Experts to serve you, ship to shore
During your cruise you’ll be well taken of. Your Cruise Director will provide briefings about upcoming ports, coordinate social and cultural activities on board ship, and generally make sure that your experience is the best it can be. If your program includes a land stay (or if you have chosen an optional extension), you will also enjoy the services of the Cruise Director at your hotel, which can help you plan your exploration.
CRUISE DIRECTORS MAKE YOUR TRIP "SMOOTH SAILING"
Your Vantage small ship journey will be led by a seasoned Cruise Director who’s job it is to see to your comfort and satisfaction. Think of him or her as your onboard “host,” the person to turn to with questions about your itinerary, updates on the day’s activities, reservations for optional tours, and so much more.
Sinisa Diklic
Originally from Croatia, Sinisa has lived in many places over the years, including the U.K., Turkey, Greece, and Spain. He received his guide license from Zagreb, and since then has worked as a guide in Greece, Austria, Hungary, Albania, Slovenia. . . his list goes on and on! Besides showing a destination around, all Sinisa wants is to help travelers learn about the everyday life of the people who live in the country they are visiting, which sometimes, he says, “can be very different from their own.” Sinisa loves to share his knowledge with his guests — and see the happy faces at the end of the tour!
FROM START TO FINISH, PROGRAM MANAGERS ARE THERE
To ensure your fullest satisfaction, you’ll also enjoy the services of a dedicated Program Manager to coordinate shore activities, organize entertainment programs, and oversee operations, including embarkation and disembarkation. When you’re traveling on a pre- or post-trip extension, your Program Manager will also join you to make sure your experience is top-notch from start to finish.
Filippo Camerlengo
Before becoming a licensed guide, Fillippo was fascinated and inspired by guides for their knowledge and for being the true cultural ambassadors of their cities and countries. Fillippo is a certified tour guide in Norway and a certified tour manager and guide in Italy. Some of his favorite places to visit include Norway, Portugal, Morocco, and his native Italy. “I want people to know how is feel to be a local by showing them what local people do,” he said. Though today you can buy anything online, Filippo says magnets are always a great travel souvenir, and when Vantage travelers join him in Italy, he encourages them to buy handmade glass candies made on Murano island in Venice.
NEW! CONCIERGE SERVICE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND
If you have a special desire or personal interest that you'd like to pursue while abroad, you have an inside track: your Vantage Concierge. This new service is available to all travelers, no matter what cabin category or flight class you’ve reserved (making us the best among other deluxe travel companies!). Whether you want to plan an anniversary party, want to track down a bit of your family’s heritage in China, or organize an intimate pub crawl for your multigenerational group of family and friends in Ireland, your Vantage Concierge is just the person to make your travel dreams come true. Simply log in to My Portfolio and submit a request or send a pre-trip request to Concierge@vantagetravel.com up until two weeks prior to departure and you'll have your answer from our overseas Concierge within five business days.
Svetlyo Stoyanov
Originally from Bulgaria, Svetlyo has worked as a Vantage Concierge for years and loves helping travelers customize their experience in any port. Thanks to years of sailing Europe's rivers, Svetlyo possesses a deep regional knowledge of dozens of ports of call — and he loves leading bicycle tours and assisting guests with everything from finding the perfect gift in town to making suggestions on local street foods that can't be missed. A huge photography buff, Svetlyo is never shy about offering photography tips — or snapping the perfect photo for Vantage guests.
REGIONAL EXPERTS IN EACH PORT
No one knows a destination better than an insider, so in addition to your Cruise Director, you’ll enjoy the services of experienced, English-speaking regional experts in select locations during your included tours. Their deep command of regional history will certainly enrich your viewing of important attractions. But our “insiders” go a step beyond, sharing insights on behind-the-scenes aspects of local culture that ordinary tours usually overlook. How do families in this area get by? What are some of the local legends? What do the decorations on a particular house mean? Your regional expert is eager to bring it all alive for you.
