Who is Cruise & Travel Experts
We Are Your Dedicated Team Of Travel Experts Ready To Plan A Personalized Trip For You
Cruise & Travel Experts, Inc. puts the personal touch back into travel planning. Headquartered in Spring Lake, Michigan, we offer customized vacation travel services and business travel solutions for savvy travelers. Our experts get to know you and your inspirations to match you with the most ideal land vacation, cruise, or vacation package. We’re passionate about what we do and we aim to delight our customers one travel experience at a time.
Specialty Cruises
Special Occasion Cruises
Check out extended voyage option to a particular region of the country you want to explore in-depth.
Longer Voyages
Pick a region of the world and spend a longer time exploring the ports and inland highlights
Exotic Destinations
Our experts have hand-picked these voyages to far-flung destinations
River Cruises
See the breathtaking scenery go by as you sit on the top deck and enjoy local music and wine
Popular Destinations
Most Popular Destinations In
The World
why choose us
Why Book With Cruise
& Travel Experts?
- We handpick the best cruise & land package deals every week just for you & often have exclusive perks or bonuses that other agencies don’t have.
- Our cruise experts average over 20 years of experience so can easily recommend the perfect trip, hotel, cruise, flight, excursion, restaurant, and more based on your needs and budget.
- We know cool things like what cruise ships just came out, what new resorts have been built, when is the best time of the year to visit certain destinations, and what countries you need a travel visa to visit.
- We care about you and your vacation – and we are always here to help whenever you need us.
Meet Our Advisors
Our Expert Travel Advisors
Shannon Nelson
Cruise Expert
Shannon has always had a passion for culinary and wine destinations and usually finds herself signing up for the cooking class, wine tasting/culinary shore excursions along with trying all the specialty restaurants onboard cruise ships.
Most Recent Trip:
Regent Seven Seas Brand New Grandeur
Lindblad Expeditions Cruise in France and Ireland
Michele Peleras
Travel Expert
Michele’s favorite part of her job is having the opportunity to interact with people and share her 30 years of knowledge and expertise in travel. She wants to help you enjoy a worry-free vacation!
Most Recent Trips:
Tauck European River Cruise
Canada/New England Cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line
Tina Hirr
Travel Expert
Tina’s most rewarding part of her job is seeing the excitement in her client’s eyes as they tell stories from their recent vacation. She has over 20 years of experience serving travelers in a variety of roles in the travel industry.
Most Recent Trips:
Silversea Expedition Cruise to Antarctica!
Rocky Mountaineer Luxury Rail Trip
Michelle Boots
Cruise Expert
Meeting new people and hearing about their life experiences is Michelle’s favorite part of being a trusted travel expert. She loves working with all different types of clientele, offering them suggestions to make their travel plans runs seamlessly.
Most Recent Trips:
Silversea Cruise
Holland America Line Cruise
Lynne Cox
Cruise Expert
Every time Lynne gets back from a cruise, she says it is her new favorite trip because she is always so excited about what she has experienced. She has over 25 years of experience selling luxury cruises and tours and facilitating group travel.
Most Recent Trip:
Cruise to Iceland on Windstar Cruises
Jennifer Walters
Travel Expert
Jennifer loves matching her client’s interests to the perfect vacation spot. She has 21 years of experience as a travel consultant and enjoys helping clients plan their honeymoon, destination wedding, romantic getaway or family vacation.
Most Recent Trips:
Holland America Alaska Cruise
Brand New Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
Silversea Expedition Cruise to Antarctica
Rocky Mountaineer Luxury Rail Trip
Mary Ellsworth
Cruise Expert
Mary loves finding the perfect vacation fit for her clients to help them take away special memories. She loves building relationships with all types of clients such as luxury, groups, families, singles and both new and experienced travelers.
Most Recent Trip:
Brand New Regent Seven Seas Grandeur
Virgin Voyages Cruise
New Celebrity Ascent Cruise
Lindblad Expedition Cruise in France and Ireland
Lory Horrevorts
Travel Expert
Lory knows how to match her clients with the best vacation to suit their needs with her 30+ years experience in the travel industry. She specializes in selling luxury travel, escorted group travel, cruises, honeymoons, destination weddings, all-inclusive vacations, and Disney vacations.
Most Recent Trip:
Utopia of the Seas Cruise
Canada & New England Cruise on the Regent Mariner
Deb Behm
Travel Expert
Deb enjoys sharing her clients’ enthusiasm for their upcoming trips. She really likes talking to them about what they are looking for in a trip, and hearing where they have been and what experiences they have had in the past.
Most Recent Trip:
Intensive Learning Experience at Walt Disney World
Tauck River Cruise
Celebrity Ascent Cruise
Debra Dickerson
Cruise Expert
Debra loves to hear the excitement from her clients of what they got to do on a trip she had planned. Debra sells a lot of world cruises, adventure/expedition cruises and Alaska cruise tours.
Most Recent Trip:
Tauck River Cruise
Brand New Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
Windstar Cruise around Iceland
Virgin Voyages Cruise
New Celebrity Ascent Cruise
Vickie Grysen
Travel Expert
Vickie’s favorite part of her job is talking to her clients after they return from their vacation, wedding or honeymoon to hear all about the memories they created. Vickie has over 40 years of experience assisting both leisure and corporate travel clients.
Most Recent Trips:
Tauck River Cruise
Oceania Cruises
Dominican Republic
Testimonial
What Our Clients Say About Us
"I highly recommend Penney Lipner and Cruise and Travel Experts for your travel needs. Their exceptional service goes beyond booking trips, flights and accommodations; they excel in resolving any unforeseen issues that may arise during your journey. With their dedicated team of professionals, you can trust that your travel experience will be smooth and enjoyable. Choose Penney for a stress-free and unforgettable adventure or for your business travel needs."
"Shannon Nelson is a star. We've booked many cruises with her and she continues to be outstanding, at the top of her game. Decades of experience matched with a winning personality and work ethic. We've sailed Holland America several times, and it is always a satisfying experience."
"Amazing Antarctic expedition with Viking. The expedition leaders were very knowledgeable and made each adventure fun. Kayaks, zodiacs and special operations boats were a blast. Took us to unexpected locations to see icebergs, penguins, seals and all types of birds. Lynne was very helpful in our planning, excursion reservations and insurance. Lynne is the only travel assistance we use."
"We had a great experience working with Jennifer, on our airline, transportation service to the resort, and at the beautiful resort! Thank you for making a memorable trip to celebrate our daughter’s wedding and we appreciate the assistance throughout process!"
"We love Mary. She is perfect in every way. She maintains our schedules, sends timele reminders, calls us when she sees something that might interest us We have been with Mary for years.. would nor want to deal with anyone else."
"Michelle Boots was excellent in getting this cruise arranged and took care of all the details. It made a very easy transition. The cruise was well planned and we saw numerous Caribbean islands,10 days on Amazon river and had many stops along the way. "
"My trip was a very short notice trip to view the Northern Lights in Norway and Jennifer did a wonderful job securing and modifying the trip on only a few weeks' notice. Jennifer secured an alternate hotel for us at the last minute as the hotel in the package had just booked up. The actual trip was wonderful. 6 days in Norway for the Northern Lights and everyday was great (some bad weather but that is expected). Highly recommend Jennifer to take care of your next trip."
"Fun yet relaxing 10-day Caribbean cruise on Holland America's Eurodam. The food was excellent. We dined in the main dining room and the Pinnacle Grill and enjoyed all of our meals. The Orange Party in the Rolling Stone Lounge was an especially fun evening. Shannon Nelson has been our travel agent for many years. She always takes the time to make sure we have the best cruises and staterooms available for our timeframe. I can't say enough about her kindness and expertise in the field."
"Lory is efficient and very knowledgeable. She gets the best value for the money. We use Lory every year for our three weeks vacation in Mexico. She never disappoints us."
"Deb was very informative and helpful when we were looking for an all inclusive resort for my family. We appreciate her knowledge and kindness in booking our family vacation."
"One of the best cruise vacations yet on Celebrity. Thank you Debra for all your assistance with setting up both of the cabins we booked. Truly appreciate the unexpected gift when we boarded. Currently have two additional cruises booked with you and will continue to do so."
"As the host for the 2023 Holland America Grand Africa cruise, I got asked a lot what there is to do on sea days. Port talks, Pickleball, various exercise classes, Guest Presenters from the Grand Voyage Lecture Series, Bridge Lessons, Creative Writing Class, Art and Crafts, How to Paint with Watercolor and Trivia, and of course meeting up with your new friends."
" I loved visiting the small towns in Iceland with the beautiful waterfalls. My favorite part was seeing one of the largest Puffin colonies. We went to a Hot Springs Bath, and it was amazing! It was very interesting visiting the Island that had been destroyed by the Volcano erupting and how they rebuilt."
"We celebrated our 40th Anniversary on this trip! Tom and Lory made sure that this would be a memorable experience for us. The resort was amazing, the dining choices were perfect! We look forward to working with them with our future trips!"
"The new Regent Splendor ship is fabulous, simply a "splendiferous" ship. It is simply a gorgeous ship with lots of amenities. We had a penthouse with a Butler who was very attentive and always ready to help from canapes to laundry. Our balcony area was extremely spacious and a wonderful spot to take in the beauty of the ocean."
"Life onboard a grand voyage enhances your experience on land with cultural ambassadors and destination lectures. Being onboard for months at a time guarantees you will create lifelong friendships with others of the same mindset."
“The 2023 Holland America world cruise was an interesting and meaningful voyage. The ports were varied and all provided learning experiences. Our voyage hosts were always there to help, although fortunately we didn't need assistance. As always, Shannon helped us plan and handled details perfectly. A wonderful adventure!”
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