Dream Vacations advisors dive into river cruise charters
Last month, five travel advisors from four Dream Vacations franchises headed to France for AmaWaterways' Taste of Bordeaux wine cruise. The women, who describe themselves as a "tribe," didn't take the trip together just for fun: They were gathering photos, videos, experiences and memories with which to sell a partial charter of the AmaDolce's October 2025 sailing of the same itinerary.
It's unusual for multiple agencies to collaborate on one charter, said Brenda Kyllo, vice president of strategic alliances with AmaWaterways. More common is an agency seeking a full charter for a themed cruise, then inviting other agencies to sell cabins on the departure.
"Having travel advisors from different agencies collaborate on a partial charter is not that common," Kyllo said. "However, we are very happy to work with them, particularly when the agencies are under the same consortia."
Kristin Karst, co-founder and executive vice president of AmaWaterways, praised the plan.
"By collaborating and sharing the risk associated with this type of agreement, these five advisors are positioning themselves for success on this project while planting the seeds and gaining experience for a future full-ship charter," Karst said.
The advisors behind the charter met at Dream Vacations training or at its national conference.
They are Jen Altheide, owner of This Girl Jen! Dream Vacations in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Megan Curdy, an affiliate of Altheide's agency who is based in Phoenix; Heather Edridge, owner of Bon Vivant Escapes by Dream Vacations in Fort Collins, Colo.; LaTasha Henderson, owner of 2B1 Travel by Dream Vacations in Tampa; and Nikki Jones, owner of Jones Getaways by Dream Vacations in San Antonio.
The advisors, who have each been in the industry six years or less, clicked.
"You just start developing relationships," Henderson said. "We always tell people, you will find your tribe, you will find the people who you are symbiotic with. It just grew from there."
In recent years, the group has taken several trips together, which Altheide said helped form their bond. The charter idea was hatched last year during ASTA's River Cruise Expo, where the five women dined together every night. "We built this camaraderie," Altheide said. "We built jokes. So much came out of it."
Altheide came up with the idea of a ship charter and pitched it to Henderson.
"There's certain things that are scary within this industry," Altheide said. "And doing a charter where you're assuming the risk, you are planning out a lot of things that maybe you've never done before. That was really hard for me to think about."
Henderson, like Altheide, has found it challenging to grow group business on her own. "But between all of us, we can all pour into it, and we can all do it together," she said.
"We have a very diverse group here that are all good at different things," said Curdy, adding that she feels "more comfortable" knowing the group will fill each other's knowledge gaps. "Finding those people that help raise you up and help you learn at the same time is really important."
The group reserved a partial charter -- 35 cabins, with the option to reserve more -- on the AmaDolce sailing. As of early March, they had sold about half the allotment, and Altheide felt strongly that they would add more cabins.
Findings from last month's trip will be used to highlight and promote the itinerary.
The advisors have already been marketing locally. Altheide and Curdy have given presentations at wine bars and done some giveaways, and they are now planning similar events.
Edridge sent an "exclusive invite" to clients who would be the right fit, saying "people love that." She's also working with a local chef who hosts a monthly wine-club dinner featuring Bordeaux wines; during the dinner, she'll share information about the itinerary.
Jones said that communication within the group has been key to the partnership's success.
"That's going to make or break whether or not you succeed," she said. "You have to communicate honestly about what you can do and what your goals are."
The five advisors plan on running more groups in the future, starting with clients from the charter, with whom they will share upcoming trips and offers.
Altheide also hopes their collaboration will be a blueprint for agency owners looking to break into group sales.
"Lean in," Edridge said. "Find your tribe. Everyone has different strengths, and it's just nice to have the group of people that you can lean on."
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Jen Altheide, jaltheide@dreamvacations.com
