TORONTO — It seems perfectly fitting that Travelweek’s 50th anniversary interview series is wrapping up with someone who, for so many in this industry, is the last and best word in cruise industry expertise: Vanessa Lee.

Fall 2023 edition of Cruise & Travel Lifestyles

Lee has been a mainstay of the travel industry, and cruising in particular, for more than four decades. As she tells Travelweek, she got her start at Trafalgar in Toronto in 1976: “The whole staff left me behind to answer the phones and troubleshoot as needed when they jetted off to London for the annual Christmas party.” Those were the days, weren’t they? Clearly Lee proved adept and soon she was working for Trafalgar in Sydney.

Her love of cruising started at Paramount Holidays in the early 1980s. She was a founding partner in Encore Cruises and is now President and CEO of Cruise Strategies. She’s also owner and publisher of Cruise & Travel Lifestyles (and oversees the Cruise editions of Travelweek Group’s Travel Professional series). And in May 2012 she christened Avalon Waterways’ Avalon Vista as the ship’s Godmother.

Titles and accolades aside, Lee is also dynamic, vivacious and resilient, and a true ambassador for the Canadian retail travel and cruise industry everywhere she goes. She’s now at 106 countries and counting – and she’ll finally reach the Seventh Continent when she explores Antarctica onboard Seabourn Pursuit in January 2024.

Travelweek: How, when, and where did you get your start in the travel industry?

Lee: “It was December 1976, and I helped out at Trafalgar Tours in Toronto when the whole staff left me behind to answer the phones and troubleshoot as needed when they jetted off to London for the annual Christmas Party. Shortly after that, I moved to Sydney, Australia, where I worked for Trafalgar Tours for several years. I got into cruising when I joined Paramount Holidays in 1981.”

Lee and the Paramount Holidays team with the late Daryl McWilliams, David Sparkes on Sovereign of the Seas launch in 1988

Travelweek: You have had an incredible travel industry career, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that you are the Canadian travel industry’s #1 cruise expert, bar none. In your opinion, what have been some of the game-changer innovations/changes in the cruise industry over the years that have made the biggest impact?

Lee: “Thank you! That’s always a tough question, as so much has occurred in the cruise segment in the last 40 years.

“I would say, across the board, that innovation has been the core to cruise line growth in almost every category, particularly in the contemporary and premium brands. Casual, lifestyle cruising brought in by NCL was also a game-changer. The cuisine on ships is another major factor. When I first sailed in the Caribbean in the early 1980s, I thought it was pretty average, and those Midnight Buffets – well! It is outstanding across the board now, and most ships have several restaurants and some up to a dozen choices, which is amazing. The advent of celebrity chefs and guest chefs and their associations with cruise brands has brought many foodies to cruising.

“With the advent of smaller vessels, many in the luxury category also attracted a new audience, especially as the dress code became more relaxed over the years.

“River cruising was another major and positive change for the business. Now, we are seeing a surge in expedition cruising, which has captivated many who might not have previously considered a cruise and are immediate converts. With the emphasis on bucket list trips, sailing further afield, and the strong interest from the baby boomers, expedition is now firmly anchored as a viable choice for many – including me! And, I would say the same for river cruising – those skeptical of large ocean ships tried river and loved it and then usually gravitated to smaller ocean ships, too. However, river cruising has significantly impacted the cruise business for the last 20 years, as expedition cruising will do in the decades to come.”

Christening the Avalon Vista in May 2012

Travelweek: What brand new ships, either already sailing this year or in the works for the near future, are you most excited about?

Lee: “I love small, luxury ships and will sail on the new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection in December. Also, I am keen to try new entrant Explora Journeys’ new vessel, the Explora I, in February. Having recently sailed in the Arctic on the new brand, Atlas Ocean Voyages, I was most impressed and feel they have a bright future. And, of course, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises also continue to wow with their new builds. I will be on Celebrity Ascent shortly, and I know the Icon of the Seas will be yet another winner from Royal. They are to be congratulated for breaking barriers repeatedly with their exceptional innovations and initiatives. The new Regent Seven Seas Grandeur is stunning, as is Silversea’s new class of luxury ships, the Silver Nova – a breathtaking ship. And I know there are more coming to delight everyone! That’s one reason for the exceptional growth in cruising and how well the business has rebounded since COVID-19.”

Lee with Doug Seagle and Pam Conover in 2007, when Cruise Strategies started representing Seabourn in Canada

Travelweek: Do you know how many cruises you’ve been on? And if not, would you care to make an estimate?

Lee: “I have tried to keep track, but it’s been somewhat elusive. My first ship was Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth when I was just 15, and I am around the 400 mark now. I will sail on eight ships (one a canal barge) this year, but usually, it would be about 10 – 12 a year. I am about to visit my seventh continent when I sail on Seabourn Pursuit to the Antarctic in January, and I am currently at 106 countries visited. Now, I’m shooting for 120! I have much cruising left and no plans to retire, so I hope to reach the 500 mark! I will sail on them as they build them, as it is my true passion.”

At Cruise 360 in 2015 with Ken Muskat (now with Scenic) and MSC Cruises’ Rick Sasso

Travelweek: You love cruising – and you also love the business of selling cruises and representing cruise lines. Why?

Lee: “I do, and I am very fortunate that I have enjoyed almost a 50-year career doing something I adore. Simply put, I love ships and being on the water. There’s something magical about people coming together and sharing the same journey; it’s exciting and energizing. At times I feel as if I have grown up with cruising as it has transformed and innovated, and I have been lucky to see all of this on the front lines as it occurred.

“I still get excited when I board a ship. I love meeting with the captains, hotel managers, and often the cruise directors. Being welcomed back on a favourite ship or brand, being sad to disembark, all of this is in my blood. And, of course, I was given the incredible honour of being the Godmother of Avalon Waterways vessel, the Avalon Vista (which I have sailed several times since), and it fills my heart every time. Cruising is a remarkable segment of the travel industry, and I am proud to be a part of it.”