|
Meet Our Friendly, Knowledgeable
Team of Experts...
Nancy Kelly
President, Owner & Cruise Expert
As President and Owner of Kelly Cruises, Nancy has been a highly respected
member of the cruise industry for over 27 years. Nancy has been
recognized by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine as one of the Top 125 Luxury
Travel Agents in the World since 2001. She has served on Advisory
Boards for noted cruise lines including Crystal, Cunard, Seabourn, Princess
Cruises, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. She is presently an Advisory
Board Member for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Her knowledge and first hand
experiences make her a favorite resource for travel writers and VIP
travelers all over the world. The relationships Nancy has developed with
destination specialists all over the world, help her create magical
experiences for her clients in many of the most exciting destinations in the
world.
Nancy has a passion for luxury cruises. She enjoys working with seasoned travelers who are craving new experiences
and want to explore new destinations and cultures. Her vast worldwide
contacts help to create the perfect vacation. "It's the little extras
that mean so much." Preferred supplier arrangements with the world's
most prestigious cruise lines and tour operators is part of what has made
Nancy Kelly and Kelly Cruises so successful. During the past 27 years,
Nancy has enjoyed over 145 cruises. Some of her favorite destinations
and areas of expertise include Alaska, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand and the
Panama Canal.
Nancy and her husband frequently host cruises for
small and large
groups. Exceeding client's expectations is personal for Nancy as she
thrives on the challenge of keeping up with the changing world of travel.
Peggy Berliner
Office Administrator and Certified Travel Counselor
As manager of Kelly Cruises, Peggy achieved her Certified Travel Counselor (CTC)
designation in 1988 in the areas of Business and Professional Planning,
Marketing, Risk Management and Employee Development. She began her
career in sales in a full-service travel agency that soon resulted in a
promotion to management. After several years, her desire to specialize
in luxury cruises and tours brought her to Kelly Cruises as a cruise
consultant. Today she is responsible for the day-to-day operations,
staff, groups of 200 passengers or more and assists in expediting their
marketing program. Peggy is the master of organization, height of
professionalism and, out of necessity, a jack-of-all-trades. Her
charm, willingness to go the extra mile and industry knowledge ensures that
all will run smoothly.
Susan Kelly Costello
Cruise Expert
A second generation member of the family run
business, Susan fell in love with cruising on her first cruise in 1981. Since then she has sailed on over 40 cruises, and has been a part of the
sales force for over 15 years. Susan is known for matching her clients to
the ships that best suit their desires and expectations - she can be
opinionated, but it's this type of honesty that brings her clients back time
and time again.
Her favorite destinations include Baltic, Mediterranean and Alaska. She has
visited these areas many times, and loves sharing her enthusiasm and
knowledge with her clientele. She can easily make recommendations on shore
excursions, but loves creating more individualized tours. "Sometimes", she
says, "a private car and driver is the only way to go for the best
experience." Whether you are planning that very special occasion,
honeymoon, or family reunion, you can count on
Susan to help you plan a most unforgettable experience!
Susan in a certified Princess Expert, Small Ship Partner, and Certified Regent Seven Seas Cruise Consultant. She received her Bachelors Degree from The University of
Dayton.
Mary Kay Benson
Cruise Expert
Mary Kay has been a dedicated cruise consultant for many years. She is a
Certified Regent Seven Seas Cruise Consultant and a Certified Cruise West
Consultant. Mary Kay also holds Commodore Status as a Certified Princess
Expert and has cruised on many of their ships, including the Royal Princess,
Grand Princess, Sea Princess, Regal Princess and Caribbean Princess. She
specializes in large and small groups, family vacations and reunions. Mary
Kay takes great pride in seeing that every little detail is taken care of
for you. She has traveled extensively in England, Ireland, and Italy, and
has cruised in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, through the Panama Canal,
Alaska (Inside and Glacier Passage) and Hawaii.
In 2000, Mary Kay hosted a large group to the Holy Land and to Eastern
Europe on Holland America's Noordam. In August of 2005, she took a trip to
the Baltic, spending two days in St. Petersburg. Last summer, she hosted a
group on Regent's Seven Seas Navigator to beautiful pastel beaches of
Bermuda. In March 2006, Mary Kay used her group expertise to organize a trip
for her whole family. This memorable trip to the Mexican Riviera on Holland
America's Oosterdam, included her husband, children and grandchildren;
everyone had a fabulous time!
In 2008, Mary Kay and her husband Mike took an American Safari Yacht to the
San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington state. They thoroughly enjoyed
their experience on American Safari's 40-passenger Explorer.
Connie Dix
Executive Assistant for Nancy
Kelly
Connie is a seventeen year
veteran in the cruise/travel industry and she has been a loyal employee at
Kelly Cruises since 2001. Taking special care
of Nancy Kelly’s clients is her top priority and she does so with
confidence, skill and a smile.
Connie has immeasurable expertise and she is an asset to all of us with her
vast knowledge of travel, especially cruise
travel. Connie grew up in the Caribbean, San Juan to be more specific; she
also lived in London for many years. We feel privileged to have her as part
of our team.
Kathy Benson-Amodeo
Director of Internet Marketing / Webmaster
Kathy
joined the Kelly
Cruises staff in January of 2003. Her responsibilities include
researching and editing print marketing,
as well as creating all web content and email marketing. In
December 2005, she created
AlaskaCruiseAndTourExperts.com.
She is committed to making our web sites informative, engaging and
user-friendly. She welcomes any comments or suggestions you may have
regarding our web sites, so please feel free to contact her at
info@kellycruises.com.
Anne Andersen
Accounting
Our Merlin in the accounting department, Anne oversees all invoices,
accounts receivable, travel insurance and record-keeping. Not an easy task!
Anne has been a valued employee since 1990.
Pat Carlson Schoppe
Administrative Sales Assistant
Pat became a new member of the Kelly Cruises staff in April
2011. She has been in the travel business for over 20 years and claims the
best place to be is on a cruise! Some of her favorite places to visit have
been the Caribbean, especially in February; Europe and Alaska. Pat's
philosophy has always been, "that a vacation is precious time spent
together, laughing and learning, and whatever she can do to make it happen
for you, she will!"
Vickie Johnson
Loyal Receptionist
Vicki joined the Kelly Cruises staff in March of 2006; you
can easily detect the "smile" in her voice when you call our office.
Sue Meier
Cruise Host Extraordinaire
Sue Meier has been a phenomenal
hostess for Kelly Cruises' Personality Hosted Cruises for the past six
years. She is energetic, entertaining, organized and her passion for
cruising is undeniable. Our clients enjoy her comic relief and they
appreciate her exhaustive vitality in helping to make their cruise and land
experiences truly memorable. |
