Christine Pappin
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Family and Group Travel Specialist
I have always had a passion for travel. My passion has become a family tradition that has only grown over the years. From trips with my husband and child at least once a year, to now including trips with our grandchildren. In 2005, I decided to turn my passion into a business, began my adventure in the travel industry, and have never looked back. I love helping my clients see the world and all it has to offer, and maybe even starting new family traditions along the way.
Having visited 66 countries on 5 continents, and having traveled on 72 cruises via 14 different cruise lines plus several land tours, I have extensive valuable travel experience that allows me to better serve my clients. I have worked hard to establish a large network with travel partners and co-agents over the last 17 years. If I haven’t personally experienced a product or destination, I know exactly who to get in contact with to provide my clients with expert advice.
I enjoy assisting clients with all kinds of trips, no matter what their interests are, but I have a few areas of particular interest -
- Alaska - I have fallen in love with Alaska, and love recommending all of the beautiful wonders of the state such as Denali National Park through cruise and land tours
- Europe - Being a history buff, I love all of the ways to travel back in time on a European adventure. Whether it’s walking in Veterans’ footsteps on the beaches of Normandy, seeing where Olympians ran their first race in Greece, or cruising where the Vikings sailed centuries ago
- Galapagos, Tahiti and Southeast Asia – For the best exploration of marine and land species that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, I love recommending trips to these exotic lands
- Cruises - I especially love to book cruises, because they provide the best way to explore all corners of the globe while being effortlessly transported to another country the next day. Helping clients build meaningful itineraries and checking items off their must-see lists is so important to me.
When it comes to building unforgettable trips for my clients, I am always sure to intently listen and ensure that I am factoring in the interests of all travelers. I also make myself available to assist with any issues that may arise before or during a trip. Once, during an approaching snowstorm, my client’s flight was cancelled and they realized they might miss their cruise. I told them to head to the airport while I got them rebooked on a new flight, and even got them upgraded to first class!
In addition to my own travel experiences and helping clients with theirs, I am always striving to learn and stay on top of the current travel trends. That’s why I’m proud to have received Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), Master Cruise Counselor (MCC), and Alaska Certified Expert certifications, along with many more certifications from all of the major cruise lines and land travel partners, including:
- Princess Cruises – Commodore certification
- Royal Caribbean – Master of Adventure
- Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity Learning Graduate
- Norwegian Cruise Line – Master certification
- Virgin Voyages – Gold Tier Certification
- Avalon Waterways Specialist
- Rocky Mountaineer Specialist
- AMR Master Agent (AM Resorts)
- Marriott Hotel Excellence certification
- And more!
Whether you’re a family looking to experience new destinations together, a seasoned or first-time cruiser looking to explore different ships and cruise lines, or honeymooners looking for romantic all-inclusive resorts, I can help you plan your dream vacation. Contact me today to get started!
Testimonials I've Received
My favorite Galapagos travel memory
"Chris is an extremely knowledgeable and professional travel professional. She is my go-to person for all of my vacation planning and execution. Chris adds tremendous value by keeping me informed on new options and offers. She does a fantastic job recommending options based on my preferences and constraints. If you seek an honest, hard-working travel planner who is willing to share her personal travel experiences, look no further than Chris. She has earned and re-earned my business many times over." Andy K.
"Christine was great! She was always available for questions and any advice she gave us, was right on the money! Her Bon Voyage gift in our stateroom was a very thoughtful touch!" Jill G.
My Areas of Expertise
My Travel Stories
Alaska the Last Frontier
I’d always had a dream of experiencing Alaska, the Last Frontier, and that desire was first fulfilled in May 2000. My husband had extended time off from work and we booked a cruisetour on Celebrity Cruises.
An Alaskan cruisetour is a type of vacation that involves taking a cruise ship through the waters of Alaska, typically ... Read more from my Alaska the Last Frontier story.
Hunting for Northern Lights
This story is about a journey which started in Oslo, Norway, continued by rail to Bergen, then sailed from there past the Arctic Circle to Kirkenes, and returned to Bergen. It was a 12-night Norwegian Coastal Classic Voyage on Hurtigruten Vesteralen that began in late February several years ago. Living in ... Read more from my Hunting for Northern Lights story.
A World of Waterways
When I became a vacation specialist in 2005, I’d been cruising the oceans for twenty years and loving it. Shortly after that, I learned about another mode of vacation travel – river cruising. I’m a firm believer in learning as much about the industry and travel products as possible in order ... Read more from my A World of Waterways story.
First-time Cruiser
First Cruise ever and Chris and Gary made it most enjoyable for us. We were lucky enough to travel with them and they made it a trip to be remembered as they pretty much walked us through everything we needed to do ahead of time and on board. Thank you Chris and Gary for everything.
Five Cruises and Counting
Chris goes above and beyond every time! She is very knowledgeable and is very helpful in planning vacations!
Multiple Cruise Vacations
I've booked 2 vacations with Chris and each has been a wonderful experience. The latest was booking a Cruise. In 1 afternoon, the Cruise, excursion, flights, and hotel were booked. Extremely pleased and highly recommend.
Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Christine and Gary Pappin were able to find us an excellent deal on a cruise. We simply told them the dates we had off, our spending budget and what stops we were most interested in making and they found the perfect vacation for us. They are extremely responsive whenever you email them an inquiry and work hard to ensure you are completely satisfied. I will be calling them up whenever I am planning a vacation.
River Cruising Education
Working with Chris and her husband was the first time we'd ever used a travel agent. Not only did they take all the stress off of us, but we learned a lot about the various options that were out there for us in the world of travel that we didn't know of - and we thought we knew a lot. They were thorough and great to work with.
Exploring Canada by Rail
Gary and Christine provided us with outstanding service. Their prime consideration was to tailor their work to precisely what we wanted. They provided connections, options, and advice that would have taken us a lot of time to research online. And then they gathered the entire itinerary into a portfolio putting in one place all of the important details. We would most highly recommend their agency.
Happy Repeat Cruising Family
I've had the pleasure of having Christine and Gary help me with more than a few cruises now. They've been able to help me navigate the cancel / re-book process that we unfortunately fell into and made sure we eventually ended up where we wanted to be. They've also been able to guide me on selecting cabins and ships that best suit our family, even making recommendations based on our preferences when I forget that we have certain ones. We've had excellent experiences with the cruises we've already completed, with one more already booked and the thought process started as to what we are going to do next. We'll be coming back to Gary and Christine for those future ones too.
Feasting in the Caribbean
Chris and Gary are absolutely the best travel agents we have ever worked with. After taking a cruise we booked direct with a line last year, we were unhappy with the service provided at the level of suite we booked. Both my wife and I were raised old school and appreciate the elevated service levels and finer experiences that are available if you are ok spending to receive said experiences. That said, all I had to do was explain what I wanted, and expected, and give my budget, and Chris and Gary set up exactly what we wanted on a line (Royal Caribbean in this case) that would deliver the experience we were looking for. They have since booked even better experiences on new ships and destinations for us later in 2022 and into 2023, and will continue to do so for us as long as we can afford to play, and they're in business. We very much appreciate the extra effort they take on each booking. Can't wait to sail on Beyond in November, and see Alaska in 2023 with their help.