In honor of throwback Thursday, we’re having a little fun looking back at all the wonderful World Cruise send off’s we’ve done in recent years. Next week our 2017 World Cruise guests will be making their way to Florida for a farewell gala, to meet their new travel friends and our fabulous world cruise hosts!
Here are some fun snippets from past voyages!
2013 Grand Asia Send Off
The 75-day Grand Asia and Far East Voyage on Holland America Line is an annual cruise that is eagerly anticipated at Cruise Specialists. Some of the cruise agency’s 155 guests were venturing on the exotic adventure on the ms Amsterdam for the first time, and for others, the trip is a special voyage they look forward to each year.
Bon Voyage Dinner and Hotel Stay in Vancouver
The majority of the guests arrived in Vancouver for a festive bon voyage dinner and hotel stay the night before the ship set sail. Upon arriving at the airport, many of them were happily greeted by staff from the Seattle and Novato Cruise Specialists offices and accompanied to their local shuttle to the hotel.
2014 Grand Voyage Send Off
No dragging around extra suitcases or hunting for a cab, just an air conditioned ride to check-in and sail away for their grand voyage. Cruise Specialists had three air-conditioned motorcoaches ready and waiting for transfer from the hotel to the pier on Sunday morning.
Other signs of the high-touch level of service provided by Cruise Specialists were evident throughout the weekend. Many of the Cruise Specialists cruise counselors and other staff were at the Seattle-Tacoma airport on Saturday morning, meeting and greeting their clients as they arrived at baggage claim.
They personally escorted them to the hotel shuttle, and a hospitality desk was in full swing at the hotel all day. Plus, after the motorcoach ride Sunday, Cruise Specialists staff was at the cruise terminal, circulating with clients as they waited to board the ship, and ensured everything went off without a hitch.
2015 Holland America Send Off
After arriving at the hotel, guests were greeted by long time hosts Henk andLucia Barnhoorn and Tom Mullen, along with Cruise Specialists consultants and our Senior Vice President Annie Scrivanich.We don’t just talk about making our clients feel special, we go the extra mile to ensure they are wrapped in it!
2016 Holland America World Cruise Send Off
We love throwing a great party and what better way to conclude our shore activities than with cocktails and a wonderful group dinner! Our friends from Holland America always join us for the festivities to welcome our guests in advance.
The cocktail party is a wonderful time for repeat world cruisers to share their thoughts with first timers, for solo cruisers to meet those they may have connected with on message boards and for our hosts Tom Mullen and Steven and Wendy Bodenheimer to begin learning what guests are going to need on board!
In fact, we often have past and future guests stop by because they’ve come to know our team and other cruisers so well!
Now the team anxiously awaits greeting old friends and meeting new at this years send off!
