Halong Bay in northeast Vietnam, known for its towering limestone islands. Photo: Traveler Tina Blum

We traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia in October 2024 with Scenic cruise line.  Cheri helped us coordinate this trip. This was our second trip with Scenic, and we’re still thrilled with their itineraries, service, and overall quality. Cheri helped us find Scenic when we started searching for a small ship cruise line in 2022.

Cheri always does a great job making sure we’ve got all of the dots connected on each trip. Whether it’s an extra hotel night for early arrival or coordinating our airport transfers, she is very responsive.

This itinerary for Vietnam and Cambodia was a combination of land and river travel. There were a LOT of moving parts, and we were impressed with how well Scenic’s group leaders kept everything flowing smoothly. The local guides did a fantastic job conveying what life is like in their country now and over the last 50 years.

Although we traveled the entire length of Vietnam and some parts of Cambodia, the itinerary created regularly spaced pockets of “down time” to allow us to catch our breath and prepare for the next leg of the journey.

The highlight of our trip was in Hanoi, when we did a nighttime foodie tour of the city on the back of motorized scooters. We felt like true “locals,” zipping through traffic and eating at small hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Kitty Bean Yancey meets an Andalusian horse during a shore excursion to a breeding stable in Cartagena, Spain.

My fifth cruise planned by Cheri was a “wow” from start to finish. From the moment I boarded Seabourn’s Ovation in Barcelona for a solo getaway to relax and recharge, I was treated like a VIP. Seabourn always goes above and beyond, but the staff outdid themselves this trip. Mary Jean’s company has a lot of pull with luxury cruise lines, plus this sailing included Wendy Perrin “WOW Moments” that lasted 10 days. I received a private tour of the bridge with the captain, an informative galley walk-through with the head chef (cooks from India were preparing a mouth-watering buffet dinner of their favorite dishes from back home), and almost nightly invitations to dine with the captain and other crew members.

I walked back streets in the medieval quarter of Valencia, Spain, where I dusted the rust off my Spanish as I bought a ruffled flamenco skirt from a charming clerk, watched purebred Andalusian horses prance in Cartagena, Spain, and explored World War II tunnels in the Rock of Gibraltar. Throughout, I savored Seabourn’s caviar on demand and minibar stocked with complimentary Champagne and spirits. I had world-class deep tissue massages, came in second in a fun blackjack tournament, plus the trivia team I joined won three times!

As a semi-retired travel writer, why do I use Wendy Perrin’s WOW experts? Because they know their areas of specialty like few others and usually can put together far more fulfilling trips than I can plan on my own.

We just got back from our first river cruise on Scenic Cruises. The cruise, for 10 days in October 2024, was recommended by our fabulous agent, Cheri. Cheri has booked other ocean cruises for us and we have been so happy that we only work with her. Yes, you can book directly with the cruise line, but the added benefit of working with Cheri is that she can recommend specific rooms and she is readily available with answers to questions when the cruise line is not responsive to our satisfaction. She makes the process like a concierge service. We highly recommend her for either ocean or river cruises.

I have been fortunate to work with Cheri and her company on several cruises, and each time, I am pleased with her knowledge, efficiency, and accuracy. Cheri knows the top cruise lines very well and offers sound guidance and suggestions. This cruise was a Viking Expedition to the Great Lakes, and Cheri was spot on throughout the booking to cruise end process. Cheri even recommended a fantastic area to visit for a pre-departure holiday before boarding the cruise ship. I would definitely be happy to work with Cheri again. Thank you.

Our Greek Island cruise on Sea Dream II was fantastic! First of all, Mary Jean’s team listened to what I wanted, the islands I wanted to visit, and the timing and found us the perfect cruise. Then they found three excellent private tours of three places where I did not want to do a group tour. Throughout the process, their responses were immediate and helpful. We had to change the timing of tour guide pick ups because of when the boat would arrive, and they took care of it immediately. I could never have managed all the arrangements without them.

The Tully team did everything we asked of them. The pre-cruise excursions and hotel were great. The Seabourn cruise was good, but Sojourn is becoming a tired ship…not Tully’s problem. We took an amazing cruise itinerary from Seabourn that included Iceland and Norway. I think this is the best way to see many of Norway’s remote sites. I highly recommend it if you want to go to the North Cape….Europe’s northernmost point of land. We traveled in August of 2024. August is a great time to visit such cold countries.

We have used Cheri several times before. She is always very responsive and helpful. As to the trip itself, one of the highlights for us was visiting the mushing dog kennels in Fairbanks, where we not only learned about these great canine athletes, but also got to hold the puppies! The Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks is also not to be missed. It’s worth the trip there just to see it, and is an unexpected attraction in central Alaska. These were both part of the Denali pre-cruise land tour.

The cruise itself was our first on Regent, and we were very impressed for the most part. Very comparable to the old Crystal, which we had sailed on twice. We are already planning another Regent cruise for next year.

Tom Philbrick and Susan Ketchum at Ephesus.

We recently returned from a Seabourn cruise from Athens to Venice booked through Cheri on Mary Jean Tully’s team. This is the second time we had Cheri book a Seabourn cruise for us and she makes it so much easier than booking directly with the cruise line.

When we cruise we prefer to book private land tours and drivers so Cheri referred us to Gavin Crawford, also in Mary Jean’s office. We had an initial call with Gavin and knew immediately he was the right person for us. We landed in Athens and stayed 3 nights prior to our cruise at Amanzoe in the Peloponnese. This Aman property is outstanding and was a great beginning to our trip. From there, we returned to Athens for one day before embarking on Seabourn Quest. While in Athens, Gavin arranged for a private tour of the Acropolis with a guide who knew how to get around the crowds that were already there in early May.

Gavin has traveled extensively, including to the ports on our cruise, and also understands Seabourn and when we would tender and when we would dock at the ports. He was so helpful in guiding us about whether to hire a guide and driver or skip it and explore on our own at some ports. At one point, close to the start of our trip, Seabourn adjusted the itinerary to go to Turkey first and stop in Greece after, the reverse of the original route. Gavin was quick to contact the guides and rearranged our schedule. As a result, in Bodrum, Turkey our private cooking class at a vineyard was changed to a private class at the home of the chef, with her 87-year-old mother, Ila, instructing instead. It could not have been more perfect! Ila had us prepare 5 dishes using fresh ingredients from her garden. It was a special treat to sit outside on her terrace overlooking the hills and ocean as we worked, all the while listening to Ila’s fascinating life story. We will never forget this special day and personal connection.

Another great memory was the evening in the amphitheater at Ephesus that Seabourn arranged with a concert by the very talented Aegean Chamber Orchestra. Enchanting!

The cruise ended in Venice and as we had been several times we wanted to stay somewhere we had not in the past. Gavin recommended the Belmond Cipriani and it was the perfect choice for us. Far from the crowds (already packed in May!), yet only a 7-minute water shuttle compliments of Cipriani to St. Mark’s Square. We loved our room and the service.

All of our guides were first class, very knowledgeable, pleasant and flexible. Because it was just the 2 of us, we were free to adjust our schedule during the tours. In addition, we were able to leave later in the morning from the ship than the passengers going on the bus tours that Seabourn arranged and return when we wanted. The drivers were excellent, all professional in very clean, comfortable, Mercedes vehicles. We felt very cared for. Gavin arranged for VIP airport assistance in Athens at the start of our trip and in Venice at the end. We use this service whenever possible traveling internationally as it saves us so much time.

We have had so many wonderful experiences on our travels thanks to Wendy and her list of trusted advisors. Although this trip went off without any issues, I know we had backup if we needed it. We have already planned another vacation, in August, to Scotland. And of course we are planning it with another expert from Wendy’s WOW List!

Cheri and her team answered all of our questions and handled the arrangements promptly and efficiently, and stepped up when the cruise company was being somewhat problematic. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone contemplating a cruise.

We were so sad to leave London after 10 days in a suite at The Milestone Hotel. Ralph Crawford in Mary Jean Tully’s office convinced us to change from our usual London roost, the Stafford, and we found our home away from home (with Tully reward breakfasts thrown in). Can’t say enough about the location opposite Kensington Palace or the staff who catered to our every whim or to Andrew, the superb general manager who made us feel like VIPs. And oh, the bespoke cocktails by Angelo were to die for.

We had a fantastic time aboard the Viking Octantis on our recent voyage up the coastline of South America and through the Panama Canal. We worked with Halina in Mary Jean’s office to book our travel on Viking Expeditions, and we were very pleased with the help and advice we received. Our cabin was lovely, and thanks to Halina we were on the correct side of the ship to see the land as we sailed along the coast! We have taken Viking Ocean cruises before and enjoyed them. We were pleased to see that this expedition ship had the same serene Nordic decor and atmosphere, even though it was much smaller. This particular itinerary had twice as many sea days than shore days, and because of that we were glad Halina suggested the larger cabin.

When we did dock, we thought the shore excursions were well organized, and the lectures and expert presentations onboard the ship were extremely interesting. The smaller size of the ship meant that we got to know our fellow travelers much better than on a large cruise liner. There were no big show productions, but we did enjoy the more intimate entertainment in the lounges. And of course, we loved the programs offered in the beautiful Aula, the ship’s auditorium, which was modeled on the ceremonial hall at the University of Oslo. The food onboard was delicious and had plenty of healthy options in addition to the usual indulgences, and the specialty restaurants (no extra cost) were very fun. The gym onboard was well equipped with machines, free weights, and a yoga area. And the spa was quite good — the indoor pool and whirlpool were relaxing, and of course the saunas and steam rooms were great. We are in our mid-60s, and we may have been on the younger side of many of the other passengers. But we found most everyone to be congenial, well-educated and interested in the scientific aspects of the expedition. It was a great experience, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique experience at sea.

We used Cheri Ozimac to set up our Seabourn cruise round trip from St Maarten in January. Everything about her arrangements worked perfectly. However, beware of customs in St Maarten. We really enjoyed the pre-cruise hotel that she recommended.

Though we really enjoyed our Seabourn cruise, we did not feel service was always up to their 6-star ranking. We shared details with Cheri, who shared with Seabourn, and we did get a personalized response from Seabourn.

Cheri is now our go-to travel agent for luxury cruises.

Jeff Bland celebrates his birthday at La Samanna, St. Maarten. Photo: Traveler Susan Bland

We have utilized the services of Cheri Ozimac for a few years now. She is always on top of all the details that make our trips so wonderful, and of course, Cheri’s boss Mary Jean Tully is on Wendy’s WOW List.

This trip was a cruise on Seabourn Ovation to several Caribbean Islands, February 25 to March 10. We flew to St. Maarten a day early so we wouldn’t be exhausted from our flights, which I absolutely recommend. We booked the hotel Seabourn had a negotiated rate with, Belmond La Samanna. I found myself wishing we had arrived even a day earlier to enjoy this resort: well located by a pristine beach, with excellent food and service. We dined at L’Oursin to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and our server brought a bit of flash with a sparkling firework. Great way to celebrate!

On the negative side, our arrival at the airport in St. Maarten was grueling. While a portion of the airport is modern, we didn’t experience any of that: Disembarkation was by a ramp into the hot sun, and we were then loaded onto buses and unloaded to join a very long, snaking line filled with other new arrivals from several other flights. This was outdoors; thankfully, they had shaded the outdoor area where we were waiting with a couple of fans to help move the air, but it was still hot and sticky. We spent over two hours in that line and finally cleared Customs, only to encounter another 45-minute delay waiting for our bags to appear. It was very exhausting and a time waster; we lost the better part of the afternoon dealing with all this. Interestingly, when we departed from this same airport we were in their fairly new facility, air-conditioned, and places to actually sit and wait for our flight. Until they have room to accommodate all flight arrivals, I strongly recommend avoiding this airport.

Our cruise was delightful. Seabourn does its best to spoil its passengers, and almost never do we find anything amiss. We had an unfortunate situation in the middle of one night: My husband was awakened at 1:00am when he heard water dripping. We investigated and found water coming from the ceiling and flooding the floor. We called Guest Services and they promptly got the engineers to investigate and shut off the leak. It took until 3:45am for them to very quietly do the repairs, clean up and put things back in place. Impressive work! We know that ships have all sorts of things that can go wrong, and aside from a lost night of sleep, all was well.

Entertainment is top drawer, food and beverage selections far above other cruise lines. We were fortunate to get to dine at the newest venue: Solis, featuring Italian dishes. It was excellent and we look forward to dining there again on our next trip. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but we love the sushi bar onboard. It’s small, which is why I shouldn’t rave about it, with very personalized service from delightful servers, and so unique we dined there several times.

All in all, another successful trip!

This is the second cruise we have had through Mary Jean Tully’s office. Both times we worked with the fabulous Cheri Ozimac. This last cruise was actually booked 3 times before we actually took it because it was first cancelled due to Covid, then the second version was cancelled by the cruise line (pulled the boat out of the water), so this was the third time poor Cheri had to book a cruise for us to New Zealand/Australia. She was wonderful, despite having to redo this over and over, including obtaining refunds. The third time was indeed a charm and everything went perfectly. She had to field a variety of questions from us beforehand and always had clear answers. We have already booked another cruise this fall with Mary Jean Tully/Cheri.

We spent three weeks in Switzerland, Germany, France and Belgium from December 8 through December 28. Although there was a lot of rain (not unusual for this time of year), we nevertheless enjoyed our visits to many medieval cities including Bern, Lucerne, Basel, Ghent, Strasbourg and Bruges. As usual, Cheri Ozimac, our travel adviser in Mary Jean Tully’s office, helped arrange the cruise portion of our trip, a Christmas Market cruise from Basel to Trier on Viking.

The Rhine was high because of the rain, so Viking needed to rearrange part of the river cruise since ships were unable to get under some of the bridges on the Rhine. We credit the Viking staff for their work to minimize the impact of the high water, something that they are perhaps better able to do than other cruise lines simply because of the larger number of ships that they have on the European rivers. Since water levels are not predictable, this is a risk that travelers need to accept with winter river cruises.

We sailed on the Silver Nova from December 4 to December 19, 2023. Cheri Ozimac was our travel consultant. Land arrangements were made, as always, stellarly, by Gavin Crawford. Perhaps because the Nova is a new ship, I was unhappy with the suite originally reserved by Cheri, but eventually got a lovely suite. To future cruisers: The Nova has suites with and without bathtubs; the suites without bathtubs have a large, lovely shower.

The Silver Nova is a wonderful ship, but the itinerary we chose was not great. The Caribbean ports were fine, but the Ecuador and Peru ports were not particularly interesting, with the exception of Lima.

Silversea includes excursions, but not does offer port talks the day before and the excursion desk had no knowledge of the ports, and were not able to offer maps or any guidance at all. Nor was there a shuttle into Cartagena, which was perhaps the best port of the trip. We found this failing to be very strange.

The staff was, for the most part, excellent. Our butler, Pankaj, and our suite attendant, Jonathan, were wonderful. Anything we asked for got done, and with a smile and genuine warmth.

The food, with the exception of The Grill, was terrific. Each dining venue was imaginative and well executed. The food, alone, is a reason to book the Nova.

That and the bars. The bartenders and Certified Mixologists were amazing. Can’t say enough good things about them.

The pool deck was lovely, although we wished for more shade. The pool, itself, was much larger than we have experienced before.

We did not go to any of the shows, so I can’t comment.

We will definitely book the Nova again, but will check the itinerary closely and will also check where, in relation to the port, the ship docks.

Our Oceania cruise was fantastic! We cruised October 10-21 from Venice (Trieste) to Rome and had stops in Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Italy. We had originally scheduled a trip for fall of 2024 but Oceania changed the itinerary to one that just about duplicated a previous cruise. Cheri Ozimac in Mary Jean’s office made the changes and rescheduling a breeze—no pun intended :) The staff there is always easy to work with and has great suggestions. Cheri was always able to answer my questions in short order. The most interesting point of the trip for me was waking up to the mountain view outside of our cabin in the port of Kotor. The sun was shining on the hill and made a memorable background for my morning mimosa picture :) Sailing back out of Kotor and in the Strait of Messina when we left Sicily was so cool. We love Oceania and will definitely cruise with them again!

Mary Jean Tully’s team arranged for a private, six-course dinner at The Milestone in London for Kitty Yancey and Barry Blechman before their cruise.

Our third Seabourn cruise planned by the wonderful Cheri Ozimac took us to five countries in 14 days in late September and early October 2023 and was our best yet. Cheri knows which suites onboard the Ovation fit our needs (amidships for cruising stability, away from elevators and on a high deck). We enjoyed caviar and Champagne on demand, even atop our room service scrambled eggs. Barry won $500 in a Blackjack tournament. And booking via Mary Jean Tully’s office earned us generous onboard credits.

Onshore, we savored fine wines at a chateau outside Bordeaux, found a fascinating hilltop World War II museum in Cherbourg, France and toured the amazing Guggenheim art museum in Bilbao, Spain.

A pre-cruise highlight: a Wendy Perrin WOW Moment in London. Cheri’s colleague Ralph Crawford persuaded us to trade our usual London hotel for The Milestone opposite Hyde Park and Kensington Palace. Their pull scored us free breakfasts and extra dollars to spend in its fabulous bar and restaurant. We were told to reserve dinnertime one night and wondered what our WOW surprise would be. It started with charismatic bartender Angelo donning a cape and using a saber to pop open a bottle of Champagne. Then we were ushered to a private dining room that once served as a tiny chapel for 19th-century owners of the mansion in which the Milestone is located. We had a great chat with a server dedicated to us, while savoring a six-course tasting dinner. When Barry left his wallet behind, a hotel housekeeper found it and a Milestone concierge arranged to courier it to a hotel in a cruise port of call.

We’ve already called Mary Jean’s team to plan our next trip.

Cheri Ozimac organized our first trip to Alaska and our very first ocean cruise. The ship and itinerary were perfect for us. Cheri was available to answer questions throughout the planning process and to make the trip seamless. I would not hesitate to recommend Mary Jean Tully’s office and, most especially, Cheri, for a cruise experience.

When we cruise we usually choose Seabourn for its all-inclusive small ship vibe and because it is pretty much an all-adult group onboard. Not to mention the fantastic food and drink service.

But this cruise to Alaskan ports was as much for our adult children as their teenage kids, so I relied on my go-to agent in Mary Jean Tully’s office (Cheri Ozimac — she’s a STAR!) to guide us once again. We did a similar cruise last summer onboard the Norwegian Jewel. But this year our teens wanted the go-karts, water slides, laser tag, and game-room experience, so we went with the Norwegian Bliss in the Haven category. We had a two-bedroom suite and three additional rooms with king beds and sofa sleepers.

The two-bedroom suite was quite economical in space. The second bedroom consisted of either a pull-out sofa or a drop-down bed which created a bunk bed situation. No window or natural light there. The main bedroom in the suite didn’t contain a window either and was very cramped on one side of the bed (less than a foot of moving room to get into the bed and at the foot of the bed). Honestly, I expected more from this room category.

There was a nice lounge at the front of the ship for the exclusive use of Haven guests, and a dining room also just for Haven guests. Frustratingly, the menu for each meal never changed, with no daily specials or variety in offerings. Most of our meals were good, but one night we had to wait over an hour between our placing our order and receipt of the appetizers.

The water slide venue was a dud, none of our teens repeated the experience. But the go-karts? Big hit with multi-generational races happening.

The shore excursion that drew our whole group again was the zip-line at Icy Strait (also better known as Hoonah, a First Nation community). And the teens seemed to want t-shirts from each and every port we stopped at!

In spite of not everything being perfect, we will be doing it again next summer with a different itinerary. The experience of the cousins bonding and the adults relaxing can’t be beaten!

We took a Seabourn cruise departing from Dover, ending in Reykjavik, Iceland tthe second half of May 2023. We flew into Heathrow, easily found the car driver Mary Jean’s office arranged to take us into London to the Savoy Hotel. Had a wonderful overnight stay in this historic hotel and then had private transportation to Dover to the ship. Of course, being a Seabourn cruise, we were spoiled from the moment we checked in to the moment we left 11 days later. It’s really difficult to go public with my review of Mary Jean’s team because I’d rather keep them a secret in many ways. They are that good. I’ve been working with them for a few years now and I continue to give them an A+. I know I can trust that all details are covered and that there might be treats from them along the way. An example of their thoroughness from this recent cruise: We normally prefer the port side of the ship, but this time we found ourselves on starboard side. And realized that for the entire trip we were on the sweet side where all the best scenery was. Now that’s attention to detail! There’s always a welcoming amenity from Mary Jean and no detail left to chance. This is the way to travel!

We have been home for 5 days from our Seabourn cruise as organized by Cheri Ozimac. We had never cruised previously but once we were aboard, we realized how Cheri had expertly chosen our cabin on Deck 10 for us! Our cruise was booked in 2019 and because of COVID we did not travel until 2023. Cheri and her team stuck with us with adjustments and trip insurance changes as required. We trust Mary Jean’s team and will use them again!

We traveled to Italy with Scenic USA on board the Scenic Eclipse II from May 1 – May 11, 2023, starting in Rome and ending in Venice. My experience with Mary Jean Tully’s office was top-notch. From my first phone call with Cheri Ozimac to the end of our journey, all of my questions were answered promptly. We even threw in a very last-minute request that Cheri and her team were able to easily handle.

The rest of this review is more about the cruise ship than Mary Jean’s team. But my endorsement of her office is 100%. My original request to Cheri was for a trip with a different company. She was more than happy to book with them, but after discussing the risk of booking with a company that was just starting out in the industry, she suggested we consider Scenic USA, with over 30 years of experience. I’m so happy we took her advice.

This was our first time traveling with Scenic USA, and we’re so satisfied that we’ve already booked our next adventure with them for 2024. Every aspect of the trip went smoothly. A few weeks before leaving we used the online portal to prebook excursions. When we arrived dockside, we were greeted quickly, checked in and welcomed on board. After a quick stop at Guest Services to set up our account and obtain our ID cards, we were invited to enjoy lunch at the Azure Cafe. As soon as we’d finished lunch, we met our Butler, who escorted us to our suite and explained how everything worked. He also reviewed our dining options and made a few reservations for us in the harder-to-get venues.

The food choices on the Eclipse II were outstanding! We dined at Lumiere (French cuisine) twice, enjoyed sushi and Asian fusion at Kokos on 3 nights, and thoroughly enjoyed our meals at Elements, which changes its menu every night. We got to sample Mediterranean street food at Night Market, which is a lovely intimate venue for 8 that allows the chef to prepare your meal in front of you while explaining the origins of the cuisine. As an avid “foodie,” I was in heaven!

The ultimate dining experience was at Chef’s Table for an evening of “playing with our food” that was delightful.

Our suite (802) was spacious and had more storage than we could use. The technology in the room worked well. The bed and bedding were some of the most comfortable we’ve ever experienced…we never missed our bed at home. Lighting, water temp and pressure, towel quantity and quality, blow dryer, soap selection…were all top-notch. The only thing missing in the bathroom is a magnifying mirror for older eyes.

In addition to booking the cruise for us, Cheri connected us with their Bespoke Travel Department who were able to arrange hotels, excursions, and dining reservations for us in Rome and Venice on our pre- and post-cruise days. While we were on our trip, our agents in Mary Jean’s office were always quick to respond to my questions.

We worked with Cheri Ozimac for an Atlas Ocean Voyages trip from Lisbon to Barcelona 4/24/23-5/7/23. We had worked with Cheri previously to book a cruise which had ultimately been cancelled. Because she was excellent at her job, we went back to her for this one. She is VERY responsive (important to us) and able to provide valuable advice about ships and cabin selection. Atlas Ocean Voyages is new to the European market and still getting their act together organizationally, but Cheri has been a good advocate for us in obtaining the information we needed. She promptly forwarded any news from the cruise line and clarified any issues we had. Cheri’s office gave us a very nice financial “gift” when we returned, which was better than a shipboard credit (useless on an all-inclusive cruise). Everything went perfectly and we are using Cheri for a cruise next year.

We used Mary Jean Tully’s office to plan our cruise in the Greek isles. We took a Seabourn Cruise that left Athens on 4/23 and arrived in Istanbul on 4/30. The cruise was excellent in all regards. Tully also planned accommodations and tours in Athens and Istanbul for before and after the cruise, as well as three days in Santorini at the conclusion of the cruise. Additionally, Tully booked our air travel. All these arrangements were excellent and Tully was extremely responsive throughout planning as well as during the trip. I will certainly use Tully for future travel.

We had a lovely, quick getaway to the Caribbean. We usually travel more exotically, but since I love to cruise, this seemed like an easy, short trip.

Silversea Dawn is beautiful. We had some issues with our cabin and Management was very responsive, with great customer care. The crew was wonderful and the food was very good.

My husband and I travel a lot, and although we have had many wonderful trips, I never understood the phrase “trip of a lifetime.” Now, I do.

Gavin Crawford in Mary Jean’s office planned the most amazing trip to Africa for us and another couple. We originally had booked a Cape Town-to-Cape Town cruise, but worries about Covid made us reconsider. We cancelled the cruise, but had non-refundable air. We had also booked, and paid for, pre-cruise safari camps in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Gavin pivoted with us and planned a whole new land trip.

We relied entirely (with our own due diligence) on Gavin’s suggestions, which were spot-on! The only hiccup was that the temperatures in Botswana were in the 90s and humid, so we opted out of the last three nights in a safari camp, as they were not air-conditioned. We were not able to get our payment back (which is understandable) and instead suggested a luxury hotel in South Africa, which Gavin booked for us.

For those who might be interested, here was our trip. Flew to Cape Town and stayed in the wonderful Cape Grace. (In my next life, I’m going to LIVE there!). Then we flew to Kasane, Zimbabwe and stayed at the Old Drift Lodge, where we saw every animal imaginable and the most terrific guide, Vusa. We also went to Victoria Falls, which is unimaginable. Period. Then we crossed into Botswana and flew, by small plane, to Camp Moremi. I can’t say enough good things about the staff there. They felt like friends when we left. Then, we pivoted to fly from Maun, Botswana to Cape Town and were driven to Grootbos, a luxurious South Africa hotel with ocean views, five-star food, and views to die for. Then, onto Franshoek Hotel and Villas in Franschoek, another lovely hotel. Also with Monneaux, its superb restaurant. Finally, we spent another five nights at the Cape Grace, where Tully’s connections got us upgraded.

Aside from picking all of the hotels and camps (with the exception of Grootbos), Gavin and his Africa team planned and executed VIP meets at the airports, drivers to all locations, and—in Cape Town—a guide, Tabby, to whom we gave our emails so she can visit us in the States. I have NEVER done that with a guide before.

I can’t say enough good things about how perfectly planned and executed this trip was. It was so good that we have just booked a Cape Town-to-Cape Town cruise for 2024 and, of course, will ask Gavin to plan the land part.

We had a wonderful cruise this September aboard the Viking Sky, traveling from Athens, Greece, up the Adriatic Sea coastline to Venice, Italy. We booked our cruise with Mary Jean Tully’s office, and worked with both Halina and Melissa to finalize the details of our trip. They both were very helpful, responsive and efficient in their help. We were especially grateful for their assistance with our transfers after the cruise. We knew that the original cruise docking at Venice had been changed to the nearby port of Fusina, as the cruise ships no longer dock in Venice (rightfully so!). But while onboard, we learned that we would NOT be docking there either, but instead at the port of Chioggia. It was good to know that these changes were smoothly attended to, and our driver was waiting for us in Chioggia to take us to the train station without a problem.

We did not have many concerns about COVID on this trip. We had travel insurance as recommended by Mary Jean’s team. We are both fully vaccinated and have each had two booster shots as well. We also isolated in the weeks before travel, knowing that we would need to have a negative COVID test in order to board the ship. We worked with Melissa to schedule a test at our hotel in Athens. All went smoothly, and our paperwork was completed and in order for embarkation. It was a pleasure working with both Melissa and Halina.

My husband Marvin and I booked a cruise on Oceania Riviera, September 26-October 5, with the assistance of trip planner Cheri Ozimac. I had attempted to start the booking process myself, but very quickly became overwhelmed with all of the details. I reached out through Wendy Perrin’s website and was connected with Cheri and her team. Lesson learned—always use a trip planner!

The trip was fabulous! We purposely decided to travel in the fall, thinking that the travel surge of the summer would die down. For the most part that was true. (Still pretty crowded in Barcelona, but I am sure not as bad as the summer.) The weather was very nice at the ports. We did have a couple of rough sea days resulting in port changes.

Cheri’s colleague Martha Jacobs arranged our pre- and post-cruise hotel stays, as well as transfers. Everything went very smoothly. This was definitely a value-added service.

Cheri arranged our air transport and walked and talked me through all of the tedious details of travel. I am forever grateful. We had a couple of glitches: luggage arrived at our hotel in Rome the day after we arrived (which was actually pretty good considering what others have been through), not being able to dock in Livorno or Montecarlo due to weather issues—missed the Leaning Tower and Monaco. But maybe someday….

That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would do it again in a heartbeat! The Riviera is beautiful, the food delicious, and the crew very attentive.

Hats off to Cheri, Martha, and team for helping to make our trip one to cherish and remember.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We had a long wish list—Côte d’Azur, Provence, a Rhône River cruise, Normandy and Paris—and Mary Jean’s office fulfilled it all. We wanted to focus on art and they set us up with guides who could teach college courses in art history and theory! Museum highlights included the Maeght Foundation, Musee D’Orsay, Rodin, Jacquemart and Giverny.

We enjoyed stunning Mediterranean views from the Chateau Saint-Martin Hotel & Spa and had a fabulous lunch at the Michelin two-star Chateau de La Chèvre d’Or. We varied our art immersion with visits to the charming hilltop villages of Eze, Tourettes-sur-Loup and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Before heading to Normandy, we took a week-long Scenic river cruise on the Rhône, seamlessly coordinated with our land travels. Our Normandy guide had a knowledge of WWII that astounded us and made our visit to the D-Day beaches emotional and memorable. We finished our trip in Paris with a stay at the luxurious Hotel Bristol (the epitome of European excellence in service) and our WOW Moment, a private cellar tasting of exclusive champagnes and a bottle to take home.

Gavin’s land itinerary exceeded our expectations for variety, quality and guides, and Cheri’s river cruise recommendation fit our wishes perfectly. Their team kept us apprised of Covid protocols and we felt that our travels were as safe as travel can be at this time. As always, we purchased travel insurance recommended by them and were thus insured against any financial risk.

Although the champagne tasting was our official WOW Moment, we consider the entire trip a WOW experience, something we could not have created without the expertise of Gavin, Cheri and the rest of the Mary Jean’s staff.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Our trip to Spain was absolutely fantastic. We toured for about 21 days, ten of which were on a Regent cruise taking in all the Spain ports we wanted to see. Our remaining days were spent on a customized tour of the interior of Spain. Cheri made sure we were aware of all the Covid cruise requirements and that everything was taken care of. We love Regent! The interior trip was planned by Gavin Crawford and while Gavin had his challenges working with their Spain contact, he was spectacular as he resolved each issue that came up. He made sure we toured every city we wanted to visit (nine cities) and had some of the best drivers, guides and hotels. He did not miss anything and was absolutely amazing! He was further challenged as inflation kept creeping up and he tried hard to stay within our budget. He even arranged for us to have our pre-cruise Covid testing done at our hotel in Barcelona! I understand Tully generally arranges two- to three-day side trips…but never one as long as ours with so many details. Kudos to everyone involved and thanks for a great trip.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Before the Covid-19 Pandemic, we booked a cruise with Mary Jean Tully (who is on The WOW List) and then had to cancel, then re-book, then cancel then re-book and then cancel. Mary Jean and Cheri Ozimac handled all the changes, including hotels and transportation, deposits and refunds. They were in constant communication with us for all of the changes in our plans. When restrictions were lifted in Ireland, we knew that we could count on Tully to handle our tour reservations and future cruises. We had a very successful two week tour, May 10th-25th and fortunately we did not have to rely on help for the Covid test, since our tour handled the testing and we all tested negative. During our tour through the entire island of Ireland, we felt safe and only felt the stress on the last day, wondering about our test results. I would definitely recommend Ireland as a destination and Mary Jean’s company.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Cheri guided us with our first foray back to cruising. Our friends had decided to cruise in December in Europe on Viking, contracted Covid after 3 days aboard, and spent 12 days isolating in a (beautiful) villa in Greece until she FINALLY tested negative. With that misadventure in mind, I did not want to need to isolate on a Caribbean island!
We found out that Regent isolates you on board, and brings you to your final destination, Miami-Miami in our case. With that reassurance, we were comfortable taking the chance.
As well, the ship had 490 passengers vs. 700 capacity.
Cheri guided us to an insurance agent for our Cancel-for-any-reason insurance, in case we were not comfortable going at the last minute.
Cheri guided us with our cabin choice; it was fabulous.
I was so happy to be back on a ship. It was perfect. Cheri said we would love Regent and we did!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We were very nervous about traveling during the pandemic, but Gavin, on Mary Jean’s team, made it easy. And, frankly, Silversea was incredible. Silversea was simply amazing! I can’t wait to travel with them again.

Gavin answered every one of my numerous and frequent questions about testing requirements and protocols. No matter what I threw at him, he responded quickly and knowledgeably.

He also planned the two nights in Lisbon, pre and post-cruise flawlessly. He gave us a choice of three hotels, at different price points, and we were lucky enough to choose the One Palacio, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It will be our go to hotel in Lisbon.

Cheri, also on Mary Jean’s team, was patient with my many cruise bookings and cancellations. When we finally settled on the Silversea cruise to the Azores and Canaries, she picked a very well located suite.

We are anxiously awaiting next December’s Regent cruise from Capetown, and especially the pre-cruise safari and land trip that Gavin has planned.

So glad we went with Mary Jean and her team.

Mary Jean’s colleagues Cheri Ozimac and Ralph Crawford helped keep me sane as Viking Sun found itself sailing literally and figuratively through the coronavirus pandemic during its 2019-2020 world cruise. I boarded the ship in LA in January 2020, so excited to be on a four-month trip of a lifetime, and flew home early from Bali Indonesia when it became clear that the cruise’s itinerary was severely compromised. I cannot thank Ralph enough for getting me maximum refunds at the last minute for planned overlands. And Cheri, in addition to working with me when it became clear I needed to leave the ship, also intervened with Viking Customer Relations/Guest Services early on when I expressed concerns about being constantly ignored by staff in favor of couples and larger groups, and subjected to condescending treatment from several Viking Sun onboard staff that once literally left me, an experienced world traveller, in tears. Customer Service changed dramatically with the arrival of a wonderful new General Manager for the ship in Auckland NZ but Cheri’s intervention saved me from jumping overboard much earlier and swimming home. I was very lucky to have both Cheri and Ralph in my corner when my dream cruise turned into something quite different. I cannot thank them and all of Mary Jean’s staff enough.

Western Caribbean cruise December 28, 2019 – January 4, 2020
Celebrity Equinox

After a very stressful fall work schedule, my husband and I decided last minute that we needed a cruise to a warm location to welcome in 2020 and melt away our cares. Mary Jean’s team is simply top notch! I worked with Cheri Ozimac, who made the entire process seamless and easy. She was in touch with us from start to finish. She checked in with us afterwards to make sure we had a wonderful trip. And she’s even helped us book our next cruise with Celebrity (coming up in March)!
We had the vacation we were needing and hoping for…no worries, no problems, just fun and relaxation!

Cheri’s greatest accomplishment for us on this trip was that we had booked an already low special rate, and she was able to get us 3 price reductions as they were published by the cruise line, even a couple of them AFTER the cancellation period, which apparently is not normally done. WE ended up having a great trip on a luxury line at a bargain price, thanks to Cheri on Mary Jean’s team!

1. Preplanning was fabulous. We worked with teleconferences to include other travelers, their (outstanding) land specialist Ralph & cruise specialist Cheri.
2. We did have a tour guide problem which we worked to solve as it was an immediate issue (a substituted tour guide in Germany spoke Spanish, so we used my daughter as translator that day). Ralph was on it when we notified him, and he was proactive in making sure remaining destinations were well coordinated & had no problems.
3. Cheri did an outstanding job with our cruise rooms, meeting the individual needs of each traveler. I brag about her work and have recommended her to my friends looking to create a cruise experience.
4. This team was responsive to each of our questions, desires in the trip, provided outstanding local tour guides who enhanced our knowledge & enjoyment of each city and were a pleasure to work with.

This was our first luxury cruise and I wanted to do it right. I contact Mary Jean for help. She and Cheri were wonderful. They answered all of my questions and had more than a few suggestions. I followed their lead and we ended up on the Queen Mary 2 booking a Queen’s Grill room.

The cruise was exceptional. We loved the room they selected for us. The ship was rocking and rolling as we skirted three hurricanes. Our cabin was mid ship we had no issues. I thought the bonus was being close to the concierge. When we docked in NYC and the Statue of Liberty was outside our window. I was speechless.

I chose Mary Jean Tully because of Wendy’s WOW list and I’m so pleased I did. I’ve used other agencies in the past and ended up doing much of the work myself, with Mary Jean’s team I have felt like I have a much more knowledgeable partner who really cares. Most of our interactions have been via email, which you might think would be cold and remote…not so! My contacts have allowed their personalities to show, making the contacts more personalized and getting to know us. This was the second trip I have used Mary Jean’s team, and yes, I’ve already booked another cruise which I will look to Mary Jean to manage for us.

Cheri Ozimac, on Mary Jean Tully’s team, was extremely responsive to our travel needs. She worked with us to secure a rebate when the price of our cruise went down, saving us considerable money. She also helped us with a cabin change that offered a significant improvement in comfort for our family. Tully’s inside track with the cruise lines shows in the results of getting the best experience for their clients. We traveled with a group of 9 in four staterooms and all of us were pleased.

Cruise to Alaska on Crystal went as planned so no need to contact Cheri Ozimac during trip. Cheri knows our preferences and makes sure staterooms are where we like to be. Made sure my birthday was made special by Crystal crew.

Cheri Ozimac (in Mary Jean Tully’s office ) was incredibly helpful in assisting us to choose exactly the right cruise for our interests. She’s very knowledgeable about various cruise lines and itineraries and she matched our needs perfectly when she booked us on the Crystal Esprit.

We’re very interested in good food and good wine and we like maximum flexibility in choosing dining times. We also like a sophisticated environment where we don’t feel as though we’re in a group summer camp situation with ongoing activities and entertainments. The idea of frequent announcements highlighting multiple activities has no appeal. Cheri assured us that the Crystal Esprit would provide us with the kind of experience and service we might find in a high end boutique hotel and she was absolutely correct. Without her assurances we might have hesitated because of the price tag. We’re glad that, with Cheri’s advice, we made the decision we did.

Based on our itinerary, she chose a suite for us on the port side of the ship: a small detail but something I wouldn’t have thought of and further evidence of Cheri’s valuable experience and understandings of the ins and outs of cruising.

From the time of booking to the time we embarked I had ongoing questions about excursions and details about life onboard. Cheri unfailingly responded promptly with up-to-date information and encouraged me to continue to use her as a resource. I didn’t ever feel as though anything was too insignificant to ask about.

Fortunately, there were no issues on our travels which required us to contact Cheri for assistance after we left home. I’m confident that, had there been a need, she would have responded immediately with a fix.

We’ve recommended Cheri to friends and will certainly use her services for our own future cruise planning. We spend a considerable amount of money on travel and don’t want to make an expensive mistake. It just makes sense to work with someone who has the knowledge and the connections to insure that there are no nasty surprises. For us, Cheri is that person.

We booked a cruise with Mary Jean Tully’s team to parts of the Orient to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. What made this trip spectacular was the customized pre-cruise tour in Beijing. Arranged by Cheri Ozimac and Ralph Crawford, our two days in Beijing were everything we expected and then some. We were able to visit the highlights, and especially the Great Wall, timed to avoid the crowds. Our guide was awesome, and included unexpected treats such as a local Chinese meal and some artists in residence. Further, a separate guide in Shanghai took us on a most fun shopping experience and ended with an evening of spectacular views of the harbor. After 21 days of being on the road, we were not yet ready to return home. Awesome job!

Cheri Ozimac (of Mary Jean’s team) has helped me plan several cruise voyages. There is typically an 11 to 12-hour time difference between where I live and where she is located, but she is incredibly responsive to my emailed questions throughout the process. During our most recent cruise from Sydney to Auckland, Cheri planned a WOW moment for us that was simply spectacular. A driver in a private Jaguar sedan took my wife and me for a tour of Dunedin, NZ, out to a protected Yellow-eyed Penguin hatchery and finally to the Royal Albatross Centre.

My trip was excellent, and I was very pleased to work with Mary Jean’s deputy, Cheri. I had ordered a rollator thru her, but the one that was delivered to my stateroom was not the one I requested; too large and heavy. Because we were departing on a Sunday, the rental agency was of no help. I was very upset. Cheri contacted the Crystal ship and Medical had 3 wheel rollator that they let me use on the cruise. Cheri also arranged for a refund for the rollator that I did not use. In addition, Cheri recommended Shore Excursions so we were able to go on an excursion that was not snorkeling or scuba.

We were delighted with Mary Jean’s team and we worked with Cheri Ozimac, a delightful individual. She gave us excellent advice and was very prompt with her responses to all of our ongoing questions. Cheri secured generous onboard ship credits and provided a last minute opportunity for a suite upgrade of which we took advantage…and we are so glad that we did. We have booked a second cruise with her. Would definitely recommend.

Mary Jean’s associate, Cheri Ozimac, planned our trip. She provided a generous amenity, as well as securing us an additional discount after the cruise was booked. She also got us a rate at our NY hotel that I could not duplicate myself. We had special instructions as to how our cruise tickets were to be sent, which she followed to the letter. Since this was primarily a cruise, there weren’t too many additional things that she had the opportunity to provide for us during the trip, but I would say she performed very professionally and I would not hesitate to use her services again.

I have wanted to do a “re-positioning” cruise for many years, and we finally had the opportunity to do that on the Viking Sea, as it moved from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. We booked our voyage with Mary Jean and her team, and our primary contacts were Halina Melerowicz and Rebecca Lampert. They did a wonderful job advising us on our cabin selection and helped us keep track of deadlines as the date for our sailing approached. They were especially helpful in arranging shore excursions in places where we wanted something just a little different. For example, in Cadiz, we had a wonderful and informative tour of the Museo Archeologico, before driving on to Jerez for a private soak in the Hammam Andalusi Baths. In Valencia, we joined a fabulous cooking class to learn the art of making classic paella, and then had a private tour of the city on bikes. They also arranged our post-cruise tours in Barcelona and booked our reservations at The Majestic Hotel (which included a lovely room upgrade!) They were very attentive and responsive as we worked to put everything together.

Cheri Ozimac, on Mary Jean’s team, was amazing. I knew we wanted to go on a Baltic Cruise and she helped me decide which cruise line to book on — we had an initial conversation which helped us select a Cruise line. Then we had several back and forth emails on options of the cruise line that we selected…all while she was in and out of the hospital! I knew that she was having a medical procedure but she was literally on top of everything, which was totally unexpected considering the circumstance. Cheri was very helpful in selecting the right cruise line for us and we had a fantastic time.

We took a tour/cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap that began with two days in the Park Hyatt Saigon, then seven nights on the Mekong, and finally three days at the Park Hyatt in Siem Reap. Cheri on Mary Jean’s team was great to work with — very helpful and incredibly responsive to our requests. We live in Thailand, so there is a 12 hour time difference with the Cheri who is in Toronto. Nevertheless, Cheri responded to my emails very quickly and I never felt that I was being ignored. Since Scenic Cruises included all airport transportation and five-star hotels in HCMC and SR, we did not need Cheri’s help for those portions of the trip.

My travel specialist (Cheri) did not do much planning because I have already decided which cruise line, date, and itinerary I want to book. However, Cheri has always been very pleasant to work with and she answers your e-mail very promptly. She helped me in deciding which category of a cabin to book and that is very helpful. Thank Wendy for another wonderful vacation.

I chose Mary Jean and Cheri Ozimac on her team, because of their experience with Crystal Cruises. They helped me book the Crystal Serenity New York to Canada cruise in September 2017. As a first time cruiser with accessibility issues, Cheri reserved a mid-ship port side cabin for me at a good price. She worked with Crystal to make sure my cabin was prepared for my needs, and it was. She rented a rolling walker for my use during the cruise that was delivered to my cabin and made early dining reservations when the cruise website said early dining was waitlisted. She recommended several restaurants in Montreal and offered to make our reservations. During the cruise, she recommended Luggage Free to ship my luggage home post-cruise at a rate half the price of Crystal’s luggage shipper. Any questions I had were promptly answered. I look forward to having Cheri arrange my next cruise.

Our travel specialist arranged a 5-day Canada-New England sailing on Cunard.  She was back to me to answer any question I might have within minutes!  We received an onboard credit to use as we wished – very nice – as well as found a bottle of sparkling wine, well iced in our cabin. The trip was absolutely seamless and the ship beautiful. I have every confidence that, had I needed their help at any time, it would have been available.

Mary Jean Tully exemplifies everything luxury—or, shall I say, over the top.  The level of service and the experience we had with her company were exceptional. Cruise and land experiences were simply over the top. Note that this firm is not for the couple traveling in coach but, rather, a six-star team that goes over and above to ensure your holiday expectations are exceeded. As an example: She flew into Beijing, met our ship (Crystal Cruises’ Serenity), and invited the 44 guests they’d booked on the Serenity to join her at the #1 restaurant as a thank-you for our business.  PLUS, if that wasn’t enough, they created a separate itinerary for those same 44 guests the next day to travel with her privately to the GREAT WALL, to a more secluded and spectacular spot—and, once at the top of the wall, we got a catered lunch complete with white tablecloths and great wines. How does one do that??  Then after two days of ensuring her clients were happy, she flew back to North America. I’ve never seen anything like it before!

Things could not have gone any smoother with our trip. Everything from being picked up at the airport, to being greeted on the ship , the room location on the ship everything was top-notch.

My voyage booked through Mary Jean Tully and Cheri Ozimac was a great introduction to Crystal Cruises. The agency had made it possible for me to have some great cabin credits and my cabin was better than I had hoped for. They are very informative and made my trip seamless. I have already booked another Crystal voyage through them. The Crystal product was exceptional and the Symphony was immaculate and all decorated for the Christmas holidays. Mary Jean and Cheri cover all the bases and will not let you down.

Very proactive and responsive. Took the time to understand why I wanted to travel, and gave me excellent options and specific recommendations for what would work and why in the cities we visited. I was able to relax and enjoy my trip without worrying whether the details would be taken care of.

Even though we live in Brisbane, Australia, we only ever use Mary Jean and her team to book our cruises. Lore makes it so easy to do everything by email and I always get a timely response to questions regardless of time differences! They certainly do an excellent job of pricing and getting the best deal and are always happy to offer suggestions for individual port exploring. We wouldn’t use anyone else! Thanks Mary Jean, Lore, Salpy and the rest of the experienced and informed team. :-)