Privacy Policy

Who We Are

Our website address is https://cruiseandtravelexperts.com. Cruise & Travel Experts is a full-service travel agency. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.

Information We Collect Through This Site

Information You Provide Directly

When you fill out a contact form, request a quote, or submit a client profile through this Site, we collect the information you provide — such as your name, email address, phone number, and details about your travel plans. This information is submitted through Gravity Forms and stored on our website. We use it to respond to your inquiry and provide the services you’ve requested.

Client Records

Information submitted through our forms, along with details you share with us directly, becomes part of your client record. We retain this information to support future travel planning, service history, and — where you’ve given permission — testimonials you’ve agreed to share. You may request deletion of your information at any time, subject to legal or business recordkeeping needs.

Email Delivery

Email notifications generated by forms on this Site (such as confirmation of your inquiry) are delivered through SMTP2Go, a third-party email delivery service. SMTP2Go processes the content of these messages and the recipient email address solely to ensure delivery.

Spam and Fraud Prevention

To protect this Site and its visitors from spam and abuse, form submissions and the associated IP address are checked in real time against CleanTalk’s anti-spam database. This information is used only for spam and fraud prevention.

Security

This Site uses security tools — including malware scanning, firewall protection, and bot verification at login — that may process your IP address and browser or device information as part of identifying and blocking malicious traffic. This information is used solely to protect the Site and is not used for marketing or profiling purposes.

Hosting and Server Logs

This website is hosted by WP Engine. Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically logs standard technical information when you visit this Site, such as your IP address, browser type, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used for security and site performance purposes. WP Engine’s privacy policy is available at wpengine.com/legal/privacy.

Analytics

With your consent, this Site uses Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how visitors use the Site, so we can improve it. This may include general location information (such as your city) and device details. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this information. We do not use Google Analytics for advertising personalization, and Google Signals is not enabled on our account. You can choose whether to allow this through the cookie preferences banner described below.

Embedded Content

Pages on this Site may include embedded content such as YouTube videos or a Google Map. Embedded content behaves as if you visited those platforms directly — they may collect data about you or set cookies when the content loads or is interacted with, including if you are logged in to an account on their platform. Where applicable, this is included in the cookie choices available to you through the preferences banner described below.

Cookie Preferences

This Site uses a cookie preference tool that allows you to accept, decline, or customize which types of cookies are used during your visit. Necessary cookies — required for basic site functionality — cannot be turned off. You can view or change your cookie choices at any time using the preferences panel below.

Necessary

  • Remembers your cookie preference choices so you're not asked again on future visits.

  • Used by our security service to verify legitimate visitors and help prevent spam and abuse.

Analytics

  • Google Analytics (GA4) — helps us understand how visitors use our site, such as which pages are viewed and how people navigate, so we can improve the website experience.

Email Communications

If you opt in to receive email communications from us, your contact information may be stored and managed through one or more of the following platforms:

  • Microsoft 365 — for direct team correspondence
  • Mailchimp — for newsletters and marketing emails
  • Signature Travel Network — for travel industry promotional communications
  • SMTP2Go — for transactional email delivery
  • GRASP Technologies — for CRM-related communications

Each of these services has its own privacy policy. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in any email we send.

Third-Party Services

Our website integrates with a number of third-party services that may collect or process data as part of delivering functionality:

  • Google — we use Google Site Verification and Google Analytics. Google’s privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Facebook — our site includes a Facebook domain verification only; we do not use Facebook advertising tracking on this Site. Facebook’s privacy policy is available at facebook.com/privacy/policy.
  • Microsoft 365 / Azure — used for business email and collaboration. Microsoft’s privacy statement is available at privacy.microsoft.com.
  • CleanTalk — used to protect our forms from automated abuse. CleanTalk’s privacy policy is available at cleantalk.org/privacy-policy.
  • Salesforce Marketing Cloud (ExactTarget) — email marketing activity on the emarketing.cruiseandtravelexperts.com subdomain is managed through Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Salesforce’s privacy policy is available at salesforce.com/company/privacy.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Data submitted through our website may be transmitted to and processed by the third-party services described in this policy, some of which operate servers in the United States or other countries. By using our site, you consent to this transfer.

Notice for Visitors in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and Switzerland

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the following additional provisions apply to you under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable local data protection laws.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a valid legal basis to do so, relying on one or more of the following: contractual necessity (to respond to inquiries and provide services), legitimate interests (to operate and secure our website), consent (for marketing communications, which you may withdraw at any time), and legal obligation.

International Data Transfers

Some of the third-party services we use are based outside the EEA. Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or transfers to countries with an adequacy decision. Please refer to the privacy policies of the individual third-party services listed in this policy for details.

Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the right to: access the personal data we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate data; request erasure, subject to certain exceptions; request restriction of processing; request data portability; object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing; and withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in the Contact section below. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Data Retention (GDPR)

We retain client information, including data submitted through website forms, for as long as it remains part of your ongoing client record — to support future travel planning, service history, and, where you’ve given permission, testimonials you’ve agreed to share. This reflects our standard practice of maintaining client records indefinitely rather than deleting them after a fixed period. If you would like your information deleted, you may contact us at any time using the details in the Contact section below, and we will honor that request subject to any legal or business recordkeeping requirements.

Notice for California Residents

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information.

Categories of Personal Information We Collect

In the past 12 months, we have collected: identifiers (name, email, phone, IP address); internet or electronic network activity (pages visited, browser type, referring URLs); and commercial information (travel preferences and inquiries you share with us). We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes.

Your Rights Under CCPA/CPRA

As a California resident, you have the right to know, delete, and correct the personal information we hold about you; opt out of sale or sharing (we do not sell or share personal information); and limit use of sensitive personal information (we do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by the CPRA). We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. To submit a request, contact us using the information below. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days, with an option to extend by an additional 45 days when necessary.

Authorized Agents

California residents may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on their behalf. We may require written authorization or power of attorney and will verify your identity directly before processing the request.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, would like to exercise your data rights, or need to reach us for any privacy-related matter, please use the contact form on our website or reach out to us directly at cruiseandtravelexperts.com.