Hello and welcome....

Hello and welcome to my blog - it's great to welcome you here. 

My name is Anthony and I have been a Travel Counsellor since April 2025 - now that may seem quite recent but I do come from a travel background and in particular the cruising background. 

Travel has been in my blood since 1994 - that's when I went on my first family holiday abroad to Switzerland. At the age of 7, it was such a big adventure! I had never experienced anything like it - from the moment we boarded the plane to the minute we arrived in beautiful Luzern - it was a match made in heaven and instantly I knew I loved the idea of travelling. 

Fast forward to July 1995 and my first ever cruise - on the then brand new P&O Cruises' Oriana (sadly she is no longer with P&O but sails in the Far East for the Chinese market as Piano Land). This was even bigger than the adventure in Switzerland - the fact we were going to be sailing on a ship was something I had always wanted to do from such an early age (well, Titanic may have had something to do with that as I was so obsessed with all things Titanic after learning about it in school) 

It was such a thrill and overwhelming experience that I didn't want to leave the ship at the end of the cruise in Southampton. The kids club was brilliant - I was there every day - as was exploring the different ports of call in our Mediterranean itinerary - seeing new places and learning history was something I loved so it was  perfect match on a cruise. 

Fast forward to the now - I have been fortunate to have cruised 54 times - stretching from the USA, Caribbean, Mediterranean to the Baltic, Black Sea and the Pacific - visiting fantastic destinations and experiencing a wide range of cultures and different cuisines - an education in itself and for me more impactful than sitting in a class room. I have also been on numerous land based holidays - mainly to Spain, USA, Switzerland and Austria - so my geographical knowledge is good and I hope to further enhance that in the months and years to come. 

I have been in the travel industry for quite a bit - I gained my BA Hons degree from Southampton Solent University in 2015 in Cruise Industry Management and have worked for Carnival UK as Personal Cruise Expert for P&O and Cunard at their head office at Carnival House in Southampton ; Mixed Skills Agent with Celebrity Cruises in Weybridge, Surrey and also various roles with travel agencies including DP&L Travel in Scotland. 

Every day is a school day and being a Travel Counsellor that's great. It allows great opportunities to work as an individual and as a team with great flexibility and choice. For me, to be my own boss was a big reason I became a Travel Counsellor - I wanted to take the next step and owning my own franchise and running my own business was an opportunity too good to miss. 

I love to interact with customers, build rapport and establish relationships - and when it's in conjunction with cruise and travel, that comes naturally to me. I simply love travelling and with that passion, I love my job. 

So please, come say hi - check me out on my Facebook page and send any enquiries across to me at my email address and I will be happy to have a look and see what exciting itineraries I can come up with. 

In mean time, thank you and I look forward to interacting with you all over the coming weeks, months and years.