Personal Travel Manager Sets Sights on Antarctic for 2024

Personal Travel Manager Sets Sights on Antarctic for 2024

Featured photo: TravelManagers’ Jennifer Dwyer (2nd row, far right) after one of many excursions she enjoyed during her Silversea Cruises Arctic famil

Having held Master Cruise consultant status for more than 20 years, TravelManagers’ Jennifer Dwyer has experienced a vast range of cruise lines and destinations. A recent Silversea Cruises famil which took her to some of the most beautiful and remote areas of Scandinavia and the Arctic provided the personal travel manager (PTM) from Monash, ACT, with incredible memories and fresh inspiration for selling cruise holidays.

“I cannot speak highly enough of Silversea Cruises: every single staff member had a wonderful attitude and were beyond dedicated in making sure our trip was the best it could possibly be,” she reports. “From the check-in staff who greeted us at our pre-cruise accommodation in Oslo to the Captain of the ship, and all the amazing Expedition staff we encountered during our cruise, the pride everyone took in their roles and in welcoming us onto the ship was quite extraordinary.”

Dwyer says she was delighted to be able to share the experience with her husband, along with six other travel agents from Australia and New Zealand and their partners. Silversea Cruises’ National Account Manager, Nathen Burke, and his wife, completed the group of fifteen who participated in the famil.

Having embarked from Tromsø in the north of Norway, the ship headed even further north to Bear Island. The ten-day itinerary also included further stops within the remote Svalbard archipelago, before cruising south through the Greenland and Iceland Seas, disembarking in Reykjavik, Iceland.

“We were blessed with mostly calm seas and stunning weather, with each day’s activities something of a surprise because you never really know what sort of conditions the Arctic might throw at you,” she notes. “There was a heated spa pool and swimming pool onboard the ship, and I even summoned up the courage to take part in the ‘Polar Plunge’. I must confess to being secretly relieved when this was cancelled due to the swell conditions on that day, but there were plenty of other equally thrilling moments to make up for it.”

One such memorable highlight was the sighting of polar bears – Dwyer was thrilled to see two of them during the cruise. Every day delivered more spectacular scenery, which Dwyer says was matched by the spectacular service the group encountered throughout the cruise.

“The food and beverage staff always had a smile for each passenger and genuinely cared about ensuring that we were content. The Expedition Staff likewise went above and beyond every single day, and their knowledge and versatility amazed me. Overall, it was like travelling with friends we had known for years who were constantly on the lookout for ways to enhance our experience.”

According to Executive General Manager, Michael Gazal, TravelManagers’ PTMs are delighted at the many famil opportunities that have been offered by partner suppliers since the beginning of the year.

“In particular, there has been a high number of cruise famils offered across a broad range of destinations, including Alaska, Portugal and the Med. These famils are important not just because they provide the opportunity for PTMs to update their product knowledge, but also because it’s a chance for them to spread their wings and rekindle their own love of travel after two years of border restrictions.”

According to Dwyer, the only low point of the experience was having to say goodbye at the end of the cruise, but she already has plans in motion to ensure that she will be able to experience the magic of Silversea Cruises again, this time taking some of her clients along for the adventure.

“I’m planning a client function to share my experience in the Arctic, with the intention of putting together a group to visit Antarctica in 2024. It was the best cruise I’ve ever done (and I’ve done more than a few!), truly the trip of a lifetime.”