Anyone can book a cruise, but with my years of experience both working for cruise lines and as a travel agent, I have the insider knowledge to help you select the ship, cabin itinerary and actual shore excursions that best match your tastes and travel style and preferences, and to get you extra perks. Cruise lines and even actual ships differ in cabin size, service levels and onboard facilities and cater to different interests. Additionally, each has its own unique policies regarding deposits, cancellations, inclusions and other details. No one line is best for everyone. For example, Silversea offers highly personalized service, spacious accommodations, often can dock in destinations not visited by larger ships. Its ships are among the few small enough to cruise through the Corinth Canal which traveling from Athens to Italy. Another small ship line, Seabourn Cruises also can navigate smaller waterways and visit off-the-beaten-path ports of call, and it has some impressive new ships with interesting dining choices.

And for clients looking for a wider variety of onboard activities and entertainment, Crystal Cruises is really doing it right. One of the more interesting trips I’ve arranged recently was for a client who had wanted to cruise to Cape Horn at the tip of the South American continent ever since reading Mutiny on the Bounty. The Bounty had run into major problems and eventually was unable to round Cape Horn. The cruise I sent him on is a wonderful and varied voyage, sailing through varied climates (pack accordingly), and cultures and offering a chance to see the Chilean fjords, nature and sophisticated cities such as Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Chile at their grandest.