Travel Expert
Dawn Bartizal | Solo Travel Club
Jean Melcher Travel
Bend, OR | La Jolla, CA
Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday,
9:00am-5:00pm PST and by appointment.
About
Dawn Bartizal is a travel advisor with Jean Melcher Travel, affiliated with Cruise and Travel Experts (CTE), a member of Signature Travel Network. After a successful executive career in pharmaceutical regulatory affairs, Dawn returned to her first professional love — travel — building on experience she gained during an earlier stint in the industry. The precision, attention to detail, and comfort managing complex, multi-party logistics she honed in regulatory affairs now shape the way she plans every trip for her clients — anticipating problems before they arise, tracking every detail, and keeping every moving piece on track from booking to return home. She brings a rare combination of meticulous planning skill and genuine, firsthand wanderlust to every itinerary she creates.
Dawn's specialties reflect the way she herself travels: actively, purposefully, and with curiosity. She has explored New Zealand extensively across multiple visits, including sections of all four major Great Walks, gone on safari across Africa, explored the islands of the South Pacific, and completed the Camino de Santiago — walking 120 kilometers of the Portuguese route. Her love for the water has taken her sailing across the Seychelles, the Greek Islands, Turkey, Tahiti, Tonga, and multiple Caribbean islands, canal boating through the French countryside, and cruising to destinations around the globe. This firsthand experience across so many styles of travel — active, nautical, cultural, and everything in between — gives Dawn an instinct for matching each client to the right trip, not just the right destination. Her passion for wellness and pilgrimage-style travel, active and experiential adventures, and off-the-beaten-path exploration further shapes the kind of trips she loves to design, whether that's a multi-generational family journey, a milestone celebration, or a solo traveler's next great adventure.
Dawn's current projects showcase the range of her work: a multi-family journey to Rome and the Amalfi Coast, and a 12-traveler group trip through Brazil's Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, and the wildlife-rich Pantanal and Bonito regions. She also brings hands-on experience with Nordic sauna culture and a growing specialty in polar and remote expedition cruises.
Dawn also brings a genuine understanding of solo travelers, drawn from her own experience welcoming them into her group trips. She knows that solo travelers often have different needs and priorities — from room configurations to feeling connected within a larger group — and she takes care to plan with those needs in mind. Whether someone is joining a multi-family journey or a larger group adventure on their own, Dawn makes sure they feel just as considered and supported as those traveling with a partner or family.
Based between Bend, Oregon and La Jolla, California, Dawn approaches every client relationship with the same care she brings to her own adventures — asking thoughtful questions, planning down to the logistical details, and staying personally invested in how a trip unfolds. Whether she's arranging a family reunion abroad, a solo traveler's dream itinerary, or a large group expedition, Dawn's goal is the same: to craft travel that's not just well-organized, but genuinely transformative.
Star Clippers Caribbean Cruise
7-Night Windward Islands Christmas Cruise
December 19, 2026 | Royal Clipper | Roundtrip Bridgetown
Rates: $3,260 per solo traveler
Visits: St Lucia, Cabrits, Antigua, St. Kitts, Iles des Saintes, Martinique, Barbados
Highlights: Embark on a sailing yacht with only 227 guests and a laid back vibe. Royal Clipper has 42 sails balancing the grandeur, adventure and tradition of sailing with the superb service, amenities and accommodations of a yacht. Enjoy an intimate ship, exclusive itinerary, fine dining, sustainable tourism, free water sports and more.
Includes: Meals, onboard entertainment, use of watersports equipment
Book your own stateroom for no solo supplement fee!
Avalon Waterways Romantic Rhine for Wine Lovers
8-Day River Cruise
November 2, 2027 | Avalon View | Amsterdam to Basel
Rates: $4,851 per solo traveler
Visits: Switzerland, Germany, France, Netherlands
Highlights: One of Europe’s most legendary rivers awaits you on this exciting journey along the Rhine River, which begins in Switzerland and visits France, Germany, and Holland! A Certified Sommelier will accompany you on your river cruise on the Rhine River with presentations, tastings, and wine pairings along the way.
Includes: All meals, Free Style Dining, wine beer and soft drinks included at lunch and dinner, included excursions to choose from, wellness classes, complimentary WiFi, exterior facing stateroom with view, live music, trivia, dance parties, themed events.
Book your own stateroom for no solo supplement fee!
Collette Tours: Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca
10-Day Tour
September 24, 2026
Rates: $5,078 per solo traveler
Visits: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Lima, Cuzco, Puno
Highlights: From the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu to the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, the magical wonders of Peru are waiting behind every corner. Take in Lima and see the historical side of the “City of Kings.” Explore Andean art forms and the local way of life during your stay in the Sacred Valley. Delight in a home-hosted farm-to-table lunch at a local Quechua community. At Machu Picchu, spend a night at the base of the “Lost City of the Incas” and enjoy a culinary demonstration.
Includes: Tour Director, 5 Handpicked Accommodations, 15 Meals, Tours, Cultural Experiences, Culinary Inclusions, Transportation and more
Book your own room with no extra single supplement fee!
Virgin Voyages (Adults Only)
Dominican Republic & Bimini Beach
August 17, 2026 | Roundtrip Miami | Resiliant Lady
Rates: $1,321 per solo traveler Sea Terrace Suite
Visits: Miami, Puerto Plata, Bimini Beach Club
Highlights: This 5-night Dominican Republic & Bimini Beach Club voyage sails to the snow-white shores of the Dominican Republic from Miami, for plenty of time to lay by the beach and explore the city streets. Add a full day and night spent at the exclusive Beach Club in Bimini, Bahamas.
Includes: Always included Luxury: 20+ Eateries, Soda, Water, Coffee and Juice, Fitness Classes, Entertainment, WiFi and more.
Book your own stateroom on this cruise with a 70% Reduced Solo Supplement fee!
Holland America Line
26-Day Canary Island Crossing with Morocco and Madeira
April 4, 2027 | Ft. Lauderdale to Rotterdam | Nieuw Statendam
Rates: $8,973 per solo traveler
Visits: Bermuda, England, Netherlands, Morocco, Canary Islands, Portugal
Highlights: Cross the ocean from continent to continent, relaxing on days at sea. Explore bustling cities, sun-washed islands, and iconic landmarks, from England's Stonehenge to the Madeira's dramatic coastline.
Includes: Meals, entertainment, enrichment programs, wellness, pickleball, pools and more
Book your own solo ocean view stateroom on this cruise with a reduced single supplement!
Cunard
13-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
November 19, 2027 | Queen Mary 2 | Roundtrip New York
Rates: $4,449 per solo traveler
Visits: St. Thomas, Castries, Bridgetown, Roseau, Basseterre, Philipsburg
Highlights: This 13-night adventure on the elegant Queen Mary 2 sails roundtrip from New York, taking in six sun-kissed islands in the Caribbean in between.
Includes: Meals, Entertainment, Gala Evenings, Dancing, Queen Room, Enrichment classes and more
Book your own stateroom with only a 20% solo supplement!
Azamara
12-Night Transatlantic Cruise: Bermuda, The Azores & Lisbon
March 29, 2027 | Azamara Journey | Miami to Lisbon
Rates: $4,969 per solo traveler, Premier Veranda Stateroom
Visits: Miami, Bermuda, Horta, Azores, Lisbon
Highlights: Sail from the eclectic shores of Miami to historic Portugal on this transatlantic cruise that also calls on the British territory of Hamilton, Bermuda and the port of Horta, Azores where it has become traditional for yachtsmen to paint scenes on the marina walls.
Includes: Variety of dining venues & 24-hour room service, beer, wine, & spirits All day and night, signature AzAmazing Evenings, unlimited self-service laundry, onboard gratuities. Solo Rates: $4,969 per s
Book your own stateroom with only a 50% solo supplement!
Portugal Unveiled: A Women's Journey
11-Night Portugal Tour
May 16, 2027 or September 19, 2027
Rates: $8,699 per solo traveler
Visits: Lisbon-Porto-Duoro Valley-Coimbra-Evora-Lagos
Highlights: An escorted Portugal journey through soulful streets, vineyard valleys, coastal air, and hands-on traditions from tiles to timeless flavors.
Includes: Tour guide, airport transfers, 10-nights premium accommodations, transportation, all small group tours and experiences, 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners.
Book your own hotel room for no solo supplement fee!
AmaWaterways Europe RIvers and Castles
7-Day River Cruise
March 24, 2027 | AmaPrima | Luxembourg to Nuremberg
Rates: $4,778 per solo traveler
Visits: Bernkastel, Cochem, Wertheim, Rothenburg, Wurzburg, Rheingau
Highlights: From the meandering Main to the UNESCO-designated Upper Middle Rhine Valley with its multitude of castles dotting its shores to the vineyard-clad hills of the Moselle, enjoy Europe at its most picturesque.
Includes: All meals, complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, shore excursions, WiFi, tour guides, Cruise Manager and more
Book your own stateroom for no solo supplement fee!
Globus
8-Day Lisbon to Madrid Escape
January 10, 2027
Rates: $1,699 per solo traveler
Visits: Lisbon, Porto, Salamanca, Madrid
Highlights: FWhat could be better than spending eight days in Portugal and Spain? Spending them during the off season when crowds are fewer and travel prices are lower! Begin your European vacation in Lisbon to enjoy guided sightseeing through the Imperial history of the colorful city. In Fátima, hear the story of Our Lady of Fátima at the site where Mary appeared to three shepherd children, then travel to Porto for sightseeing and port-wine tasting. Enjoy a wine tasting at a Salamanca winery and stand before the masterpieces of Goya, El Greco, Rubens, and more, in Madrid’s Prado Museum. Eight days of sumptuous color, cuisine, and culture await you on this guided vacation in Portugal and Spain!
Includes: Tour Guide, Guided Sightseeing, Hotels, Transportation, Some meals and more
Book your own room on this tour with 0% Solo Supplement fee!
