Jackie Matthews

Cruise vacations and large group cruises are my specialty and I love my work! I coordinated my first group cruise in 1990, have over 44 years of cruise and world travel experience to 32 countries (and counting), and am certified in Group Travel and Accessible Travel. I have elite booking status on the world’s top ocean and river cruise lines - which means I have access to private inventories not open to the public and additional amenities and valuable travel perks to help your travel dollars go farther.Cruising with a group - whether it's your church, club, company, or a family reunion- is a wonderful way to travel. You unpack once, visit numerous countries and exciting ports of call, and get to share amazing experiences.

But cruising with a group requires a specific skill set, a much higher degree of planning and organization, to get it right. If done well, everyone has a fabulous experience and leaves the trip asking, “Where are we going next?” But if the group does not have good organization and communication from beginning to end, people can feel frustrated, anxious and unhappy, leaving you - the group leader -  stressed and losing sleep. Over the years, I have developed a protocol that enables me to effectively plan and book large groups of people on cruise vacations. My services include (but are not limited to) negotiating with the cruise lines for best pricing, cabin locations and amenities for your group, coordinating transfers, pre- and post-cruise hotel nights, transportation, communication with all members (via cruise night in-person or virtual events, emails, private Facebook page, etc. ), and coordinating on-board experiences and shore excursions that are exclusive for your group. I work hard to make sure you, as the leader, do not lose sleep or have to deal with a million phone calls because someone dropped the ball. I handle the myriad of details. You go and make memories! 

My process, developed from years of travel, starts with a fun conversation. As we talk, I can often uncover things you may not have thought of but are very important to the success and enjoyment of your trip. So, whether you are considering a family vacation, a reunion with all the cousins and grandparents, a wedding vow renewal with friends and family, a gal pal getaway on a cruise ship, a trip for your club or company off-site, let's talk. Your next adventure awaits!