Our Leadership Team

As Vice President of Cruise Specialists, Teresa oversees the group, shore excursion and administrative teams. Prior to Cruise Specialists, Teresa worked shore side and on board ships for a premium cruise line in various roles including human resources, shore excursions and marine hotel operations, and also took time to complete her MBA in International Business at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Teresa’s mostly behind-the-scenes group of talented individuals is dedicated to providing the best customer service possible for our clients before, during and after their cruises. Teresa is happy to share knowledge of her experience sailing on Windstar, Viking Ocean, Azamara, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, Viking River, Viking Ocean, AmaWaterways, Avalon and Uniworld.

Susan Rios leads the Cruise Consultant team at Cruise Specialists. Her passion for the cruise industry has taken many forms, including as a Cruise Consultant and Director of Reservations for a large cruise company, as well as beginning her career by working on board cruise ships. Susan finds the experience of having worked both onboard as well as in the head office of a cruise line is invaluable in knowing how to accomplish what a client needs. She has cruised extensively through Europe, China, the South Pacific, Alaska, the Caribbean and Mexico. Susan also regularly participates in cruise line inspections to ensure she is knowledgeable about the very latest developments from each cruise line. Susan is delighted to bring all of her experiences together at Cruise Specialists.

John Bell leads the Marketing team for Cruise Specialists, ensuring that our clients receive the most relevant and valuable offers from the cruise lines they are most interested in. John’s travel industry career began at Golden Bear/American Express, and he has held a variety of roles in IT and Marketing. John leads a team of dedicated professionals who create Cruise Specialists’ print brochures, newsletters, emails, blog posts and social media content that stirs interest from potential and current clients. John has led efforts to help Cruise Specialists become a more data-driven business, ensuring travelers receive offers that will appeal to them. He also works with our cruise consultants and sales team to watch for the latest trends in what is popular with our guests.

John believes that travel creates some of the most significant memories of people’s lives and this fuels his passion and guides his work each day.

As Director of Operations, Erika overseas the event, group, shore excursion and administrative teams. Prior to joining Cruise Specialists, Erika spent several years at Holland America in the shore excursion department. She has over 20 years in the luxury retail industry in both design and project management. She is adept at driving operational excellence, optimizing processes, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. She possesses a unique blend of artistic vision and strategic leadership skills, coupled with passion for providing unparalleled service in the luxury cruise and travel industry.

Throughout her many years in the cruise business, Annie has built her career across virtually every aspect of the industry, all with an eye on ultimately improving the overall customer experience. Annie joined Cruise Specialists in 2013 from Cruise Advisors, Inc., a major force in the Alaska cruise market. In previous roles with Tour Alaska, Inc., she was integral in pioneering the “Route of the Glaciers” cruise itinerary and developing the highly-popular concept of private dome railcar travel through Alaska.

At Cruise Specialists, our passion for exploring the world is as strong as ever, and we remain committed to providing our guests with truly life-enriching travel experiences. Annie’s focus is to continue enhancing our programs to ensure our guests’ enjoyment.

Janet Olczak-Lanterman founded Cruise Specialists in 1987 after sailing for many years as a registered nurse for major cruise lines. The company has grown from a one-person operation to an office of over forty dedicated professionals. Janet has been quoted as an expert in the cruise industry in many national publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel Agent Magazine, National Geographic Traveler and Voyage magazine. Janet also remains an active leader in the on-going life of the company and the cruise industry.