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Dan Twomey / Expedition Cruise Expert
Dan Twomey

Dan Twomey

Seattle, WA Cruise Specialist
Years of Experience: 25+
50 Reviews | 100% Recommended

Expedition Cruise Expert

California Coast
California Coast

One of the more exciting trends we are seeing in cruising is the expansion of expedition cruising. This concept puts you onto a small ship and takes you to the remote corners of the world with naturalists and cultural experts to really delve into, and understand, the world around us.

As part of my professional bio, I appreciate the opportunity to educate you more on this topic, so you can understand more about expedition cruising and why you benefit from having a professional Cruise Consultant reserve your expedition cruise for you.     

In the past, expedition cruising was not really known as a luxury venture. That is changing dramatically as several luxury cruise lines — and I mean true luxury: Seabourn and Viking have both built and debuted brand new, custom-built luxury expedition ships. They join Silversea as a luxury line already in the expedition business for more than a decade.

There are several other expedition cruise lines that have decades of experience in expeditions, and these companies laid the foundation for modern expedition cruising. One of those companies is Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic. They have been leading expeditions around the globe since the late 1960s — including Antarctica, the Galápagos and many other pristine regions.

My Expedition Experience

I had the good fortune to experience Lindblad/National Geographic in 2019 as part of an experiential education trip in the San Francisco Bay area. Although the Bay Area is my home, this 5-day “Wild California Escape” provided me with fresh insight on this beautiful part of North America. And because of this experience, I’m more qualified to assist you in arranging your expedition voyage.

Our expedition cruise began aboard National Geographic Venture, with a departure from San Francisco. We cruised along the California coast to Angel Island, a National Historic Landmark and the largest natural island in San Francisco Bay. Venture then sailed to Monterey Bay, an epicenter for biodiversity; then Vallejo, located at the southern tip of California wine country; and, finally a return to San Francisco.

This trip was much different than a typical ocean cruise. Being such a small ship, we were able to reach so many places that a larger ship could not. We easily stepped on and off Zodiacs for quick access to nature on land. The smaller number of passengers led to a sense of immediacy and camaraderie with our fellow guests. And the educational nature goes above and beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. We enjoyed Recaps after dinner and made plans for the following day. We heard from marine biologists and other experts not only in formal presentations but in casual conversations we were able to strike up on board. We saw plenty of whales, dolphins and seals and it was amazing to see so many in their natural environment. Our ship was able to easily change direction or take the time to follow wildlife along – something you could never do on a larger ship that is on a strict timetable.  

Additionally, there were fun cultural aspects, such as a trip to the renowned Culinary Institute of America, at Copia. We had two winery stops, participated in a cooking demonstration and enjoyed a lunch, with wine pairings, prepared at the Culinary Institute.

The Ship Itself

I stayed in a suite with a small balcony and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors. This provided a great way to look out at the beautiful landscapes day or night. Bathrooms were stocked with botanically inspired hair products, soap and shower gels. In the spirit of eco-friendliness, rather than having plastic water bottles on the vessel, metal ones were available for use throughout the voyage. The meals served aboard were fresh, local and sourced from suppliers who share Lindblad’s values of sustainability. Breakfast and lunch were served buffet style, while dinner was a plated meal.

The ship was certainly comfortable, but with this type of expedition, it is not really meant to be about the ship. It’s about the experience with nature; what the experts can teach you about the outside world; where you are going and what you are learning. 

Is an Expedition Cruise Right for You?

If you are considering an Expedition Cruise, it’s important to have an expectation that if you want to get the most out of this trip, that you are mobile enough to take in the hikes and board the Zodiacs. This type of active adventure is what sets expedition cruising apart.

Fellow guests are curious and ask a lot of questions. If you’re the type who enjoys an outdoor-focused, activity-filled day, followed by a relaxing evening and perhaps more discussion with a glass of wine, then an expedition cruise may be perfect for you! I’d be delighted to discuss Lindblad/National Geographic or any of the other growing expedition options with you and select one that will exceed your expectations.

 

My Areas of Expertise

Destinations

  • Antarctica
  • Galapagos Islands
  • Arctic Ocean
  • South Pacific
  • Australia

Interests

  • Small Ship Cruises
  • Luxury Cruises

Supplier

  • Silversea
  • Atlas Ocean Voyages
  • Tauck
  • Seabourn

Certificates & Awards

Certified ASTA Travel Agent

My Reviews

Rating: 5 50 Reviews | 100% Recommended

  • Dan Takes Care of Us

    Reviewed By Richard - Boca Raton | Traveled to Scandinavia
    Working with Dan is always great because he responds right away. He's worked out some great deals us and have saved us money in the past when a better price was offered. We have some more cruises planned with Dan
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    114 of 192 people found this review helpful
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  • Travel Agent

    Reviewed By Myrna - Warminster | Traveled to Alaska
    Excellent planning
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    112 of 191 people found this review helpful
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  • Voyage

    Reviewed By Mary - Los Angeles | Traveled to New Zealand
    Very easy to work with
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    105 of 182 people found this review helpful
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  • Recent Regent cruise

    Reviewed By Robert - Tucson | Traveled to Mediterranean
    Dan did an excellent job. Selected a very nice cabin and location on our cruise and followed up with multiple airline schedule changes and was always on top of issues that came up. Communicates quickly and well.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    105 of 185 people found this review helpful
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  • The great relationship Continues

    Reviewed By Stan - Grover | Traveled to Rhine River
    Dan has been our agent for several years. We know Dan has a huge following but we always feel that he always provides personal service that exceeds expectations.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    107 of 189 people found this review helpful
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  • Frequent Traveler

    Reviewed By Ann - Raleigh | Traveled to Australia
    DAN TWOMEY is a caring, attentive professional Travel Agent who follows through on my requests for information. I have booked 2 long tours with him this year & one for 2020 and one already for 2021. I am able to communicate with him while I am on a ship or at home. I feel loyal to him because of the assistance he has given to me and my husband in the past and for future travel. He is a credit to Cruise Specialists & I am certain is appreciated by his clients!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    106 of 188 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan Twomey

    Reviewed By Hank - Austin | Traveled to Caribbean
    Great Always gets it right
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    101 of 179 people found this review helpful
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  • Excellent

    Reviewed By Helen - Mission | Traveled to Douro River
    Dan is a joy to work with. He has original idea & works his head off to please me. I hope you know what a jewel you have. Helen I.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    108 of 193 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan Really Works For Us

    Reviewed By Richard - Elm Grove, WI | Traveled to World Cruise
    Dan is always watching for better deals for us. He offered us a nice upgrade at a very reasonable price. We highly recommend him!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    108 of 194 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan

    Reviewed By Ramona - Jupiter | Traveled to Europe
    Dan is definitely customer focused
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    94 of 167 people found this review helpful
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  • Great help!

    Reviewed By Susan - Jackson | Traveled to Japan
    Always answers inquiries in a timely fashion!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    103 of 185 people found this review helpful
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  • A Super Cruise Specialist

    Reviewed By Susanne - Rancho Palos Verdes | Traveled to World Cruise
    Dan Twomey is a expert travel agent who always responds promptly to questions and takes care of all our booking needs efficiently. He is well-versed in the layouts of ships we are considering. For our last few cruises we just asked him to pick our stateroom for us! His advice on airline connections to our cruises is always helpful and he usually makes our arrangements. We value his services.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    104 of 188 people found this review helpful
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  • Dependable

    Reviewed By Barbara - Bellingham, WA | Traveled to Panama Canal
    Dan has planned a number of cruises for me over the past few years. He is knowledgeable on the ins and outs of this form of travel and has suggestions that I, who considers herself a fairly knowledgeable traveler, hasn't thought of. Dan unfailingly gets back to me within the day whenever I email him
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    97 of 174 people found this review helpful
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  • Cruise

    Reviewed By Rosemary - Phoenix | Traveled to Alaska
    He was very helpful and answered my questions fast.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    93 of 166 people found this review helpful
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  • Southern Caribbean on Holland America Kongingsdam

    Reviewed By John - El Paso | Traveled to Caribbean
    Amazing. Thanks Dan for helping us book this wonderful cruise!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    103 of 186 people found this review helpful
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  • Consistently Good Service

    Reviewed By Betty Ann - Renton | Traveled to Alaska
    Dan did a good job as usual. Everything was done on time and when we book through him we always know we will be taken of. We were able to secure a good upgrade just before the cruise which was nice.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    107 of 195 people found this review helpful
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  • GOOD CRUISE TRAVEL SERVICE

    Reviewed By James - Flower Mound | Traveled to South America
    During last two years he has booked several excellent long cruises for me. Dan is courteous, helpful, knowledgeable, and efficient.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    113 of 207 people found this review helpful
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  • Great trip from start to finish

    Reviewed By Kelly - Victoria | Traveled to Panama Canal
    Dan was great - kept me informed of everything and always had an answer for my questions. Trip went without one problem. Will definitely be calling him the next time we go.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    107 of 195 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan Twomey

    Reviewed By Nola - Lafayette Hill | Traveled to Trans-Atlantic
    Very responsive.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    104 of 190 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan

    Reviewed By Sharon - Jupiter | Traveled to Antartica
    He helped so much before the trip. Thank you
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    101 of 184 people found this review helpful
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  • Advisor

    Reviewed By Elmer - Layfayette | Traveled to Antartica
    We can always depend on Dan to make our best arrangements. He is quick to reply to our calls. We know we can depend on him to take of any problem that we might think we have. He is polite and makes us feel that he is our best friend. We couldn't ask for a better person.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    99 of 180 people found this review helpful
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  • Russia Trip

    Reviewed By Betty - Tucson | Traveled to Europe
    Dan is always quick to response and helps resolve problems. Easy to work with.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    89 of 160 people found this review helpful
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  • Travel while you can

    Reviewed By Robin - Rochester | Traveled to Caribbean
    terrific--he is organized and well informed
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    100 of 183 people found this review helpful
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  • working with Dan Twomey

    Reviewed By Daniel - Bridgewater | Traveled to Greece
    Concise, adept, and swift. He's the 'real deal'!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    100 of 183 people found this review helpful
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  • Great travel consultant

    Reviewed By Judy - Ewing | Traveled to Mexico
    Dan is always a joy to work with. He gets answers to our questions quickly and gives us quotes quickly as well. He is easy to contact throughout our planning.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    105 of 193 people found this review helpful
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  • Great advisor

    Reviewed By David - Lafayette Hill | Traveled to Europe
    Dan helped us put together a river cruise to France with Scenic river cruise company. He was able to get us free tickets to the Lido show in Paris. Scenic has a difficult webpage to navigate and getting information from them is sometimes difficult but Dan was able to work through these barriers. We truly appreciated his persistence.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    103 of 190 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan Twomey

    Reviewed By Anne - Kerrville | Traveled to Mediterranean
    Dan was very helpful. He was always prompt with his response either by phone or email. The only issue we had was confirming seats on our flights. It was a difficult process for me to do the seat selections since the flights were booked through the agency. Dan was helpful with this.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    96 of 176 people found this review helpful
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  • Great Cruise Advisor!

    Reviewed By Marsha - Braselton | Traveled to Alaska
    Dan is friendly, very efficient and prompt in responding to my questions. I recommend him highly!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    101 of 186 people found this review helpful
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  • Collectors Med

    Reviewed By Carole - San Diego | Traveled to Mediterranean
    Very good despite the time difference in location
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    94 of 173 people found this review helpful
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  • DT

    Reviewed By James - Bellevue, WA | Traveled to World Cruise
    Dan walked us through everything. He is extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions. He worked very hard to get things just right for us. I would highly recommend Dan to anyone interested in travel.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    97 of 179 people found this review helpful
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  • Fantastic Helper

    Reviewed By Sheldon - Rochester | Traveled to Trans-Atlantic
    Fantastic!! He really is fantastic. Takes care of everything.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    96 of 178 people found this review helpful
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  • Viking

    Reviewed By Suki - Cove | Traveled to Scandinavia
    Great, he actively seeks ways to make our travel experience the best.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    96 of 178 people found this review helpful
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  • Well Done

    Reviewed By Thomas - Palm Beach, FL | Traveled to Tahiti
    Dan is very easy to work with. He gets back to me when I leave messages and follows through.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    96 of 178 people found this review helpful
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  • Great trip

    Reviewed By Barbara - Lake Havasu City | Traveled to Iceland
    Dan has helped me plan by trips for the last several years and I have been extremely pleased with his service. He has kept me up to date on all things and has gotten up the best offers he could. I will continue to use his services.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    97 of 181 people found this review helpful
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  • Satisfaction

    Reviewed By Helen - Charlotte | Traveled to South America
    I am so, so happy to have Dan as my travel agent. He really knocks himself out to please and believe me, he succeeds!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    104 of 195 people found this review helpful
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  • Mediterranean cruise on Regent

    Reviewed By Kathryn - Tulsa | Traveled to Mediterranean
    Very easy. He is very prompt in his responses.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    92 of 171 people found this review helpful
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  • 2019 World Cruise

    Reviewed By Carol - Wilmington | Traveled to World Cruise
    Extremely satisfied.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    89 of 165 people found this review helpful
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  • Review of Dan Twomey

    Reviewed By Leland - Denver | Traveled to Europe
    Working with Dan is always very easy.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    90 of 168 people found this review helpful
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  • Panama Canal 2019

    Reviewed By Tim - Palo Alto | Traveled to Panama Canal
    Easy. He is very knowledgeable and makes the process of setting up the perfect trip easy. Whenever I had a question (and there were many!), I would get an immediate response. No question was too silly. I have had the pleasure of working with Dan on several cruises and will ask for him again on my next trip.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    107 of 202 people found this review helpful
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  • British Isles

    Reviewed By Diana - Benalla Vic | Traveled to Europe
    Dan was superb and arranged everything for us! He was patient with our questions and gave expert advice. Highly recommend him!
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    103 of 195 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan does it all

    Reviewed By Glenn - Marlborough | Traveled to Japan
    Dan is professional, helpful and reassuring. We are older travelers and he knows just what to do for us. He is a professional and it shows.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    97 of 185 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan is a personable professional

    Reviewed By Kathleen - Lakewood | Traveled to South Pacific
    Dan is a pleasure to work with. He has a terrific sense of humor and is never too busy to listen to a cruise experience or to look up some information about your particular travel issues. If you call him with a question, he will respond the same day if he doesn't have the answer immediately. After our recent cruise, he was reviewing our future cruise documents and called to question whether we had booked two cruises back to back with no possibility of making connections. We had not done so, but were grateful that he caught the error before we were asked for payment.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    99 of 191 people found this review helpful
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  • A Pleasure to Work With

    Reviewed By Vera - Florida | Traveled to World Cruise ~ Other
    Dan has booked 3 cruises for me and my family. He has always been courteous, professional and prompt in getting back to me. His knowledge and experience has been invaluable in choosing cruises, cabins and securing great pricing. Will be definitely be working with him in the future.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    101 of 196 people found this review helpful
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  • World Cruise - HAL

    Reviewed By Mimi - Ringgold | Traveled to World Cruise
    Dan has been great - responsive, professional, and down-to-earth. We enjoyed working with him, and look forward to doing so again
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    99 of 193 people found this review helpful
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  • Great Travel Agent

    Reviewed By Virginia - Carlsbad | Traveled to Mediterranean
    Extremely responsive and efficient. Provides whatever level of response you need. Very knowledgeable.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    94 of 183 people found this review helpful
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  • seabourn cruise

    Reviewed By Bob - Seattle | Traveled to Mediterranean
    skilled, friendly and pro-active
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    94 of 184 people found this review helpful
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  • Viking review

    Reviewed By Brian - Bloomington, IN | Traveled to Scandinavia
    Great advisor. Always keeps the customer in mind first.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    86 of 169 people found this review helpful
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  • He did his job

    Reviewed By Teresa - Norwalk | Traveled to World Cruise
    Dan took over from my regular travel agent that moved to another agency. He handled the reservation adequately.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    84 of 166 people found this review helpful
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  • Cruise

    Reviewed By Eleanor - Ringgold, GA | Traveled to Alaska
    Dan was very helpful to basically first time cruisers. It had been 19 yrs since we last took a cruise. His recommendations for staterooms was especially good. We loved having a private balcony were we could get away from the noise & the crowds on the other decks. Also Dan's assistant, Marie, was get when I got a little panic stricken as our sailing date got closer. She did some hand holding & calmed me down. I definitely would be happy to work with Dan again in the future.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    107 of 212 people found this review helpful
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  • Dan Twomey is great

    Reviewed By Roberta - Melbourne, FL | Traveled to Canada
    Dan always takes good care of his customers. He quickly responds to questions and provides excellent explanations anf good follow-up.
    I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
    100 of 205 people found this review helpful
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My Travel Experience

Places I’ve personally traveled to or destinations I’ve booked for my clients.