What exactly is a Hosted Cruise, and how does it add value without turning your trip into a group tour? On this episode of Luxury Cruising, Dr. Krystal Sodaitis welcomes back Kim, a seasoned travel advisor, to demystify hosted sailings. From the role of travel consortia like Signature Travel Network to perks like private cocktail parties, onboard credits, and even complimentary private car and driver tours, this conversation reveals why hosted cruises offer an elevated, personalized experience on premium and luxury lines. Perfect for cruisers seeking extra concierge-level support without the structure of group activities.
Host Dr. Krystal Sodaitis chats with returning guest Kim about Hosted Cruises, a lesser-known perk offered through travel consortia that enhances sailings on select premium and luxury lines without any added cost. Kim breaks down what a consortia is, why you should always ask your travel advisor about theirs, and how hosted sailings work. A dedicated host provides concierge-like service, from answering port questions to organizing private events, all while keeping your itinerary fully independent.
They discuss differences from group cruises, included amenities like onboard credits and private tours via vetted local experts, and why it's ideal for first-timers or solo travelers. Kim shares her upcoming hosted sailing on Explora Journeys through Greece and Turkey, and tips on booking through consortia like Signature for maximum value.
Listeners will gain insider advice on elevating their next cruise with hidden perks, comparing hosted experiences across lines like Oceania, Seabourn, and river cruises, and understanding why these aren't available through big-box retailers like Costco.
Episode Highlights:
Episode 44: A Honeymoon Aboard Explora Journeys : Megan recounts her idyllic honeymoon cruise through Greece and Turkey, visiting Athens, Santorini, Crete, Marmaris, and Istanbul. She highlights luxurious ocean terrace suites, top-notch amenities, and exceptional service that made the journey unforgettable.
Episode 46: Explore Journeys Explorer 1 Review: Is This the New Standard in Luxury Cruising? : Bradley breakdown Explorer 1, MSC's six-star yacht-style cruise ship, sharing honest insights on design, dining, entertainment, and value. With 60 cruises' experience, he reveals how Explorer is redefining luxury cruising with surprising elegance.
About the Guest:
Kim is a home-based travel advisor and member of the Signature Travel Network, specializing in cruises and luxury travel. With extensive experience in hosted sailings and consortia-negotiated perks, she brings practical insights to help travelers maximize value and enjoy personalized experiences at sea.Kim shares her adventures, cruise reviews, and travel tips at loveourworldtravel.com, where you can read all about her travel adventures.
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimurig
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Fms9wNroG/
About the Host:
Dr. Krystal Sodaitis is a pediatrician, executive, and life coach for neurodiverse physicians—and the passionate host behind Luxury Cruising. She brings expert insight and honest excitement to every interview, helping curious travelers elevate their adventures at sea.
📍 Website: luxurycruising.net
📧 Email: luxurycruisingpodcast@gmail.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/krystalsodaitis
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[00:00:00]
welcome back to Luxury Cruising. I'm your host, crystal SOEs, and I'm so happy to have Kim back on the podcast to tell us about an experience that I had never heard about, which is hosted cruises. Kim. Please tell the audience anything you would like them to know about you.
Well, I am a home-based travel agent. I am a member of the Signature Travel Network, which is a member owned consortia that negotiates with the suppliers on behalf of thousands of independent agents in order to. Procure extra perks and benefits, and I'm here to talk about one of the fantastic benefits that Signature and other consortias are able to offer people that go on.
Well, we have 15 brands of cruises that we do as hosted sailings So explain like a consortia, what does that mean? Like, I know what a consortia basically is, but when we're talking about. Travel [00:01:00] advisors Or a travel company? What is a consortia? Oh, okay. I guess it's easier to say what it is not.
It is not like our boss or anything like that. It is a member owned group of advisors who have, you know, obviously we're all in the same industry and what happens when we all come together, we can get perks for our clients. That I couldn't get if I just called and said the hotel, Hey, I'm a small, independent person.
But if I come to them and say I'm a member of the Signature Travel Network, they're like, oh, we get 30,000 bookings a year from you guys, or whatever. Um, it's really just a, group of people. We're not all necessarily in the same company, same state or anything. When we have our conferences, there's over 3000 people there.
Um. And it's a negotiating tool on behalf of the advisors. We also have a nonprofit called Travel Elevates, so that when we travel, we can [00:02:00] put our collective power to the good for the places we're going. We do a program called Pack for a purpose, which is taking supplies to places that might not otherwise have 'em, but it's really just a organization of travel advisors working together.
Okay, I got it. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, like there are some large travel companies out there and those travel companies, I think they probably contract with travel advisors. Um, and travel companies are also part of these consortias and, and there's several consortias. I'm in signature.
Another one that people might be familiar with is Virtuoso. There's one called Ensemble. those are the three big ones I can think of there's cruise planners, there's several consortias where they work to, and basically what they're doing is working together. Because the benefit as opposed to one solo person or even one solo office, [00:03:00] you can just get much more tremendous benefits in volume.
Is it something that people should ask when they're. Looking for travel advisor? Yes, you should always ask what consortia are you a member of? Because there are additional benefits okay. For cruising. Usually those additional onboard credits are negotiated by being a member of a consortia.
So for example, most cruises that I book, they will get an additional $50 in onboard credit because I'm a member of signature. Okay. Got it. Got it. Yeah. Really important. Thanks. Okay. So tell us, um, about the hosted cruises that you have done and why you chose to go on a hosted cruise.
When you're on a big cruise ship, it can feel a little overwhelming, and especially if you've never been on in that area of the world, if you've never been on that [00:04:00] type of ship, if you've never been, or even if you've been multiple times, it's really nice having a friendly face. if you've ever been on a cruise and you see an area of the ship that says close for a private event, that's usually how a hosted cruise starts.
You have a private cocktail party where you get to meet your host, and that host is there to really just be an additional level of service, a concierge. Perhaps you could think of them as that a liaison. It is just another resource and a face to that resource as opposed to, oh, let me go Google what I have to do.
Mm-hmm. Let me go search this. Let me go stand in line at the desk. You might just reach out to your host and say, Hey, what's some good ideas what I wanna do in Port today? Today? Yeah. Yeah, it's not a group trip. It is not a chore. It is just an additional level of service. Yeah. So what would be the difference between a hosted [00:05:00] sailing and like a group cruise?
A group cruise? You might have group activities, you might have things that you all have to do together. Like, okay, everybody, let's get up. It's like summer camp, maybe. You know, oh, Dinner at this time, we're all gonna go on this, activity. You are still fully independent when you're on a hosted cruise.
It's just having, and you don't necessarily know the other people in the group. It's just, oh, we all book through signature. And typically a host, they will provide a host as soon as there are 20 bookings. So it's like 40 people. So it's your own little group of 40 people receiving an additional special service.
And they'll even occasionally add a second host if there's more people that book into that sailing. But, the job of the host is to understand the ship, know the logistics. Maybe you can get a tour of the galley or a tour of the Captain's Bridge. you have your hosted private [00:06:00] party, you get additional onboard credit, and on several hosted sailing, they offer the amenity again at no additional cost of in one of the ports of private car and driver.
To take you around on a chore. Imagine that instead of getting in a queue for the big boss, knowing that your car and driver, and it's gonna stop when you feel like stopping. Mm-hmm. It'll linger when you feel like lingering. You're gonna have your own personal car and driver, which is something that if you wanted to book it on your own, that could be, six, $7,000.
Yeah. Can you request a hosted tour or is this something that might happen after the fact? Like you book your tour maybe, you know, two years in advance and then six months out you get an email from Signature and it's like, Hey, guess what? You're gonna have a hosted tour because it was so popular.
And they book, it's a hosted sailing. Oh, hosted sailing. Yeah. And I do wanna make sure it's [00:07:00] not like a group tour that is a, distinction. Um. But they usually release their hosted sailings in the spring for the following year. Okay, so, and you can go to your travel advisor and say, I'd really like to get on one of those hosted sailings.
And your travel advisor will say, well, when do you wanna go? Where do you wanna go? Let me see which ones have a host. There's 15 cruise lines that offer the host program and they, there's river cruises. There are big ocean. The biggest ocean line. That offers it as Holland America. The rest of 'em are the smaller ones, the seven, 800 people.
Um, you know, crystal Cruises has a host program. Oceania Seaborn Windstar, Amma Uniworld Avalon on the Rivers have him Penant. Paul Gagan, Explorer Asmara, silver Sea. Did I say 'em all? I have my list here. so there is a cruise [00:08:00] that is going to suit you, that will have that host, and the host that's on the cruise is going to be an expert about that cruise, about those ports.
And they're also gonna be somebody who is approachable and easy and ready to answer your questions. it's not like you have your own personal. Servant or anything like that, but absolutely it is somebody to make the experience more pleasant. Yeah. Yeah. So tell us about your first hosted cruise and, how it came about.
Okay. So I was actually on a seminar at sea and I met.
Cruise host, and her and I were both in the signature consortia, so I asked a lot of questions. I said, this is really interesting. I've heard about this program. I'm not familiar with it. And so I got to see firsthand what she was doing. And sometimes when she was in town, she was talking with some of the people she was hosting.
Sometimes she was just doing her own thing, but she was there as a resource for the gas. On that ceiling that were part of [00:09:00] the host. She had a private cocktail party with them. If there was somebody sailing alone, she invited them to come join her table for dinner. And you know, it's really just being personable.
It's having a friendly face. So you first got interested in this, it just happened to be you were on a hosted Yes. That had a hosted ceiling , But you weren't part of that. Right. I was actually there for an educational trip. Oh yeah. And then, you know, Uh, full confession.
I'm very outgoing. And so I met this woman and I noticed that she was with Signature. And I said, oh, I'm also with Signature. And she goes, well, I'm the host for this sailing. I said, oh, and that was. You know, so yeah, the disclosure is a, I tend to be a very outgoing I love people.
So that's what makes you a great travel advisor. You love to talk to people. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, that was how it happened. So it came on my radar [00:10:00] and so I just kept watching, oh, let me see if there's a cruise that's a good fit for me and what I like to do and what I wanna talk about. And. it was one of those things I feel like.
I get to just go be me for a week. Mm-hmm. Yeah. You know, I have a built-in group of people that I have to be nice to. Okay, this is great. This is right up my alley and it's really funny 'cause I published an article about that I'm gonna be hosting this cruise and I can't tell you how many people came up and that said, oh my gosh.
This is just you. Yeah. it's the perfect like experience for you and for the guests. Okay. Yeah. So tell us about the crews that you are gonna be hosting. Okay, well I am gonna be hosting a, um, Explorer Cruise. And if you're familiar with Explorer, it's newer in the marketplace, high end, about 800 people on the ship.
This sailing will be, uh, Greece and Turkey, [00:11:00] and it's gonna be later this fall. And it's a, week long sailing. And my role will be to. Be accessible to the people. I get to host a party the first night. I get to answer questions. I get to have built-in dinner guests if they wanna join me. If they don't, that's fine.
it's one of those things, what I really like is it doesn't take away your choices when you're cruising. It just gives you an additional level of service and hospitality and that's what this industry is. It is a hospitality industry. It is about making people feel comfortable. In new places and enjoying a new experience.
Yeah, absolutely. if it takes a new person to help them do that, that's my job. To facilitate and make that a more comfortable, it gives a human touch. Yeah. to new experiences. Some people, you know, let's just say they've waited their whole life to take a cruise. Or to take this, you know, bucket [00:12:00] list trip.
Well then you show up. And if you've never been on a cruise or if you've never been on a particular ship, it can be overwhelming when you first get there and you're like, where do I go? What do I do? Mm-hmm. Now what happens when I get off the ship? you know. How do I navigate the tender? I mean, people who've never tendered, they're like, what?
Yeah. how does this work? Well, and we actually have had a couple of people on the podcast talking about their experience on Explorer to Greece and Turkey. So we'll definitely link those, um, episodes in the show notes. So people want to get a sense of what Explorer is like. Mm-hmm. Um, and really, I've said it before, I've said it.
Multiple times, on this podcast that I love Explorer because it is, relatively new in the luxury market. you can get a sailing for less expensive than, you know, some of the other more traditional and well established luxury cruise line. Yeah. So it's definitely [00:13:00] worth, it's a good, let's say entry level luxury line, um, that doesn't feel entry level.
Oh yeah, it's far from entry level as far as amenities. And the parent company is MSC, right, which is a mass market cruise ship, but that stands for MSC actually stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company and That's their roots is Italian shipping around the Mediterranean.
And then they got into the passenger market and it's only been, I believe it was in the like 2021 that they launched their first luxury line. Mm-hmm. And. Let me tell you, they, certainly know how to do luxury. they don't have any interior cabins on the ships. Mm-hmm. They have beautifully appointed spaces.
it's really a thoughtful ship. Um, and the sailing they like many of the [00:14:00] smaller ocean ships. They have longer port stays, they get to smaller ports. Mm-hmm. They have a little more closeup view. Yeah. Yeah. Give us some of the highlights, sort of, um, broad strokes of what ports, this one will be starting in Athens.
It actually circles. Out to Turkey and back to Athens. and it will go to Istanbul. It will go to, um, ano. Yeah. And then there's a small Greek island that it's going to, that a lot of cruise ships can't get to. And Ephesus, I knew there was another Turkish, and yeah, emphasis is beautiful .
It's supposed to be beautiful. Yeah, so it's a really interesting itinerary and what I really like. Another thing about hosted saline, not every time, but a lot of times, and this is also a question you can ask your travel advisor, a hosted saline will also include the additional amenity of a [00:15:00] private car and driver.
So at one of your ports, you'll have the opportunity instead of hopping on the tour bus mm-hmm. To have your own private car and driver waiting for you. You go off and have a private tour where you can linger at whatever you'd like to or skip something if you're like, eh, I don't wanna see that. Yeah. Um, extra stops up close, personal,
Very specific to what you want to do, and that's something that is included as an additional amenity. That's fantastic. There's. I love the fact that the car and driver is vetted through the local DMCs. So it's somebody that, it's not like, oh, you know, I've found out from Field Taxi, my best friend's brother that this person can drive me around this, you know, island in Greece.
And it's sort of like, well, are they gonna get me back in time? Are they gonna really know like this person is vetted? So [00:16:00] you're gonna be safe and that they're gonna get you back in time. I think whenever you're doing a private tour on anywhere, um, but most especially on a cruise ship is you wanna make sure that you and your family are gonna be safe and that you're gonna get back to the boat in time.
Yes. Well, and that's what's really cool about this program is that the cruise lines in signature coordinate this program through the local DMCs, which is Destination Management Company. And that is the experts in that area, wherever you're at, wherever that port is. So Greece or Turkey, this is the experts who do nothing but Greece or Turkey tours.
Yeah. And they have their people who. Tour conductors and most of Europe takes the business of tour conducting very seriously. it is a degreed job. It's almost like you're a docent for a museum. Wow. Wow. I didn't know that. That's really interesting. That's amazing. Yeah, you have to be certified and that's another thing when you're working with
The [00:17:00] travel advisors who have the connections in country, who can hook you up with somebody who is going to not just be an Uber driver. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But it's gonna be somebody who is well versed in what they are showing you. And it's really cool because if you have that opportunity to be with somebody who knows and has lived and is proud of their.
Town, you're gonna walk away with a much more immersive, much richer experience. Absolutely. And you said that there's no additional costs, so there is no additional cost, so this is something really important to understand for the consumer. Ask your travel advisor, can you put me on a hosted sailing?
What consortia do you belong to? those are good questions A consumer should know. and a consumer should also understand, you can't just go to Costco or search online and find this. You have [00:18:00] got to do it through a professional who is a member of a consortium. Now, as I said, I know other consortiums do offer hosted ss.
I just know that the signature one, we have to be trained. We are very carefully vetted. they vet their hosts and train their hosts as well. Mm-hmm. So we have to be trained, we have to be experts in that cruise line. We have to. Have completed the signature host training. Mm-hmm. There's several things.
It's not like you can just say, Ooh, I wanna be a host. You know? yeah. It's like you get it as a perk for being, you know, a high earner, which is a different skill, right? it is. And, in fact, I had to be approved by my host agency. They had to approve, say, yes, Kim would be good for this.
Before Signature would say, okay, we'd like you to do this. Okay. yeah, there's several levels of vetting and screening to make sure that the right person is matched up with the right cruise line and the right opportunity. [00:19:00] And it's, a tremendous honor, but I'm also super excited about it.
Again, I get to be me. Well, I love that. I mean, I have been on group cruises before, but it very much has been like, here are the act, nothing was mandatory, but it was sort of like, here are the group activities. Um, and you know, there was one sort of like excursion where the whole group went on the excursion.
Um, this is our time. It Was on Anthem of the Sea, so it was like, oh, the group, because there were enough time. Like we got our own private, you know, bumper, car time. Um, right. and it was fun. But I think this is a different, And not everyone, there was one of the travel advisors that was there to sort of help, but I don't know if they would be.
Act like a host, like to troubleshoot issues or, anything like that. Yeah. This is a hosted sailing is you still travel exactly the way you want to. I'm simply a resource when you want one. Um, it's more like a boutique layer of hospitality and having a calm, knowledgeable, friendly point of [00:20:00] contact on the ship.
Yeah, I'm not gonna organize. Okay, everybody, let's get together for the cake eating contest. Yeah. Or whatever, you know, it's not gonna be that sort of thing. It's gonna be much more, um, I don't wanna say hands off, but I am there to help you, but I'm not gonna be getting in your face and saying, okay, let's go do this.
Right. You know? Yeah. Who is a hosted sailing ideal for? A hosted sailing is ideal for people who value a personal touch. It is ideal for somebody who maybe just wants a knowledgeable person that they can tap into, somebody who doesn't wanna wait in line to talk to the shore excursions desk. Maybe they can just say, Hey,
Yeah, I'm thinking of this. I'm gonna be a resource about what to do when you're ashore. I'm gonna, you know, have that information at my disposal and I am going to do my research so that you don't have to, [00:21:00] mm-hmm. I'm gonna be the point of contact. Um, it's more like a peace of mind thing without pressure or structure or obligation.
If you are traveling by yourself and you said, okay, I've had enough solo time. I'm there to sit down and eat dinner with you. I'm pretty interesting conversationalist. you may sometimes guests on a hosted sale never need anything. you do get that if you choose not to do the private car and driver, which I always say, oh, if you have a private car and driver take that, you can get additional onboard credit if you opt out of that.
nice. So, uh, okay, let's say it's for people who wanna bring an additional value. You know, travel is an investment. It costs money. Everybody wants value. I think that. People don't necessarily wanna go cheap, but they wanna know that they're getting something.
Mm-hmm. Additional for that, for that expe what they're doing. They wanna know that they have an additional perk or people love perks. Everybody likes to feel [00:22:00] special. Yeah. Uh, what would it be like the first night of the cruise after the ship sails to meet with a private party of 20, 40 people? Yeah. and it sets the tone, I think, for the rest of the trip because now all of a sudden you've got familiar faces, Hey, we're all in this together.
Yeah. And that's one of the things that I love most about traveling is you just get to meet all kinds of people. And when you're on a cruise, I get to meet other people who are cruise enthusiasts who would like nothing more than to just sit down for, you know, 20, 30 minutes to talk about cruising.
so, um, these are also people who are also interested in going to Greece and Turkey it could be their first time, it could be their fifth time. Uh, and so it's sort of like a right. homemade or a preset sort of social group that you can choose. You don't have to be friends with everybody, but you can choose a couple of people that maybe you know, you like and connect with.
So That's really great. Yeah. is there anyone that you wouldn't recommend a hosted cruise [00:23:00] for? Um, well, I think the hosted cruise line self-select in the respect that it is the lines themselves. So if you're on one of these 15 brands, you have already self-selected that that's the level of service that you like.
You'll never find a host on a huge mass market ship. it's not the right fit for the right cruise. You are going to find it on the higher end cruises, the more boutique cruises, the people who already want a finer experience. Yeah, so what I'm hearing is for people who are the, I just wanna get on the ship.
I don't care if it's the oldest ship in the fleet and it's an inside state room on the lowest deck. Those are not people. You might like a hosted cruise, but maybe it's not at the, price point that you're gonna be comfortable spending on. Right. A vacation. I was just [00:24:00] gonna say the hosted cruises are starting at a certain price point and it's never gonna be the 2 99 for a weekend cruise.
Yeah. That has a host. Um, it doesn't warrant it either because that experience. Does sell itself. That is an experience that there is no point in hosting that 'cause they're gonna fill that ship anyway. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. This is an additional benefit. it's almost like a reward with no additional cost.
It's added value. Um, and that's what people are looking for. They're like, yeah, I'm willing to spend the money, but I wanna know that I'm getting something for that money. and like it was interesting when you said, you know, whether you've been on one Greek cruise or whatever.
I mean, there's itineraries all over the world that are hosted. Mm-hmm. Whether you've been on 'em once or a hundred, my role is to be like making suggestions. Okay, you've done this, but how about this? Or, you know, I'm gonna be intimately familiar with all the things that we can do while we're in port, [00:25:00] or, Hey, you've done this, but have you ever had a private car and driver.
You know? Yeah. and it won't be every port and it won't be every single time you stop, but you will have that opportunity once during the cruise to have a personal tour. That sounds great. So tell us more details. When is this? explore journeys to Greece and Turkey. Um, and you said in the fall?
Yeah, it's September 28th. It's the sailing that leaves out of, um, Athens that those days. And I am the host. How many nights? If you wanted to experience a hosted sailing, and you already said, oh, I like that Kim. She sounds pretty cool, I'll be there. How many nights is the sailing? It's a seven night. Seven night.
Awesome. Yeah. And how can people get on that sailing? Is it sold out or is there still space? No, it's not sold out. You have to book it. It is a signature hosted sail, so you have to book it through a signature travel advisor. So if you have a travel advisor, ask them, are you a member of the [00:26:00] Signature Network?
Because that's the important thing with these consortiums. They negotiate these. Amenities on their behalf. And if you are not working with a travel advisor who's part of a consortia, you're probably leaving some benefits and amenities on the table. Yeah. Yeah. and so
I think that's an important question to ask anybody who's working with a travel advisor, ask them, what consortias do you belong to? Mm-hmm. And sometimes some agents can belong to more than one. I am exclusively signature. I like signature. They do great things for the members. they give me the opportunity to shine because they negotiate tremendous benefits for my clients.
My clients get welcome amenities when they go to a hotel. They get notes, they get, um, credit. Yeah, it's nice. Good to know. So, and that's also for the people, because in my groups I see a lot of people who book through, you know, Costco or they book [00:27:00] through the credit card portal is like, that's fine, but you're also maybe leaving some benefits on the table.
Yeah. You're leaving some of those perks on the table. You know, and this is one of the things we say, I don't like to talk about great pricing. I will get the same price that you're gonna find if you go to the cruise ship. Portal, you know? Right. What I can do is I can negotiate additional value, additional benefits, whether it's shipboard credit, whether at hotels, it's free breakfast.
Um, there's just the benefits. You know, it's one of those things you as a single person doesn't have the buying power that signature as an entire consortia does. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. So, well this sounds really good. I'm going to a text my travel agent and ask a travel advisor and ask, if they are part of a consortia right now.
And, um, as always, Kim, it is. Great to have you. it's always fun. I [00:28:00] hope that you will come back in the fall to talk to us about the experience. Um, yes. Do you have any other, luxury cruises Let's see. Well, I do, of course. Okay. So I'm hitting a milestone birthday this year.
Well, my daughter lived in Alaska for a year. She was working up there. Mm-hmm. And the past two years on my birthday, I was actually in Alaska, but it was hauling boxes and stuff like that. And I said, okay, I am doing the opposite of Alaska for this milestone birthday, which, um.
Well, I'm turning 30 for the second time. Okay, there you go. Yes. and so for this milestone birthday, I have held group space on a virgin voyages cruise, which is really, if you're not familiar with that, that's another really nice, it's adult only. Yep. Um. And it's just gonna be a four day weekend cruise.
'cause I wanted to get as many people as I could to join me. And that's gonna be going to Key West and Bimini [00:29:00] in and outta Miami. Yeah. So that's my next one. That's in late August. And then a month later I go to, oh, Greece and Turkey. And I think that's it for cruises this year. Unless I might find a way to get on another Christmas market cruise.
'cause those are pretty sweet. Yes, yes. Well, if you do. We'll, hope you come back and talk to us about that. Thank you again for introducing Us to hosted Cruises. and to the listeners, thank you for being here and until next time, I wish you safe and luxurious cruising