Lucy van den Brand
About Lucy
I have the greatest job! I plan custom cruise and travel arrangments for couples, families, businesses, and all kinds of groups, because there’s nothing like being at sea with 30 of your closest friends or colleagues!
I have been traveling all of my life, or at least since the age of 4 when my parents took my brother and I to London, where we attended a Beatles concert and met them in person!
That was back in 1964, however, my parents continued to take us on yearly pilgrimages to Europe. The travel to Europe was interrupted just once by a Caribbean cruise in 1967, when dining was the height of formality, and often children were not allowed in the dining room! Otherwise, my parents always felt that going to Europe was not only a great value, but educational as well. We would often take a bus tour through Europe covering about 4 countries in 10 days! Although a little exhausting, the travel was always filled with great memories.
I have always felt that I would be doing some type of international work. Having started in finance, and working at different companies, I eventually decided to try my hand at the travel business. I have enjoyed learning about all the various cruise lines, the similarities and differences that set each one apart, and I have attended many classes and seminars in order to obtain my “Master Cruise Counselor” status. I am always trying to visit new or different destinations during my travels, as I feel this is an invaluable learning experience, and creates greater expertise in my position.
I am often asked what is my favorite trip or favorite cruise line, but it is so hard to pinpoint the “best” one, because the experience is often what decides whether a trip was a great one or not, and so many have been exceptional!
At the top of my list, however, would have to be a wonderful river cruise in the Bordeaux region of France, a fascinating week in Barcelona when the Catalon government was deciding to secede from Spain, a weeklong stay in a villa in Tuscany, Italy along with visits to vineyards and the tiny Tuscan towns that dot the countryside, a week on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, a luxury cruise around Italy and Greece, as well as a 10-day cruise visiting the many glaciers and coastal towns of Alaska. There are so many more terrific and memorable travel experiences taken, and so many more to do.
The best part of these experiences, however, was not just the destination or the cruise ship, it was the people with whom I traveled and shared great memories!
As you can see, I love the joy of travel while experiencing new places and cultures, and I look forward to sharing this joy with all of you!
If you would like my expertise in planning your next land or cruise getaway, family reunion, business meeting or corporate event, contact me:
Lucy van den Brand
(267) 274-2552 office | (908) 581-9688 cell