Cruising is one of America’s favorite ways to travel. And with some smart preparation, it can be one of your group’s favorite ways to travel too.

Anne Davis, founder of Cruises and Tours Worldwide, is an expert in both land tours and group cruises. She joins this episode of the Gather and Go podcast to help group travel coordinators navigate the ins and outs of planning cruises for their groups.

Anne shares insight on how to pick the perfect cruise destination, how much cruising really costs and how group cruise experts differ from regular travel agents. Plus, we have news on softening travel demand; a Road Tip on preparing for your first cruise; and a Hot Minute on how politics is threatening to corrupt travel.

On choosing the best travel professionals to handle group cruise bookings:

“There’s a big difference between a travel agent and a tour operator. If you’re working with a tour operator that only deals with groups, they’re going to have a lot more insight into how to make the experience the best it can be.”

On the growing flexibility of cruise vacations:

“The whole feeling on ships now is much more relaxed. There are more shows to choose from, more restaurants to choose from. Everybody can do their thing. I think that’s what society wants….

“No longer can you expect that everyone is going to show up every night. People have the choice.”

Learn more about Cruises and Tours Worldwide at ctw-us.com.

Contact Anne Davis at 800-435-2710 or anne@ctw-us.com.

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Jay Smith shares how he found his place at the intersection of sports and tourism on this episode of the Gather and Go podcast.

Troubleshooting Travel Problems with Christopher Elliott

Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott joins the podcast to talk about how to protect yourself and your customers from common travel problems.

Smarter Tech for Better Trips with Ted Clements

WeTravel CEO Ted Clements joins the podcast to talk about how travel planners can use tech tools to reduce work and deliver better experiences.

1:34 — Travel News: Signs of softening travel demand

2:57 — Road Tip: Preparing for your first cruise

6:40 — Most popular episodes from our first year

11:33 — How Anne Davis became a travel expert

16:01 — Cruising basics for tour planners

27:08 — How cruising has become more flexible

35:50 — Are cruises more expensive than land tours?

39:06 — Combining cruises with land tours

47:35 — Hot Minute: Politics and the weaponization of travel

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination marketers, museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes a featured conversation with a smart and influential travel leader. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!