Cruise Experts Travel, LTD.

Meet Our Staff

Search staff by area of expertise - click here.

32 Staff Members Found

Coleen Allan

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Areas of Expertise: Alaska | Canada | Cruises | Cruises - Mexico |

With over ten years of customer service and sales experience, Coleen has always loved to travel and experience different cultures the world over. Patience, professionalism, and dedication all come naturally to her and go a long way toward ensuring her clients get the cruise vacation they have always dreamed of.

Coleen caught the travel bug a few years ago when she wandered through Bali's Ubud Monkey Forest and snorkeled in Australia's breathtaking Great Barrier Reef . She has since experienced the rugged landscape of Alaska and has cruised the Baltic Sea, where she took in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Roundtower in Copenhagen, and Helsinki's Suomenlinna Island and Fortress.

What's next for Coleen? She plans to explore all that South America has to offer, including Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Peru's historic Machu Picchu.

Contact Coleen via email -- click here.

Carolynn Ashley

Graphics Assistant

Areas of Expertise:

Carolynn Ashley - Graphics Assistant

Contact Carolynn via email -- click here.

Joanna Chen

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Areas of Expertise: Alaska | Asia | Cruises | Cruises - Mexico |

A consummate planner, Joanna decided to combine her love of travel and desire to help people with her strong organization and research skills to become a Personal Cruise Specialist. She is delighted and proud to be a part of the Cruise Experts team, and looks forward to connecting with you and developing a great long-lasting relationship.

Providing unparalleled customer service is the #1 most important thing for Joanna. Having a strong knowledge base of the cruising product allows her to listen to your preferences and interests and make recommendations that best suit your vacation needs. She is warm, patient, honest and reliable and always strives to surpass your expectations in both a Cruise Specialist and for your dream holiday. Whatever destination you long to explore, she is keen to share her expertise and ensure that you have the most authentic and fulfilling experience in that corner of the world. Having first-hand tips and memories to share with clients is another bonus of having a cruise specialist who is hooked on travel! Some of her favorite globe-trotting highlights include doing a flightseeing tour over Mt. McKinley and its surrounding glaciers in Alaska , watching the sun set standing atop the Great Wall of China, and soaking up the romance and scenery of Portugal on her Douro River cruise.

Joanna ensures that every trip you experience with her goes smoothly by lending you her continuous support, knowledge and attention from your first conversation all the way until you come home from your cruise. So entrust your cruise holiday to Joanna and experience the comfort and ease of working with your own Personal Cruise Specialist.

Contact Joanna via email -- click here.

Vanny Chhan

Social Media Coordinator

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Vanny via email -- click here.

Heather Clifton

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Heather is a seasoned professional in the cruise industry with 15 years of experience. With every client interaction, she brings passion and vast knowledge. Heather is a Master Cruise Counsellor with CLIA, a Freestyle Cruise Specialist with NCL, and has reached Commodore status with Princess and Cunard.

Heather has sailed on all mass market cruise lines to such destinations as Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, and Hawaii. She has a wealth of knowledge about these destinations and plans on adding more places to it.

When Heather isn't busy at the Cruise Experts Travel office, she spends her spare time traveling. College Fjord in Alaska is her favorite destination to date. With the opportunity to see so many places while wonderful people are looking after your every need and not having to decide where to eat or where to stay, Heather can't imagine a more exciting, relaxing and carefree vacation than a cruise. Because Heather has made her passion her profession, you can be confident that you're getting the best service when she's planning your cruise vacation.

Days in the Office: Tuesday to Saturday

2011 Circle of Excellence Award

Contact Heather via email -- click here.

Sharl Cline

Director, Sales & Operations

Areas of Expertise:

Sharl's continued success in developing solutions as our Sales Manager is a result of her good nature and dedication to building strong relationships within teams. Acutely focused on maintaining quality as well as product knowledge, her main goal is to ensure that our Cruise Specialists provide only the most exceptional service to our valued clients. Being a part of the dedicated Cruise Experts team and turning clients' dreams into reality has provided her a new energy in her concentration.

Sharl's top experiences in life have included the following: waking to the sounds of hippos in South Africa, enjoying a helicopter trip in Alaska, exploring the mystifying Stonehenge, hiking the West Coast Trail in British Columbia and canoeing the Bowron Lakes. Sharl has been a resident of BC all her life and truly loves the West Coast!

Contact Sharl via email -- click here.

Monique Dillon

Cruise & Vacation Specialist

Areas of Expertise: Alaska | Cruises |

Helping people fulfill their dreams is what attracted Monique to the travel industry and what keeps her here. Prior to joining Cruise Experts Travel, Monique planned spectacular train vacations in Canada’s ruggedly beautiful western provinces with Rocky Mountaineer for four years.

Having travelled extensively, Monique has considerable passion for the Pacific Northwest and Europe, particularly France and Turkey. She is a born and raised Vancouverite and is a Northwest Specialist; she enjoys on a regular basis the many activities that make this part of the world an adventurer and nature lover’s paradise such as kayaking mighty rapid rivers; capturing on camera a whale breaching, spyhopping or lobtailing in the open ocean; and taking in the serenity while fishing. Highlights from her travels include being immersed in the cultural intersection of East and West that is Istanbul; wandering through the ancient ruins of Ephesus, rich in history and steeped in mythology; and swimming in the ancient, healing waters of Aphrodite.

Monique enjoys the arts and culture, making an effort to visit galleries and attend shows. In her spare time, she likes to travel with her young son and research for her next trip.

Contact Monique via email -- click here.

Sandy Drover

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Sandy graduated from a Travel & Tourism Program in 1989 and soon made this industry his career. He joined this family of Cruise Experts in February 2002 and it's been smooth sailing ever since!

Both selling and sailing on cruises quickly became a passion of Sandy's - right from the start he saw that cruising is a carefree and wonderful way to see the world. With his many years of experience in the cruise travel industry, he has gained a wealth of knowledge both about cruising and travel destinations the world over.

Sandy has sailed on over 20 cruises and 4 cruise land tours to such destinations as Alaska, Mexico, Caribbean, Bermuda, Italy, Spain, England, Greece, Turkey and France. He has also traveled to Australia and Hong Kong.

This, along with the valuable feedback he has received from his clients over the years makes Sandy confident that he is the right person to help you plan your next cruise vacation.

Contact Sandy via email -- click here.

Wes Ewing

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Wes' remarkable commitment to his clients has earned him an abundance of positive feedback and continuous praise. Precision, devotion and expertise are fundamental to his professional means of providing well-planned vacations. More than willing to put in the time and effort, he is truly dedicated to ensuring that he offers an elite level of customer service.

Traveling the world can be an incredible and exhilarating experience, and Wes enjoys being able to make this possible for his clients. He takes pride in his extensive knowledge of Alaska and the cruise experience, but also thrives in the fertile learning environment that the travel industry provides. Driven by his enthusiasm and knowledge of cruising, his long term goal is to experience each and every cruise destination in the world!

Contact Wes via email -- click here.

Gary Fix

Cruise & Vacation Specialist

Areas of Expertise: Alaska | Cruises |

Gary came to Cruise Experts Travel with extensive client services background from industries ranging in athletics to insurance to radio. He continues his commitment to helping others as a Cruise Specialist, making sure clients' vacation planning is as seamless as possible. Keeping up-to-date with the latest news and trends in the cruise industry is one way he ensures his clients get the best travel advice and tips.

Gary has traveled across Canada and the US, and as a craft beer enthusiast, he likes to taste the local flavors of the destinations he visits. When Gary's not busy assisting his clients with their dream cruise, he's looking into how he can offer them even more value by seeing more of the world himself.

Contact Gary via email -- click here.

Julie Fong

Sales Support/Receptionist

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Julie via email -- click here.

Michelle Frenette

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Areas of Expertise:

Michelle started her career in the travel industry over 15 years ago in a customer relations capacity. She later co-owned and operated a White Water Rafting Company in Banff, Alberta where she was primarily responsible for customer acquisition and retention.

Now, as part of the Cruise Experts Travel team, Michelle combines her attention to detail with her experience and know-how to ensure that her clients' vacation planning is hassle-free.

Having travelled to Asia, the South Pacific, and all over central and North America, she draws on her 15 plus years of adventures to answer all your questions. She loves that cruising is so easy. In fact, she married her husband on board a cruise.

Michelle's travel highlights include climbing an active volcano and hiking through the Mayan ruins in Guatemala, trekking through the lush rainforest in Costa Rica, scuba diving in Thailand, and taking on the white water rapids of the mighty Tatshenshini River in Canada's north.

She hopes to pass on the travel bug to her children.

Contact Michelle via email -- click here.

Kassandra Gehry

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

After graduating from university, Kassandra spent 15 years in the global data communications industry managing accounts for high profile clients such as NASA, Pentagon, BMW and Daimler Benz. She spent seven years in Germany before moving to the United States for a number of years where she represented AT&T in bilateral contract sales negotiations with some of the largest Asia/Pacific telco carriers in the world.

During her time with AT&T, she was fortunate enough to have traveled the world, for which she developed a real passion. Some of her highlights include going paragliding off the TeMata Peak in New Zealand, waking up to gorgeous views of Mt. Fuji in Tokyo, deep sea diving off the coast of Kauai, being awestruck by the ruins of Pompeii and the beauty of Venice, enjoying the outdoor steam baths in Iceland and marveling at the sights and sounds of an open air market in Morocco.

Kassandra and her husband look forward to sharing the beauty of this world with their two young children and what better way to do so than by selling and representing a product she loves. Kassandra is fully bilingual in German.

Contact Kassandra via email -- click here.

Sara Granja Albornoz

Sales Support Coordinator

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Sara via email -- click here.

Amy Icasiano

Accounting Coordinator

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Amy via email -- click here.

Jay Ilhareguy

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Jay is a past BCIT marketing student with over 6 years experience in customer service and sales. A few years back, Jay's strengths aligned with his passions in his position as a Cruise Specialist and since then, he has never looked back. He has always had a strong interest in travel and once Jay was exposed to the cruise industry, he quickly learned how it is the overall best way to travel and vacation!

Jay genuinely loves dealing with people, sharing his own personal travel experiences and advice and ultimately providing the utmost in service with his professionalism and personable approach. Reliable, honest, caring, patient, enthusiastic, detail-oriented would be great ways to describe Jay.

When it comes to cruising, you can count on Jay to do everything he possibly can to ensure your own cruise experience will be best it can be.

Contact Jay via email -- click here.

Edward Infanti

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

After spending an inspiring year backpacking around the world, Edward was certain that work in the Travel Industry was in his future. Following his ambition, he is part of our team of Cruise Experts with over 15 years of cruise sales experience. In addition, Edward has many interests, mainly of the sporting variety. He has enjoyed frustrating himself with the game of Golf for over 7 years and should you find him out of breath, it may be due to the fact that he is in training for a marathon... Or it might be due to the fast pace here at Cruise Experts!

Having had the opportunity to indulge in a variety of cruise vacations, ranging from a 7-day Alaska cruise to 14 days on a river cruise in Europe , Edward describes each cruise as a unique and special holiday. He describes one of his most memorable trips - sailing into Venice at dawn:

"The ship approaches this city via the lagoon and centuries of history pass before your eyes. The Bridge of Sighs, the Doge's Palace and the dome of St. Mark's Basilica and a glimmer of the Square slowly reveal themselves. In the background, the sun is rising over the Austrian Alps. Only a cruise ship offers this vantage, as you are high above the city. If you love travel, this is an experience you cannot miss."

Edward is here to make sure that you find the right cruise for your needs. We also hope that you may be able to join him on one of his upcoming escorted cruise vacations... No backpacking required!

Awards and Certifications: Circle of Excellence: Platinum 2011, 2010, Gold 2009

Contact Edward via email -- click here.

Blaine Lambert

Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Operations

Areas of Expertise:

I consider myself lucky! I am in a business where I have an opportunity to share my passion for the splendor and magnificence of Alaska and the Yukon. The northernmost part of the Great Land is one of the last areas of the world where the wildlife roam freely in large tracks of pristine forests and parks. The natives of Alaska call Mt. McKinley, Alaska's highest mountain, the Great One. I have also heard it called "America's rooftop."

I was born and raised in the Yukon, Alaska's immediate neighbor. My family vacationed every summer in Alaska, where I enjoyed many salmon fishing trips, hiking expeditions, as well as camping and kayaking adventures. However, a whole new side of Alaska was shown to me when I sailed on my first cruise out of Vancouver. I sailed the stunning Inside Passage where I set my eyes upon majestic glaciers, was awe-struck at the orca whales in the water and was mesmerized by the appearance of humpback whales.

Cruise vacations offer a wonderful way to explore new areas of the world. Each cruise line caters to different types of clients. Options are designed to satisfy the comfort-oriented individual to the more serious thrill-seeker. Families can feel comfortable in a safe environment - even Mom will be able to take a little time off!

As Cruise Specialists in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, it is our commitment that we offer you excellent value and an experience that will exceed your expectations. We have managed to grow our client base by:

- Being attentive to our clients' needs and requests
- Matching clients with what they want as the right vacation experience
- Responding in a timely manner and sharing the wealth of our expertise
- Providing excellent and friendly customer service

We have a great team here at Cruise Experts Travel! It is a pleasure to work with each and every one of our staff. We all look forward to sharing the excitement of your vacation planning!

Contact Blaine via email -- click here.

Gregory Law

Cruise & Vacation Consultant

Areas of Expertise:

Gregory Law - Cruise & Vacation Consultant

Contact Gregory via email -- click here.

Nelly Law

Cruise & Vacation Consultant

Areas of Expertise:

Nelly Law - Cruise & Vacation Consultant

Contact Nelly via email -- click here.

Debbie Lawrance

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Areas of Expertise:

Debbie Lawrance - Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Contact Debbie via email -- click here.

Dave Leggott

Shore Excursion Coordinator

Areas of Expertise: Alaska |

Dave joined the Cruise Experts Travel team in the Shore Excursion department in 2012 with an extensive background in client services in industries ranging from spirits to media to tourism. Having worked for such high profile brands as Bacardi, Western Media Group and Entrée Canada, he's committed to providing the very best service and continues to do so currently as the agency's Shore Excursions Coordinator.

He enjoys that he is now in a position that asks him to combine his personal and professional experiences to offer clients advice on how to get the most out of their Alaska cruise vacations. Introducing people to exciting activities, unfamiliar surroundings, unforgettable experiences and even a new outlook are what he loves about his job.

Two of his most memorable travel moments include: escaping his familiar world for hours while discovering an amazingly diverse underwater world snorkelling in Bermuda; and sensing absolute freedom as he rode the power of the ocean's waves surfing in Tofino, BC. Dave has travelled all over Western Europe, the United States, and Canada. He plans to explore Asia, Australia and New York in the near future.

Contact Dave via email -- click here.

Denis Lim

President & Cruise Specialist

As President of Cruise Experts Travel, Denis has earned his prestigious title through 25 years of involvement in the Travel Industry beginning with CP Air. Resulting from numerous years of cruising during personal vacations, Denis' great passion for ships led him to start Cruise Experts Travel in 1995.

Ships, planes and automobiles are what get Denis going, along with his love and enthusiasm for traveling to exotic and unspoiled lands. Having traveled extensively to Europe, Asia and the Americas, and with over fifty cruises taken, he is extremely knowledgeable of all things related to travel. Can't decide where to cruise next? Call Denis and speak to him directly, and he can help you tailor that perfect cruise vacation that you will cherish for the rest of your life!

Contact Denis via email -- click here.

Michelle Mason

Front Desk/Office Receptionist

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Michelle via email -- click here.

Kirk Olson

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Since graduating from the Vancouver Community College, Travel and Tourism Program in 1993, Kirk has specialized in the cruise industry. He has been on over 30 cruises on all the major cruise lines and his travels have taken him to every continent, with Antarctica as the only exception. His fondest memories include:

Kayaking in Ketchikan
Walking on the Great Wall of China
Sailing past the Statue of Liberty on the QE2 at Sunset
Watching the people of Naples, Italy as the shops opened
Snorkeling off Dunk Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Sitting atop the Borubadur Temple in Central Java, Indonesia
Driving through the Lava Rock Gardens on Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Shopping at a bazaar in Casablanca, Morocco
Swimming for hours in the surf and sand of Aruba
Sipping a Latte at a sidewalk cafe in Corfu, Greece

Contact Kirk via email -- click here.

Rhonda Parker

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Rhonda has been in the travel business for 18 years. She graduated from Camosun College's Travel program in Victoria with honours, and over the past 10 years she has specialized in cruises, individual, groups, and conferences at sea.

As a Certified Travel Consultant (CTC), Master Cruise Consultant (MCC), she prides herself on expert knowledge with cruise and land destination vacations. She has also been recognized as a Luxury Cruise Specialist (LCS), one of approximately 25 in Canada with this designation.

Having won numerous awards over the last 18 years for her customer service and sales achievements, Rhonda takes you that step farther. Customer service and customer education are her objectives to ensure you have all that you need for a hassle free vacation. Over the last three years, she was one of 11 in North America out of 1500 consultants to earn the Outstanding Sales Achievement award and one of only 10 to have received it for three consecutive years.

Rhonda has travelled to California, Florida, Fiji, Europe, Britain and has sailed on more than 30 cruises to such destinations as Alaska, Europe, Mexico, the Pacific Coastline, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.

Contact Rhonda via email -- click here.

Jocelyn Rheault

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Areas of Expertise: Alaska | Cruises | Cruises - Mexico | Europe - Cruises |

With over thirty years of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service experience, Jocelyn is thrilled to be a part of the Cruise Experts team. She is an enthusiastic and service-oriented Cruise Specialist who always does her best to ensure her customers have the cruise experience of their dreams - and then some!

Jocelyn describes cruising as both a passion and a hobby and is beginning to wonder whether her preferred mode of travel is slowly becoming an addiction! Having been on numerous cruises, she hopes to visit the Mediterranean and take a river cruise to China in the near future.

Jocelyn enjoys going the extra mile for her clients...And did we mention she LOVES cruising?

Contact Jocelyn via email -- click here.

Nick So

Associate Marketing Manager

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Nick via email -- click here.

Christian van Rooij

Shore Excursion Manager

Areas of Expertise: Alaska | Europe |

Christian van Rooij - Shore Excursion Manager

Contact Christian via email -- click here.

Matthew Vaughan

Cruise & Insurance Specialist

Matthew is a student of the world. When Cruise Experts Travel and CruiseExpertsTravel.com requires his services in the office, thus preventing himself from traveling, he is quite happy and excited instead to travel vicariously through his valued clients. With a fond appreciation for travel, history, languages, and the arts, Matthew has been described as a 'wet sponge' by friends and foes alike!

From the steppes of Russia and the fringes of Asiatic Turkey, to the more familiar coastline of Alaska and British Columbia, Matthew is pleased to share his expertise with anyone especially interested in the culture and nuance of a destination and its people.

Contact Matthew via email -- click here.

Jackie Vouzan

Air Specialist

Areas of Expertise:

Contact Jackie via email -- click here.

Sharon Webber

Cruise & Vacation Specialist

Sharon started in the travel industry over 11 years ago and has since helped thousands of clients create unforgettable memories. From her extensive travels, she loves sharing first-hand experience and tips with her clients.

Crossed off her bucket list are US states Alaska, California, Nevada, New York, Iowa, Washington, Oregon, Washington DC, Hawaii; parts of Canada beyond her home province of British Columbia reaching Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces; Italy, Greece, France, England, and Turkey; South America; Costa Rica; Mexico; Japan; China; and the Caribbean.

Italy has impressed her most with its rich history, beautiful buildings, churches and courtyards. She dubs it The Land for Lovers. She will always remember sailing into Venice in the late afternoon with the bells ringing and opera music in the background.

Other memorable moments include conquering the Great Wall of China and visiting Porto Tumbo, Argentina where she saw the 200,000 breeding penguins!

When Sharon isn't in the Cruise Experts Travel office helping clients plan their cruise vacations, she spends her time improving her photography skills, dancing, reading, and watching foreign movies.

Contact Sharon via email -- click here.