Cruise Specialists Blog

Luxury Cruise News & Reviews

Blog Home / Cruise Lines / Holland America World Cruise Reviews

2018 Holland America Grand Voyage Cruise Specialists Send Off

Justin Gibson

One of the most interesting things about holding an occasion such as the Holland America Grand World Voyage send-off is the time to connect with the guests who we’ve been planning this amazing trip for months!

It’s a chance to set the tone for a fun, carefree travel experience and one of the many benefits we love being able to provide. It’s fun for our guests to meet each other, it’s fun for us to see their excitement and it’s a bit of a last minute check-in before sailing away for 113 days!

Our Dedicated Team

Our fabulous team of Holly Fraser, Teresa Tennant, Bridgett Quinn, Sara Falduti, Maggie Blehert and Annie Scrivanich were on hand to welcome everyone, give them their gifts, help them find any last minute whoops I forgot items and just chat (they have some of the most fascinating travel stories!).

Plus, the 2018 World Cruise Hosts, Tom Mullen, Wendy & Steve Bodenheimer, John & Jean Peterson and our Grand South America Hosts Henk & Lucia Barnhoorn and Kevin LaGraff & Susan Atkins were available to not only mingle among guests, but for our  family dinner on Jan. 2nd.   It was the first time that we have had so many hosts together and was very special!
Many of our guests are repeat sailors, who know these hosts well and love the chance to reconnect. Meanwhile, it provided a moment for new cruisers and solo cruisers to find a point of connection and comfort before leaving.

Welcome to Fort Lauderdale

Upon arrival at the hotel, most guests were immediately welcomed curbside by us, their luggage sorted to be stored to be taken directly to the ship or to their hotel room.

The Porte Cochere main entrance is a short, level walk to our Cruise Specialists hospitality desk and a few additional steps to the front desk, which meant finishing off that first leg of travel was fast and easy!
As we greeted our clients they received their Cruise Specialists World Cruise embroidered items, shore tour tickets, hand-written bon voyage cards and additional details regarding their stay in Ft. Lauderdale (like an afternoon shuttle to the nearby mall for forgotten items!).

Bon Voyage Dinner

The early evening found us enjoying drinks and dinner with everyone.

While we’ve always enjoyed the fun of connecting again with our repeat guests, it was wonderful to see 34 new faces and over 63 solo travelers! It contributed to a relaxed, friendly atmosphere throughout the evening, as everyone felt ready to connect and embark on this adventure together.

We were honored with the presence of Orlando Ashford, President of Holland America Line and Gerald Bernhoft, Director of the Mariner Club and John Lovell, President of Cruise Specialists at our evening festivities and at the ship during embarkation for our President’s Club guests.

It’s truly a unique gift to show our guests, just how important they are to Holland America. The cruise line really values the group that we bring onboard and goes out of their way to ensure everyone has the best experience.

Departure Day

Then suddenly it was time for the big day! This is most definitely one of the things our guests say sets their experience apart from traveling with anyone else.

First, we ensure they get to board as early as possible.
Second, we’ve got an organized charter bus system to transport them.
Third, they don’t need to think about their luggage, we’ve got that handled!

Most guests were transferred to the ship between 10:00am-11:00am, ensuring they all boarded the ship early and avoided long lines during embarkation.  So, our group arrived at the ship happy and relaxed.

There’s so much more to this send off than the logistics, it’s truly a night of fun, connection and enjoyment. We can’t wait to hear the stories from this years Grand Voyage and help future guests create their own wonderful memories.

Start planning for your own 2020 World Cruise >>

(That’s right most 2019 sailings are already sold out!!)

 

More from my site

  • 2017 Grand South America Voyage: Brazil2017 Grand South America Voyage: Brazil
  • 2017 Grand Voyage: The Canary Islands2017 Grand Voyage: The Canary Islands
  • 2017 Holland America Grand World Voyage Cruise Recap2017 Holland America Grand World Voyage Cruise Recap
  • 2017 Grand Voyage: The Caribbean2017 Grand Voyage: The Caribbean

Holland America World Cruise Reviews

SEARCH ARTICLES

Article Categories

  • Cruise Destinations
    • Africa Cruise Reviews
    • Alaska Cruise Reviews
    • Amazon Cruise Reviews
    • Antarctica Cruise Reviews
    • Arctic Cruise Reviews
    • Asia Cruise Reviews
    • Australia/New Zealand
    • Baltic Cruise Reviews
    • Canada/New England Cruise Reviews
    • Caribbean Cruise Reviews
    • Cuba Cruise Reviews
    • Europe Cruise Reviews
    • Galapagos Cruise Reviews
    • Grand Voyages
    • Hawaii Cruise Reviews
    • Iceland/Greenland
    • Mediterranean Cruise Reviews
    • Mexico Cruise Reviews
    • Panama Canal Cruise Reviews
    • Scandinavia and Northern Europe Cruise Reviews
    • South America Cruise Reviews
    • South Pacific Cruise Reviews
    • Transatlantic Cruise Reviews
    • World Cruise Reviews
  • Cruise FAQs
  • Cruise Lines
    • Abercrombie & Kent Reviews
    • AmaWaterways Cruise Reviews
    • American Cruise Line Reviews
    • American Queen Voyages Reviews
    • Aqua Expeditions Reviews
    • Atlas Ocean Voyages Reviews
    • Avalon Cruise Reviews
    • Azamara Cruise Reviews
    • Celebrity Cruise Reviews
    • Celebrity Galapagos Cruise Reviews
    • Cunard Cruise Reviews
    • Cunard World Cruise Reviews
    • Disney Cruise Reviews
    • Explora Journeys Cruise Reviews
    • Holland America Line Cruise Reviews
    • Holland America World Cruise Reviews
    • Hurtigruten Reviews
    • Lindblad/National Geographic Reviews
    • Norwegian Cruise Line Reviews
    • Oceania Cruise Reviews
    • Oceania World Cruise Reviews
    • Paul Gauguin Cruise Reviews
    • Ponant Cruise Reviews
    • Princess Cruise Reviews
    • Quark Expeditions Reviews
    • Regent Cruise Reviews
    • Regent Seven Seas Cruise
    • Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
    • Royal Caribbean Cruise Reviews
    • Scenic Eclipse Discovery Yacht Reviews
    • Scenic River Cruise Reviews
    • Seabourn Cruise Reviews
    • Seabourn Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea World Cruise Reviews
    • Star Clippers Cruise Reviews
    • Tauck Cruise and Tauck Land Tour Reviews
    • UnCruise Adventures Reviews
    • Uniworld River Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Ocean Cruise Reviews
    • Virgin Voyages
    • Windstar Cruise Reviews
    • Zegrahm Expeditions
  • Cruise News
  • Cruise Ports
  • Cruise Specialists Benefits
  • Expedition Cruises
  • Hosted Cruises
  • Ralph Grizzle
  • River Cruises
  • Ship Reviews
  • Solo Cruising
  • Tom Mullen
  • Tours, Trains & Resorts
    • Palace Resorts Reviews
    • Safari Reviews
    • Shore Excursions
    • Trains

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Maggie Blehert

Her ideal travel day: venturing to a new place, learning something interesting and sharing a smile.
View My Blog Posts

Steve and Wendy Bodenheimer
Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts reporting on their round the world journeys.
View My Blog Posts

Ralph Grizzle

The Avid Cruiser. Well-traveled and insightful. Helping you make informed cruise decisions.
View My Blog Posts

FOLLOW US ON

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter