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
14-Night Star Clippers Caribbean Cruise
December 5th, 2026 | Bridgetown, Barbados to Balboa, Panama | Star Clipper
Rates: $9,860 per solo traveler
Visits: Bridgetown, Barbados → Tobago Cays, Grenadines → St. George's, Grenada → 2 days at sea → Kralendijk, Bonaire → Willemstad, Curaçao → Oranjestad, Aruba → day at sea → Santa Marta, Colombia → Cartagena de Indias, Colombia → day at sea → San Blas Archipelago, Panama → Panama Canal Transit → Balboa (Isla Flamenco), Panama
Highlights: This 14-night Star Clipper voyage sails from Bridgetown, Barbados, through the Tobago Cays, Grenada, Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba before continuing to Colombia’s Santa Marta and UNESCO-listed Cartagena, blending secluded beaches, vibrant cultures, exceptional diving and historic cities. The journey’s highlight is the remote San Blas Archipelago, home to the Kuna people, followed by a full transit of the Panama Canal before concluding in Balboa on Panama’s Pacific coast.
Includes: All meals, including specialty restaurants. Sodas, Specialty Coffee’s and Tea. 24-Hour room service. Destination Discovery Events. Entertainment Experiences. Gym and Spa Sauna access. The Marina (complimentary kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and floating islands available on select voyages) and open bridge tours.
Book your own stateroom for no solo supplement fee!
Avalon Waterways The Rhine & Moselle: Canals, Vineyards and Castles with 2 nights in Amsterdam
10-Day River Cruise
August 27, 2027 | Avalon Tranquility II | Remich, Luxembourg to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rates: $6,380 per solo traveler
Visits: Luxembourg, Remich-Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem, Koblenz, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Nijmegen, Amsterdam
Highlights: Explore the waterways, wine regions, and historic hills from Luxembourg to Holland. You’ll board your Avalon Suite Ship® in Remich on the beautiful Moselle River. A guided sightseeing tour of Trier reveals ancient remnants dating from 144-152 AD in Germany’s oldest city! Enjoy a guided walk in the charming wine village of Bernkastel and taste some of the region’s best wines. Continue on the Moselle River to the picturesque town of Cochem where the Riesling grape is cultivated and soar above Koblenz on a cable-car ride to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress for a spectacular panoramic view. Discover Düsseldorf by bike, sweet bites, or a tour of fascinating sights. Step through history in 2,000-year-old Nijmegen—the oldest town in the Netherlands that still perseveres from the Roman era to WWII and today. Visit Reichsburg Castle, nestled among vineyards and offering breathtaking views of the town and river valley below. Experience spectacular scenery and discover legendary cultures on your Moselle and Rhine River cruise vacation. Your European river cruise vacation concludes with a two-night stay in Amsterdam! Join us for a guided canal cruise through the iconic waterways of this city of the Golden Age. Take free time to explore the colorful streets, galleries, and restaurants galore!
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: Colors of Morocco
15-Day Tour
February 28, 2027
Rates: $6,149 per solo traveler
Visits: Rabat, Morocco, Fes, Erfoud, Merzouga, Boumaine du Dades, Marrakech, Casablanca
Highlights: Discover the vibrant culture and colorful backdrops that are distinctively Morocco. Explore Fes, one of the holiest cities in the world, on a walking tour in the medina, where donkeys and mules laden with goods still walk the ancient market. Journey to your desert camp in a Jeep 4x4 and spend a full day exploring the Sahara Desert. Travel the rugged “Road of a Thousand Kasbahs” to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kasbah Ait-Ben-Haddou. In Marrakech, experience a true taste of Moroccan hospitality during an interactive cooking class at a women’s cooperative. Immerse yourself in Morocco's deep history and unique atmosphere and encounter welcoming people on an unforgettable journey.
Includes: Tour Director, 7 Handpicked Accommodations, 27 Meals, Tours, Cultural Experiences, Culinary Inclusions, Transportation and more
Book your own room with only a 25% single supplement fee!
Virgin Voyages (Adults Only)
True Crime Caribbean Cruise
March 20th, 2027 | Roundtrip Miami | Valiant Lady
Rates: $2,009 per solo traveler Sea Terrace Suite
Visits: Miami, Grand Turk, The Beach Club at Bimini & Miami
Highlights: Luxury cruising meets spine-tingling entertainment. Back by popular demand, the mystery and fun continues. Calling all true crime aficionados and podcast lovers — our second True Crime Voyage sets sail March 20, 2027 to Grand Turk and the Beach Club at Bimini on a 5-night escape stacked with fan-favorite podcasts and unmatched immersive entertainment. The most engaged podcast audiences want to be immersed. On Air at Sea gives them exactly that. Each voyage is purpose-built around a podcast universe, turning five days on the open ocean into a shared, immersive experience that no streaming platform, live event or social feed can replicate. Featuring: Disgraceland, Wisecrack, and Buried Bones Podcasts, LIVE!
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 25% Reduced Solo Supplement fee!
Holland America Line
29-Day Canary Islands & Northern Lights Collectors Voyage
October 2, 2027 | Roundtrip Rotterdam | Nieuw Statendam
Rates: $11,803 per solo traveler
Visits: Rotterdam, Casablanca, Agadir, Arrecife, Santa Cruz, Las Palmas, Lisbon, London, Alesund, Andalsnes, Trondheim, The Arctic Circle, Tromso, Alta, Kristiansund, Bergen
Highlights: Delight in contrasting scenery, from sun-swept isles to majestic fjords. Cross the Arctic Circle, spending back-to-back nights in Tromsø and Alta, the City of Northern Lights
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!
The Spirit of Thailand: A Women's Journey
11-Night Thailand Tour
February 3, 2027 or March 15, 2027
Rates: $6,099 per solo traveler
Visits: Phuket-Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai-Wat Rong Khun Temple-Bangkok-The Grand Palace
Highlights: An escorted Thailand journey through ancient temples, hilltop gardens, emerald bays, and vibrant street flavours.
Includes: Tour guide, airport transfers, 11-nights accommodations, transportation, all small group tours and experiences, 10 breakfasts, 6 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: $1,299 per solo traveler
Visits: Lisbon, Porto, Salamanca, Madrid
Highlights: What 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!
