Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

The Tully team did everything we asked of them. The pre-cruise excursions and hotel were great. The Seabourn cruise was good, but Sojourn is becoming a tired ship…not Tully’s problem. We took an amazing cruise itinerary from Seabourn that included Iceland and Norway. I think this is the best way to see many of Norway’s remote sites. I highly recommend it if you want to go to the North Cape….Europe’s northernmost point of land. We traveled in August of 2024. August is a great time to visit such cold countries.

We have used Cheri several times before. She is always very responsive and helpful. As to the trip itself, one of the highlights for us was visiting the mushing dog kennels in Fairbanks, where we not only learned about these great canine athletes, but also got to hold the puppies! The Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks is also not to be missed. It’s worth the trip there just to see it, and is an unexpected attraction in central Alaska. These were both part of the Denali pre-cruise land tour.

The cruise itself was our first on Regent, and we were very impressed for the most part. Very comparable to the old Crystal, which we had sailed on twice. We are already planning another Regent cruise for next year.

Travelers Tom Philbrick and Susan Ketchum in front of Ephesus in Turkey.

Tom Philbrick and Susan Ketchum at Ephesus.

We recently returned from a Seabourn cruise from Athens to Venice booked through Cheri on Mary Jean Tully’s team. This is the second time we had Cheri book a Seabourn cruise for us and she makes it so much easier than booking directly with the cruise line.

When we cruise we prefer to book private land tours and drivers so Cheri referred us to Gavin Crawford, also in Mary Jean’s office. We had an initial call with Gavin and knew immediately he was the right person for us. We landed in Athens and stayed 3 nights prior to our cruise at Amanzoe in the Peloponnese. This Aman property is outstanding and was a great beginning to our trip. From there, we returned to Athens for one day before embarking on Seabourn Quest. While in Athens, Gavin arranged for a private tour of the Acropolis with a guide who knew how to get around the crowds that were already there in early May.

Gavin has traveled extensively, including to the ports on our cruise, and also understands Seabourn and when we would tender and when we would dock at the ports. He was so helpful in guiding us about whether to hire a guide and driver or skip it and explore on our own at some ports. At one point, close to the start of our trip, Seabourn adjusted the itinerary to go to Turkey first and stop in Greece after, the reverse of the original route. Gavin was quick to contact the guides and rearranged our schedule. As a result, in Bodrum, Turkey our private cooking class at a vineyard was changed to a private class at the home of the chef, with her 87-year-old mother, Ila, instructing instead. It could not have been more perfect! Ila had us prepare 5 dishes using fresh ingredients from her garden. It was a special treat to sit outside on her terrace overlooking the hills and ocean as we worked, all the while listening to Ila’s fascinating life story. We will never forget this special day and personal connection.

Another great memory was the evening in the amphitheater at Ephesus that Seabourn arranged with a concert by the very talented Aegean Chamber Orchestra. Enchanting!

The cruise ended in Venice and as we had been several times we wanted to stay somewhere we had not in the past. Gavin recommended the Belmond Cipriani and it was the perfect choice for us. Far from the crowds (already packed in May!), yet only a 7-minute water shuttle compliments of Cipriani to St. Mark’s Square. We loved our room and the service.

All of our guides were first class, very knowledgeable, pleasant and flexible. Because it was just the 2 of us, we were free to adjust our schedule during the tours. In addition, we were able to leave later in the morning from the ship than the passengers going on the bus tours that Seabourn arranged and return when we wanted. The drivers were excellent, all professional in very clean, comfortable, Mercedes vehicles. We felt very cared for. Gavin arranged for VIP airport assistance in Athens at the start of our trip and in Venice at the end. We use this service whenever possible traveling internationally as it saves us so much time.

We have had so many wonderful experiences on our travels thanks to Wendy and her list of trusted advisors. Although this trip went off without any issues, I know we had backup if we needed it. We have already planned another vacation, in August, to Scotland. And of course we are planning it with another expert from Wendy’s WOW List!

Cheri and her team answered all of our questions and handled the arrangements promptly and efficiently, and stepped up when the cruise company was being somewhat problematic. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone contemplating a cruise.

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