Letter to Wendy Perrin
Consumer News Editor, Condé Nast Traveler
Dear Wendy,
We just wanted to take a moment to laud the praises of Nancy Kelly at
Kelly Cruises in Oak Brook, Il. As first
time cruisers, Nancy and her staff went out of their way to make sure
that our first cruising experience would be an outstanding one. And did
they ever succeed! From the initial stages to the final destination,
each step was flawless.
Nancy began by asking us about our expectations of a cruise, how long we
wanted to spend on the ship and ports that we were interested in
visiting. After much discussion, we agreed that the Seven Seas Regent
Mediterranean Cruise would be a good fit. And it certainly was.
Nancy suggested that we arrive a day ahead of our ship's departure. She
made arrangements for us at the
delightful Hotel LePerouse in Nice. The following day, we were driven to
Monte Carlo where our ship awaited! It was the beginning of the most
wonderful seven days at sea. We thoroughly enjoyed every port. The staff
on the Navigator were outstanding. Nancy had recommended the Circle of
Interest tours in Florence and Rome which we found to be exceptional.
Nancy arranged for us to stay an additional three days in Rome after the
cruise ended. Once again she chose a
perfect hotel . The Majestic was centrally located and was a beautiful
place to enjoy the ViaVeneto! And when it was time to return home, all
of our connections went as smoothly as the trip.
Of course now we are totally spoiled! Nancy's attention to detail and
her genuine concern for her client's satisfaction makes her stand out in
a time when these qualities are often sadly lacking. We look
forward to using Kelly Cruises in the future and will certainly
recommend her to our friends. She has made cruisers out of us and that
has made our lives richer.
Sincerely,
Suzanne and Phil Knell
Dear Mary Kay,
We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.
All age groups... grandchildren, children and seniors had a wonderful
time. We enjoyed the whole trip. Hopefully we'll be ready
for another cruise next year.
Thanks again!
Helen
Hi Mary Kay,
Just have to tell you what a fabulous cruise we have just had on
Insignia. From start to finish it was very good and we cannot praise
them highly enough. Thanks very much. I was a little apprehensive about
taking a cruise on a smaller ship, albeit many people had recommended
Oceania Cruises, but it was even better than I had envisioned. You were
right when you said you thought we would like it, we certainly did.
We are counting the days to the next one!!
Henry says that he does not have a booking number for our cruise on
Nautica in February next year. When you have time could you e-mail it to
us?
Many Thanks,
Audrey
Mary Kay:
Our Alaska trip was great. The entire entourage had a wonderful time.
Thanks to you, all the arrangements with Princess were flawless. The
hotels were first class and the Island Princess was spotless. Needless
to say, the food and service were outstanding. We even lucked out on the
weather with sun nearly every day and only one minor shower to contend
with (on a rafting trip when we were wet anyway).
Thank you, too, for the on board credit. It was a welcome and unexpected
surprise. There may well be another cruise in our future. If so, you'll
be hearing from me.
Again, thanks for everything.
Bill
Susan
Thank you for writing out the Kelly Cruise amenities for our September
cruise on the Amsterdam. We really appreciate the trips that we arrange
through Kelly Cruises and we especially appreciate the service. There is
no where else where we feel that we receive the quality of service and
personalized care and value that you and Kelly Cruises provide for us.
We are very much looking forward to this trip and having booked with you
we know that it will be perfect!.
Thank you again.
Roxanne
Hi Mary Kay,
Just wanted you to know that we had a
fantastic trip in Alaska. Thank you for helping us!
Deborah H.
Hi Cindy!
Forgot to mention that cabin 421-E was great! We were mid-ship so did
not have to walk far to anything -- dining room, bars, buffet, etc. We
were three cabins from the elevator, but because of the corridor never
even heard the elevator. This was our biggest ship, but we found it so
easy to get around!
We switched from late seating to anytime and loved it! We met so many
fun and interesting people -- sometimes we had dinner at a table for
4,6,8,10 etc. This was a definite plus to cruising! Harry filled out our
return questionnaire from Kelly's, and I just sent the thank you sticker
-- we are so very grateful for your help in getting us through the
airport crisis! -- sorry I didn't think to call you, but after being in
line for nearly 3 hours. etc. we just sat down and recuperated until our
flight took off!
P.S. Harry was upset that I made plane reservations not through
Princess -- but if we had -- no one would have helped us at the airport
-- thank God for travel agents, and especially YOU --it taught us a very
good lesson to always use a travel agent!
Have a good weekend! - Judy & Harry
Dear Connie,
My wife Anita and I returned home
last night from our Alaska trip. It was great!
Thank you very, very much!
First of all, the choice of Princess was an excellent one. What with
their hotels, lodges, buses, rail cars and people, they seem to "own"
the Alaska tour business. I confirm that the land portion first,
and then the cruise, was definitely the way to go! Regarding the
land tours in that early portion of the trip, We thought that the
paddlewheel ride was likely to be tacky and a waste of time, but that
could not have been farther from the truth. The tour was very well done.
It was entertaining and informative, and we would recommend it to even
the most seasoned travelers.
The 8-hour early morning Tundra Wilderness Tour was excellent too! We
had lots of wildlife sightings, including grizzlies, moose, caribou,
Dall sheep, a wolf, and even a porcupine! We spoke to others who had
taken shorter tours, particularly afternoon ones, and learned that they
were disappointed. We definitely were not.
We rode a train for 9 hours from Denali to Whittier and the ship. When
we got on board, all our bags were in the cabin. Leaving the ship,
we had a very tight schedule. A princess employee at the airport
spoke with us as we arrived there, and personally found our bags when
the luggage was delivered there about a half-hour later. We made it
through the ticketing, inspection and customs processes smoothly,
because we were just ahead of the crowd, and made our flight
comfortably.
That experience, plus the excellent food aboard, sold us on Princess.
Anita and I will definitely recommend Kelly Cruises to anyone we learn
is thinking about an Alaskan trip.
Appreciatively - Joe Verderber (and Anita)
Dear Nancy,
A note from our Superior Verandah
Suite:
We couldn't leave Alaska or the Zuiderdam without
thanking you for your attention to our concerns and ultimately for this
fabulous suite.
We are most appreciative of your help. We not only have a deck,
but a window on the bow of the ship. Yesterday's rain made the
deck treacherous, but the Margerie Glacier was practically in our
stateroom! Being at the bow of the ship also meant we were among
the first to experience the 12 foot seas in the Gulf of Alaska! A
small price to pay.
Thank you again! - Mary and John
Hi Mary Kay
Just a short note to thank you for your help. Oceania is a first
class cruise line!!! Definitely want to go again. Send me the 2008
summer cruise info when available. Have already passed your card to
several friends.
It was truly a memorable cruise that we will never forget. Met some
really nice people aboard and plan to have dinner with a couple from
Naperville. Excursion tours all went well in Rome and Barcelona. Next
time we will stay two days/nights pre and post cruise.
You are a hero to Marge and I...THANKS!!!! -
Frank
Hi Nancy,
My husband and I had a wonderful time on our Alaska Land/Cruise
vacation. Thank you for arranging our trip.
It was magical.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer. We will be contacting you
for future cruises!!!!
Thanks again - Craig and Sharon
Dear Sharon and the rest of the staff,
Thank you so much for a wonderful send off! We are blessed to be part of
the Kelly Cruises family of travelers. You guys are the best! We sure
will be passing your business card around at work, within our church,
and within our social circles. All is better than we could have
expected.
Warmest Regards (At sea - aboard the Regal Princess - Peter & Kerry
Mary Kay,
We now live in Florida, but
continue to work with Kelly Cruises, because of Mary Kay. Mary Kay
is a delight to work with and she is always helpful, friendly and
professional.
You're the best! - Roberta & Fred
Dear Mary Kay,
It's been almost three weeks
since we returned from our adventure in Alaska. Thank you so much for
all of your great advice and help with planning our trip. We have always
had a small list of dream trips and Alaska was at the top of our list.
Thank you for making one of our dream trips come true. The natural
beauty of Alaska was breathtaking and hopefully, we'll be able to return
and explore other parts. As for the cruise portion on the Diamond
Princess, everything was well beyond our expectations. Every detail of
our entire trip was attended to; the cuisine at all of the beautiful
restaurants was outstanding; the entire Princess crew was stellar; and
the Diamond Princess ship itself is an engineering beauty. Thanks again
to you and Kelly Cruises for making our dream trip a spectacular
reality. We will definitely recommend you to our family and friends and
work with you on planning future trips.
Best Regards - Maryann & Paul
Dear Ms Perrin,
As a long time subscriber to
Condé Nast Traveler, we are delighted that you have selected Nancy
Kelly as one of your 128 Travel Specialists for the second year. We
hired Nancy based on last years recommendations and have just completed
our second cruise using her services.
The attention to detail and commitment to provide her clientele with the
best possible vacation experience is extraordinary. We also commend
Connie Dix, her assistant, who was equally attentive.
Please keep Kelly Cruises in your sights as you plan for next years
column - they have more than lived up to your award.
Sincerely - Martha & Stan Weiman
Dear Nancy,
My wife and I have extensively traveled abroad and
stateside. In this pursuit, we have used many Travel Agencies and
for the most part have found them very competent. Then, about four years
ago, we found a Travel Agency that is absolutely over the top in service
to their clientele. I am speaking of Kelly Cruises. We have never
experienced an agency as helpful and that paid so much attention to
detail as your agency. It seems to us that you accept nothing by zero
tolerance when it comes to errors as we have never experienced one from
you.
To have an agency that produces the type of results
described above, you must have outstanding employees. The Group
Coordinator we have always worked with in our plans is Jill Donati. We
have found her to be absolutely incredible in taking care of every
detail of our trip. A typical example of this is our current trip that
begins August 28, 2006. First she insured that we go the cabin of our
choice onboard the ship and arranged a perfect flight and seats on the
airline. Then came the news just last week that the airline had
changed times on the return flight and that we had to be moved to a
different flight. Of course, we lost our great seats and were scheduled
to sit in the middle of the plane. I did my best to get the seats
changed, but had no luck and so resigned myself that we were going to
sit in the middle seats on the return flight. I had no idea that Jill
hadn't given up and last week she called and the seats were again
obtained. Needless to say that really made our day. This is the kids of
service she provides, always working in the background for the client.
When we cruise again it will be planned by Kelly Cruises and Jill Donati.
I am sending this just so you know there are clients
out here that really appreciate a great Travel Agency and a great Travel
Agent like Jill Donati.
A Satisfied Client - Robert N. (Chairman, Board of
Directors)
Dear Mary Kay,
We had a wonderful trip and cruise thanks to you.
Monogram is wonderful to deal with and the Hilton in London was
beautiful. All your work is much appreciated.
We booked another cruise in December, 2007 and hope you do not mind that
we used you as our agent again.
On future flights to oversea cities, is it possible for us to request
Business Class seats on flights? I realize they are much more expensive
but I think they will be worth it. Again, Thank You for a wonderful trip
and cruise in Great Britain. You are great!
Sincerely -
The Krol Family
Dear Mary Kay,
A quick note to tell you how our cruise worked out.
Great! The arrangements you made for hotels were wonderful. We thought
the Le Meridien in Barcelona was wonderful until we checked into the
Luna Baglioni in
Venice - it was fantastic in location, water taxi access, service and
furnishings. We had some mixed experience with dinner there but overall
dinner was good and the overall experience there was great.
The ship itself was, as you represented, great. The food was quite good,
service great and there were plenty of activities and friends for our 6
teenagers. Shore excursions were interesting and the consensus of our
group was the top three were Dubrovnik, Pompeii and Santorini.
Thanks again for your excellent service and for putting up with our
myriad questions.
We will certainly be in touch for future cruises and other
travel needs.
Sincerely - Dave & Susan
Susan:
I wanted to thank you and your company for making our trip on Queen Mary
2 a wonderful experience of our life time. We had never sailed before
and your company was extremely good in helping us with all the logistics
including the shore tours. All of your arrangements were First Class
with utmost professionalism. Your entire staff were more than happy to
assist us with our needs anytime. The shore operators arranged by your
company did a super job and accommodated our special requests for side
trips with pleasure. We are very happy to have come to you for our
cruise and want to take this opportunity to thank you for having a great
team to help us.
Regards - Ravi
Mary Kay,
Our trip to Alaska with Princess was our trip of a
lifetime...don't think we can top it!
Thank you - Ken & Mary June
Dear Susan,
Although Mercury is due for dry dock, she still
looks great. I wouldn't hesitate to sail her again.
The best thing I ever did was to begin a working
relationship with Kelly Cruises Courtesy, knowledge and
professionalism seem to be words you work by!
Thanks for everything - Eve
Dear Mary Kay,
Your thoughtfulness means so very much. We
appreciate your part in making our Alaskan Cruise truly memorable!
We had a great time.
Thank you - Carol & Bill
Dear Mary Kay,
Thank you so much for arranging
our fantastic shore excursion...it was a truly wonderful outing!
The entire cruise was perfection! We would
unhesitatingly recommend Silversea to the pickiest, most fault-finding
person, because there's nothing at all you can fault. We really
loved it. Having everything included in the price was really,
really nice.
Thank you again - Tom & Roberta
Dear Mary Kay,
You did it again...another
fabulous cruise on the Silver Shadow!!!! Tom said you chose
the rooms and they were perfect...8th deck and right out to the
pool...and bar...and lunch...then one deck down to breakfast.
Our weather was great (mid 70's) for the time of year
we sailed. Our few days before we boarded the ship in Rome were awesome
(oh, I love that city.) The highlight of our ports was the Virtuoso
Voyager Club's excursion to Lucca (port of Livorno) - great day! I could
go on for pages...but you're busy...just wanted to say thank you.
All the best - Polly
Dear Nancy,
We returned from our Island Princess cruise a few weeks ago. We loved
Alaska and Vancouver. We had so many great experiences with the
friendly people. One person we met in Vancouver ended up spending the
entire day with us, showing us all over the city. We met him while
cycling around Stanley Park. We took a helicopter onto the
Mendenhall Glacier, took a sea plane in Vancouver, did the jeep and
canoe safari, white water rafting, nature walk on Byers lake, a
one-on-one kennel tour with an Iditarod participant, Yukon and White
Pass railroad. We did it all.
What I was most impressed with (besides the people and the glaciers) was
the organization of the Princess people. We never waited for
transportation, hotel check-in, or anything else. The
representatives/guides were so knowledgeable and they all gave a
personal touch to their commentary. They really have this tour down
pat. But it really didn't feel like a tour. We felt as though we were
completely independent.
The production shows on the ship were amazing. My daughter is in
musical theater and so I was very interested in the performances. The
talent, creativity and the money put into the shows was incredible.
This is the 4th line I have been on and these shows were far superior -
they were more like professional Broadway or Vegas shows.
Overall, I was very happy with the entire experience. I will definitely
call you next time I want to cruise.
Thanks for all of your help -
Joanne
Susan,
We got back from our cruise on Wednesday and had a wonderful time.
We want to thank you for your advice on the clothes we brought (only my
jacket wasn’t as waterproof as I thought). We kept seeing people not
prepared for the elements and kept saying thank heavens for Susan’s
advice. Don’t know when will do our next cruise but you can be sure it
will be with Kelly.
Thanks again -
Merce & Chuck
Hi Nancy,
I have returned from our extended stay in the UK and my son and I had a
wonderful time onboard the QM2; she is magnificent! Her dimensions are
beyond belief and it's offerings were seemingly endless. The stateroom
was fantastic and the obstructed view was a minor hindrance. I enjoyed
the balcony a great deal and have never spent so much time in a cabin
before. My son was the one who really reveled at his time on board. He
became a very popular figure among the young entertainment staff and met
a great deal of people who befriended him and kept company with him
throughout the voyage. He kept running into them in the
streets of London as well after the cruise!
We are strongly considering a reposition cruise for next spring
or a European cruise to the Western Med in the summer. We will keep in
touch and keep me in mind should a deal come up for such a voyage down
the road. Again, thanks for all of what you have done for us.
Sincerely -
Dean
Dear Kelly Cruises,
We've completed another
cruise arranged by Kelly Cruises, and as always, it was a perfect trip;
a lovely ship with a perfect stateroom. We sailed on the Diamond
Princess to Mexico on 4/24/04, and we're already planning our next
cruise aboard Princess Cruises. We want to thank Kelly Cruises for
the thoughtful complimentary wine and photo amenities, and we want to
specifically thank Mary Kay Benson for all her prompt, courteous
assistance. We will be calling to book our next trip soon.
Sincerely - M & A
Dear Mary Kay
Thank you so much for
everything-the Diamond Princess cruise was great. New ships are
always special.
The "personal choice" dining is a very nice option.
We liked sharing breakfast and lunch with others, but having a table for
two every night was absolutely wonderful. We make reservations for
the week as soon as we boarded. Many people were under the
impression that "personal choice" meant you could show up whenever and a
seat will be waiting. So if you have first time cruisers opting
for personal choice, perhaps it would be a good idea to tell them to
make reservations immediately, at least for the first night.
Thank you again for all of your hard work. You are
very special-my sister and niece were thrilled with the fare you
arranged for them also.
Sincerely - Roberta and Tom
Dear MaryAnn,
Thank you for one of
the best weeks in our lives!! I have already recommended you to
people at work and friends too. I'm glad I listen to Spike on WGN
where I heard about you.
Thanks! - Judy O.
Dear Mary Kay,
Cliff and I would like
to thank you for the services you provided in booking our cruise.
We sailed on the Golden Princess last week and had a wonderful vacation
with absolutely no problems. This was our fourth cruise and we
will definitely be cruising again and again and will without a doubt ask
for your services again. Thank you again for starting our new year
off right.
Marylou and Cliff
Dear
Sue,
Thank you again for all
your help in planning our cruise to Alaska. We truly had a
wonderful time! Our oldest son, Joe, says he's found another love
in life and that' the glaciers! We got to see a large portion of
Margery glacier calve off, and that was just pretty neat! We
enjoyed whale watching too. As the boys said to the girls while
looking through the binoculars: "We're looking for tail!!"
The fishing trip in
Ketchikan that Larry and Jon went out on was also very productive as
they shipped home about 30 lbs. of salmon...and got a great picture of
an eagle with his catch also! Thank you again.
Sincerely - Kathy
Dear Mary Ann &
Nancy,
I came across your
new web site and thought I’d drop you a line. It’s quite an improvement
over your old one; it’s much more “user friendly.” This was my sixth
cruise, but my first using Kelly Cruises. This was also my sister’s and
her husband’s first cruise ever. Now with the cruise almost two months
past, it truly was everything I (and they) expected and then some.
I’ve been on
Princess Ships before and knew what to expect and that’s why I’m glad
Mary Ann recommended it, but Princess also does an outstanding job with
their pre-cruise land tours. There were no worries (just like on the
shore excursions) and I think Princess keeps the land groups
deliberately small as there were only 30 passengers on this one. Also
you can tell your other clients going to the Mediterranean and Istanbul
(with Iraq about 1100 miles away), we never had any fear for our
safety. Princess security was “tight” but not obtrusive. The Golden
employed “face recognition” software when the passengers (and crew) left
and then returned to the shop and it’s great. You were quickly off the
ship for your tour and then quickly back on. The ship knew who was late
coming in from a shore excursion, and you felt safe knowing no one could
get onboard who shouldn’t be there. It was also a treat to see how this
“British” cruise line honored the “American’s” when we first boarded the
ship on July 4, our Independence Day.
Mary Ann put us in
adjacent cabins, so we had our cabin steward unlock the door between our
2 balconies making for 1 big balcony. We were also pleased with the
recommendation of Travel Guard Insurance. I had a little accident in
Rome and after I supplied the medical backup they requested, Travel
Guard reimbursed my medical expenses without a problem.
My sister and her
husband are now hooked on cruising; now they can see what I’ve known for
a long time. Now that they’ve gotten a taste for it and love it we are
ready to book again for the summer of 2004. Thank you again and give my
thanks to Mary Ann!
With warmest
regards - Edward Figlewicz
Sue,
I want to thank you for doing such a
wonderful job for my family. I wish everyone in the travel
business took such a personal interest in our vacation as you did!
To see the smiles on all their faces was worth every penny. A
cruise is the answer to a VACATION and you provided that. Mexico
was beautiful. Thanks for the memories we will never forget!”
-
Lois
Mary Kay,
I want to personally thank
you for making our cruise to the Caribbean such a wonderful experience.
Your knowledge and expertise made my job so much easier. I am still
receiving accolades from our managers and sales consultants who
attended. Not only are you extremely organized and knowledgeable, you
are also a sheer joy to work with. I would highly recommend your
company to any large group that is in need of a superior Travel
Specialist!” – Suzette, Sales/Incentive Manager
“MaryAnn always goes ‘above and
beyond’ to help re-arrange our dislikes. She always takes time to
answer all our questions. Thank you. She is a great travel agent” –
Mary
Sue,
I want you to know what a
fabulous time we had on our recent cruise. The Virtuoso “fringe
benefits” added enormously to our trip! Your cheerful and efficient
assistance to all of our idiosyncratic needs has earned you the position
of being our travel agent of choice.” – James &
Lee Ann
“MaryAnn,
We wanted to thank you for
your help in planning our most recent cruise. We enjoyed ourselves very
much and everything went off without a problem. We look forward to
using you and Kelly Cruises again, as well as, recommending your
services to family and friends.” – Aimee & Dean
Mary Kay,
I just wanted to let you
know what a wonderful time we had. The Alaska trip was probably the
best trip we have ever had! Everything was organized and went smoothly;
we were so impressed. Thanks for your help.” –
Arlene & Robert
"We deal with Kelly Cruises
exclusively because of their honesty and service. They always give their
clients the lowest price offered anywhere (We have even gotten checks in
the mail from them, when a price was lowered after we had paid for the
cruise). They get to know their clients' lifestyles, and therefore are
able to guide them in choosing the right ships and itineraries."
"Because they are a premier agency, they are always able to solve
problems that arise, and problems do sometimes arise. Their membership
in Virtuoso is a big plus." — Maxine & Dan
CRUISING TOWARD A WORLD EDUCATION
The Ellis family learned that
cruising is more than just a great vacation.
Cruise vacations have been a central
component of the Ellis Family Experience. Since 1991, Bob and Meg Ellis
of Northwoods, IL have taken their children, Anne and David, on more
than two-dozen cruises. The family celebrated holidays together on
cruise ships, and the children learned more than most about the world
and its ways.
For Bob & Meg, cruising was the
perfect form of travel that allowed them to have fun together as a
family while also exposing Anne and David to different lands and
cultures. “We wanted to raise them to be worldly, exposed to more than
just our little town,” Bob says. “My kids have learned there is a very
big world out there. It’s not just this small community and they’ve
learned to appreciate different cultures and different people.”
“The best thing about cruising is
that it’s a wonderful way to have the best of both worlds,” Meg says.
“We went to wonderful places, but there were always options for the
kids, and they would always be taken care of. There’s always something
for everybody to do and plenty of time to be together. But just as
important, there’s plenty of time to be apart.”
Experienced travelers who used to
make their own arrangements, Bob and Meg call on Kelly Cruises to help
them plan and book their cruises. “Kelly Cruises adds value in so many
ways,” Meg says. “They help you save money with their tricks of the
trade, and they always make sure you have the best information
available.” – Meg & David Ellis
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