EXPERTS TO SERVE YOU, SHIP TO SHORE
During your cruise you’ll be well taken care of, including with daily briefings about upcoming ports conducted by your Cruise Director and an Expedition Team to guide your shore excursions, offer their insights into relevant topics in onboard lectures, and lead soft adventures, such as hiking, wildlife viewing, and more. Your Cruise Director is also the point person for coordinating social and cultural activities on the ship, and the person who will ensure that your experience is the best it can be. If your program includes a land stay (or if you’ve chosen an optional extension), you’ll also enjoy the service of a Program Manager to steward your journey to its very end.
CRUISE DIRECTORS MAKE YOUR TRIP "SMOOTH SAILING"
Your Vantage trip will be led by a seasoned Cruise Director who will ensure 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.
Enrique Virto
Peruvian-born Enrique has been to all seven continents and 50 countries. “I love to travel — I like to change weather, geography, terrains,” he says. “Traveling is feeling existence in-depth.” He studied history in Peru, philosophy in France, German in Germany, and obtained a license from tourism from the University of Peru. Travelers respond to Enrique’s zest for life and sense of humor. When you’re traveling with Enrique, look forward to “interacting with the locals, tasting typical food and drinks, listening to local music, and learning the spirit and philosophy of each place.” He adds, “We forget some information about the places we visit, but the things I mentioned before stay with the traveler.”
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.
Gaston McKay
Born in Buenos Aires, Gaston is an Argentinean and Italian tour guide who speaks Spanish, Portuguese, English, and French. He said that his parents were a great influence on his decision to become a tour guide, since they traveled around the world, besides the fact that he loved history and geography in high school. Holding a degree in Tourism from Moron University, in Argentina, Gaston has been leading groups for more than 15 years all over South America and Europe. His favorite destinations, he says, “are the perfect combination of nature, culture, and history — like Patagonia, the Amazon, and Europe!”
NEW! CONCIERGE SERVICE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND
Before your cruise, during your cruise, our worldwide Concierge is here to assist. If you have a special request or personal interest you’d like to pursue during your journey, let our worldwide Concierge work for you — and best of all, it’s complimentary for all travelers. If your cruise is still months away but you’d like to plan a party, track down a bit of your family’s heritage in one of your destinations, secure restaurant reservations, and beyond, we’ll get to planning early. Or, if you’re onboard and want to visit the spa, make hotel reservations, organize a pub crawl for family and friends, your onboard Concierge service can make your travel dreams come true.
To request Concierge service prior to your journey, simply log in to MyPortfolio, submit a pre-trip request to Concierge@vantagetravel.com, or call 1-888-982-6824 and you'll have your answer from our Concierge within two business days.
Kathleen Fitzgerald
With more than 30 years in the travel industry, Kathleen is something of a jack of all trades. “I’ve held roles in tour operations, sales and marketing, meeting and event planning, and more,” she says. But a few years ago, she decided to become a full-time guide. A self-dubbed “actress and a natural storyteller,” Kathleen enjoys sharing with others the places she loves and teaching Vantage travelers about the destinations that have intrigued her, including America’s national parks, Brazil, Germany, and the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. “I have a boundless sense of curiosity,” she adds. “I enjoy bringing a new place to life for my guests with information on history, current events, flora and the fauna, and geology.”
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 excursions. 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.
