips on what to do in port or assist with other questions you may have. It’s like having an extra layer of reassurance with you on your trip — and with Cruise Specialists, it’s totally complimentary. 

At Cruise Specialists, we have several options on how you can receive the services of a Voyage Host. I strongly encourage many of my clients to seek out a hosted voyage, and with our agency specializing in hosted voyages, I can easily match you with the right one. 

Hosted World Cruises 

As mentioned in my World Cruise bio, Cruise Specialists has a Voyage Host on the Holland America Line World Cruise. We also are the exclusive agency to have a host on the 2022 Oceania Cruises World Cruise.  

Our World Cruise hosts have collectively sailed on dozens of World Cruises! They know the staff and have cultivated personal relationships over the years. These relationships extend in a discreet way to our clients in ways that aren’t always easily describable, but always appreciated. Collectively, they have also been to virtually every cruise port around the world. They can tell you their favorite spots to enjoy a coffee or tea, try some shopping, or hidden gems that they only know about because they’ve been there.

Going on a hosted World Cruise provides you with a person on the ship who is there for you. If you’re a solo traveler the Voyage Host serves as an extra layer of peace of mind that you’ll know someone else on board for the duration of the trip. 

More Hosted Cruise Programs 

At Cruise Specialists, we offer hosted cruise programs on hundreds of other cruises throughout the year on several cruise lines, including: 

• Crystal Cruises
• Oceania Cruises
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Seabourn
• Silversea
• Azamara
• Celebrity Cruises
• Cunard
• Windstar Cruises 

We also offer a hosted program with the river cruise line AmaWaterways. On those hosted voyages, you’ll receive the benefits of a Voyage Host, a Welcome Reception and a VIP Shore Tour. In some ports, on select cruise lines, a Private Car & Driver is offered as an alternative to the shore tour. I recommend my clients take this complimentary opportunity whenever it is offered!  

Hosted voyage benefits easily amount to a significant level of added value and provide a level of enrichment you can’t find elsewhere.  

My Own Hosting Experience 

I previously hosted a voyage to Alaska and it was a wonderful experience for me to understand and convey the value that Hosted Voyages provide. I hosted a welcome reception, and I held frequent chat times in the lounge where people could stop by and say hi or stay for a longer visit. I made myself visible throughout the ship, stopping in the pool area or other public spaces so people could see I was available to talk or answer questions. This type of practice is also employed by our Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts.  

I also have experienced what it is like on a Hosted Grand Voyage. I sailed on one of Holland America Line’s Grand Asia Voyages, on a segment between Vancouver to Los Angeles. I saw how the experience of a Grand Voyage is elevated beyond what you experience on most other cruises. The cuisine is at an even higher level than what you may be used to. Special events such as theme nights abound. Guest lecturers and special entertainers make the time on board enriching. And the caliber of your fellow travelers is high — most have done cruises of a longer nature in the past, so it is fun to have that shared experience. 

Saying Bon Voyage! 

A treasured aspect of my career is when I get to attend the Cruise Specialists Bon Voyage Event prior to our hosted Holland America Line World Cruise. For that cruise, we provide a pre-cruise hotel for our clients and host a lovely Bon Voyage Reception and Dinner the night before the cruise departs. Cruisers get to meet our Voyage Hosts before even stepping on board, which is a reassuring feeling for our first-time World Cruisers. Repeat guests enjoy reconnecting with friends from previous trips and sharing tips with newer World Cruisers. A small number of staff members from Cruise Specialists are also selected to go each year. It is an honor to attend, based primarily on our own World Cruise sales, and I have had the pleasure of attending numerous years. I love that part of meeting clients in person, becoming friends and building long-term relationships.  

In summary, a hosted voyage is an excellent way to add value to your trip. I specialize in hosted voyages and can help select the right one for you, no matter which destination you hope to travel to.