Amaris Scipione
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Family Cruise Travel Agent
Amaris Scipione in front of Liberty of the Seas
I was not a cruise person. Seasickness, crowds, being bored, and confined spaces were the reasons I told my husband that I didn't want to cruise. He tried to tell me that he thought I would like it. He tried to tell me it wasn't what I was thinking. We stuck to land vacations for a very long time.
I started my travel agency booking only Disney and then grew to all-inclusive resorts, but was getting inquires for cruises as well. I started to learn more about cruises to better serve my clients. It became obvious quickly that I needed to experience cruises to best serve my clients. Unfortunately, first-hand experiences were off the table because it was 2020 and well none were cruising. It didn't stop me from learning. I dedicated hours of time completing cruise line trainings and attending webinars.
One day I got an invitation for a meet-up with the business development manager for Royal Caribbean. It was a local meeting held outdoors in 2021. I learned a lot and at the end of the meeting I introduced myself to the presenter. I told her I was new to cruising. One thing led to another and she told me about simulation cruises. Cruising was starting up again and many cruise lines were running simulation cruises to practice Covid-19 protocols and get back into cruising. Spots for the simulation cruises were mainly raffled off to previous guests for free, but I learned at this meet-up that some travel advisors were also offered spots. She asked me if I wanted to personally try cruising and if I was free next month. Yes and yes. Soon enough my bags were packed and I was headed to Galveston for my first cruise! Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas will always have a special place in my heart.
I was hooked and all my reasons for not being a cruise person were false. Motion sickness medicine and holistic seeds helped me combat seasickness. The ship was spacious and I found plenty of quiet and not crowded areas. I can't believe I was worried about being bored. There was so much to do! The cabin was more comfortable than I was expecting too.
Liberty of the Seas was the first of several cruises I would take in the next twelve months. Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas was next, then Virgin Voyage's Scarlet Lady, then Disney Dream, Harmony of the Seas, and finally Norwegian Jewel. That's a lot of cruising in one year!
My cruise knowledge continues to grow. I earned my Accredited Cruise Counsellor certification from CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) and am close to finishing my Master Cruise Counsellor certification. March of 2022 I sailed on the Caribbean Princess and I have lots of sailings coming up! March of 2024 I'll be attending the ASTA River Cruise conference where I'll expand my offerings to river cruises. I'll be staying on ms Joy (Tauck) during the conference and then will sail for 6-nights on Riverside Debussy. I also plan on sailing Icon of the Seas and Azamara Pursuit soon!
Please contact me for your next family cruise! I'm happy to match you with the best ship and itinerary for you.
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Related Travel Stories
Hubbard Glacier
We woke up to a beautiful view of Hubbard Glacier from our balcony. This is a tidal glacier which is different from the glacier yesterday, but I didn’t hear enough of the announcement to tell you the difference!
We walked up two decks to deck twelve which houses the Garden Café which is ... Read more from my Hubbard Glacier story.
Juneau, Alaska
The state capitol of Juneau, Alaska is smaller than I expected. We docked away from the main town so we took a shuttle bus into town. The shuttle drops you right by the Goldbelt Tram and also where the other ships are docked. I booked a Gold Mining Excursion for later ... Read more from my Juneau, Alaska story.
Glacier Bay National Park
I thought it was strange that Glacier Bay was listed on itinerary, but it wasn’t listed as a place we’d dock. In my opinion, it seemed like a marketing thing because Glacier Bay sounds better than Day at Sea. I didn’t have high expectations for today since in my head it ... Read more from my Glacier Bay National Park story.
Stanley the Bear & More Caribbean Princess Fun
Early in the week, my son was invited to a Stanley the Bear character breakfast. This morning we strayed from the usual buffet or room service breakfast and instead went to the Coral Dining room. The event was in the back of the dining room and was decorated like a party. ... Read more from my Stanley the Bear & More Caribbean Princess Fun story.
Sea Day on Caribbean Princess
I’ve felt a little lost on our Princess Cruise. The Princess App has the schedule of events, but the view for it is cumbersome to use. I asked Brian, “do you think this is just a bad app design or is it just designed for a different demographic than us?” He ... Read more from my Sea Day on Caribbean Princess story.
Embarking on Caribbean Princess
The porters took our bags right away and then we headed to the line. The line was absolutely massive. It looked worse than it was. It took us about 45 min. from the time we entered the line until the time we stepped on the ship. We had priority boarding so the ... Read more from my Embarking on Caribbean Princess story.
Wonder of the Seas
Our cabin is at the front-starboard side of the ship. We are the last cabin door in the hallway which makes remembering which cabin you are super easy! When we booked this cruise, it was nearly full and there weren’t many Oceanview balconies left. So far, I really like this location. ... Read more from my Wonder of the Seas story.
Boarding Harmony of the Seas
We arrived a lot earlier than our 12:30pm boarding time, but they allowed us through the process anyways. A man directed us to a much shorter line than everyone else. We had the VIP treatment and I wasn’t sure why, but we took it. It turns out the special treatment was ... Read more from my Boarding Harmony of the Seas story.
Sea Day on Harmony of the Seas
Another morning that started with breakfast on the balcony. I’m really enjoying having a Central Park balcony. I chose it because I could see my son climbing on a table for a closer look of the ocean, and felt this was a better option for him. A nice surprise is that ... Read more from my Sea Day on Harmony of the Seas story.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Today we were docked at CocoCay which is Royal Caribbean’s private island. This was the stop I was most looking forward to because I knew my son would love it. We walked to Chill Island and while my parents grabbed loungers, I walked over to the towel stand to checkout towels ... Read more from my Perfect Day at CocoCay story.
Labadee, Haiti
Did you know that Haiti is mountainous and beautiful? When I thought of Haiti, I thought earthquakes, hurricanes, and civil unrest. I had pretty low expectations for this port, and we were considering staying on the ship. It turned out to be the best port on this trip!
After finishing breakfast, we ... Read more from my Labadee, Haiti story.
Best and Easiest Cruise of Our Lives!
On top of that, she was always available in a timely manner with information about our trip, as well as helpful insights and tips into the locations we were visiting along our cruise.
Easiest vacation ever!
Amaris knows the answers!!
Traveling thanks to Amaris
Amaris is my dear daughter in law but I write this as a consumer not just a proud MIL.
Two amazing trips and counting
Wonderful Trip!
the
Planning inspiration!
A recent post of the Blue Ridge Parkway reminded me that not all trips are Disney or tropical- agents are knowledgeable about so many destinations
Wonderful stay on NYC Broadway
Bucket List Trip
Our first cruise
My first cruise ... was awesome!
Most memorable trip
Off To See America!
As an experienced traveler herself, that gives her the ability to suggest so many different ideas, and pit falls to avoid just traveling to your destination. She was thoughtful enough to also print out maps for our road trip for areas GPS might not come in.
Live Life Living Trip
Our "Living Life Living" Get Away was everything we could hope for and more.
Thank you for your kind words! It was my pleasure to help you and your family with your special trip. :-)
5yr anniversary cruise-success!
Thank you very much for your review! I'm so happy to hear that your milestone anniversary trip was a success. :-)