Over the past few years many of you have asked about traveling with a cruise host or escort, someone that travels on the same vessel as you and knows your itinerary, someone you can turn to for questions in times of uncertainty or anxiety, or maybe just a good conversation. Some of you may have traveled with such a person in the past, whether a USA River Cruises staff member or a tour operator from another company.

Our new Cruise Group and Charter Specialist Tomás Garza has several years’ of experience hosting both cruises and land-based trips for groups as small as 3 and as large as 700, and can offer you the following observations:

It can be a tremendous comfort to know there is someone on board looking out for you. This is true whether you ever seek this person or not. A cruise host is most definitely someone you can turn to for questions: this person’s job is to make sure you enjoy your vacation with as little stress as possible. If, for example, you don’t trust the cruise line employees to give you the answers you need, a cruise host can serve as a great alternative.

A cruise host can also plan and help coordinate alternate events, such as a special cocktail party or dinner, a group meeting, a special shore excursion, or even a pre- or post-cruise hotel package. A cruise host can take care of the planning arrangements and work with the cruise line staff to make sure the event goes off seamlessly. Of course they will also be there to greet you!

Taking a trip or cruise with a host does not mean that you have to spend all your time with this person, or with the group being escorted. It does, however, provide you with that option! Many people choose to spend some of their time with the group and make new friends, connections that will join you for that wine tasting or go with you to see that glacier. Nor do you have to actively seek out the host, but it can certainly be nice to have a friendly face on board to wish you good morning!

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USA River Cruises will begin offering more hosted cruises into 2018 and beyond. Please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information. When our new website launches this fall, you will see more attention devoted to this fun, comforting, and extraordinary benefit of group travel! Join us on a hosted cruise some time soon!

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