HELLO!
I am here to help you with your next cruise. Get in touch and I will be happy to chat!
I’m a 30+ year veteran in the travel industry, and I specialise in booking all types of cruises. And let's face it - there are thousands of options out there. But I am here, especially to help choose and book the right cruise for you.
As a certified Cruise Master whose sailed on more than 60 cruises across 20 or so different cruise lines, the advice I provide will be the voice of experience! I deliver a premium consultative service, and take care of every aspect of your holiday, from the moment you leave home to when you return.
Sound good? Let's chat! Chat Now
Karen in Antarctica
EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
The fact that I have cruised to most places around the world, across a myriad of different cruise lines gives you confidence that I am not just recommending a cruise because it looks good; it’s because I know it will suit you specifically. And that is a huge thing. I don’t recommend anything until I understand exactly what you are looking for. That means you get the perfect cruise.
FAVORITE PLACES
So far I have visited 51 countries around the world. One of the many cruises I took was to Alaska, and I did it on an expedition-style small ship cruise. It turned out to be one of the all-time best experiences in my life.
My other big favourite was an expedition cruise to South Georgia, The Falkland Islands & Antarctica. There's nothing like seeing the wildlife up close and personal to get a true feeling for a destination. I could watch penguins for days on end. They are so entertaining and endlessly funny.
And then there are the whales, and the bears, and the seals, and the birdlife..........no to mention the zodiac landings, bush walking (bushwhacking as some call it!), kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and ice camping just to recount some of the things you can opt into on an expedition cruise.
Honestly until you've done an expedition cruise, I'm not sure you have lived.
But I'm not all about adventure - I like luxury too, having sailed many waters onboard the likes of Silversea, Ponant, Virgin Voyages and Captain Cook Cruises as well as the rivers of Europe on Uniworld's ornately decorated vessels.
A WORD ABOUT SMALL SHIPS
Small ships offer an intimacy never seen on larger vessels. There are no lines or waiting, you don't miss out on anything and best of all there are no swarms of people in port. A smaller ship ensures you can access many ports that are off-limits to larger ships, and with that benefit alone you will experience an authenticity about a destination that you can't otherwise find.
Submitted by Janet Shields on Tuesday, Jul 11, 2023
Thank you to Karen for another well organised holiday. We have booked holidays through Karen before as she always does an excellent job. I gave her a rough idea of where we wanted to go and when - even though the times and places were busy at those times due to school holidays - she managed to organise great accommodation meeting our needs. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Karen to organise your holiday.
Submitted by Peter And Pat Scholefield on Saturday, Apr 27, 2024
Karen has been our regular travel agent for longer than I can remember, and she has just organized a short trip to Darwin for us to take our younger son back to Darwin on a reminiscence journey. Our boys were in their primary school years while there in the 1980s.We wanted to show him where we lived, and he went to school, as well as give him an updated picture of how the Top End had developed since then.Karen offered us a whirlwind holiday with some old favourite places and many that we had not seen before.She hit all the right buttons for us and showcased her knowledge of the Top End.
Submitted by Susanne Pendock on Monday, Jun 26, 2023
We first dealt with Karen in 2013 for our first cruise. But it was last year that having Karen as our travel agent really came to the forefront.We were on a B2B2B cruise of Alaska and Transpacific when one of us caught Covid on the last day of the first leg. As per protocol we were disembarked and put in isolation for 10 days in Vancouver with no idea as to our next steps. We contacted Karen and she got her TA’s mojo going. She found a ship leaving Vancouver on the day after we got out of isolation going to Hawaii that we could go on so she booked us a great room. She then suggested a few different places we could stay in Waikiki that wouldn’t break the bank so we could see Honolulu, and rearranged our flights so that we arrived home only one day later than our original plan.Karen organised compensation for the cancelled cruises for which we are very grateful. We would have been totally lost without Karen and our long planned trip would have been a disaster rather than fond memories.
Submitted by Thomasina Finlayson on Tuesday, Nov 28, 2023
For a number of years now I have been booking international holidays with Karen each year and I have been very impressed with the services that she provides. Karen has a wealth of knowledge regarding the various places I have wanted to visit and has made great recommendations of the companies to travel with that suit me. Often, I have travelled independently rather than in tour groups and she has been great organising quite complicated travel arrangements for me across countries and has kept me safe. Nothing has been too much trouble. She has also saved me heaps on my international flights. She was wonderful when Covid hit as I had two trips planned in 2020 and she worked tirelessly to make cancellations and get refunds on my behalf.
I really would not think of using any other travel agent.
Thomasina ..... England, Scotland, Israel, Jordon, Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia, New Zealand, Paris, many parts of the USA and more.
Submitted by Noni on Saturday, Dec 16, 2023
I went into Mildura Travel and Cruise with no more than a dream and Karen made it a reality. Italy had been lingering on my bucket list for a long time. Having not travelled overseas much since the 1990's when I was in my 20s, carrying a backpack and a 'Lets Go' guide book, I found myself unfamiliar with how things were done in 2023.I gave Karen a very loose guide (country, number of days and that I like to walk) and she planned every detail of the most spectacular adventure. My husband and I were amazed at how meticulous the preparation was. We never wasted time standing in queues or waiting for transport. Our time in Italy was brilliant and memorable, because Karen had taken care of the detail, which in turn gave us the time to maximise our experiences.
Submitted by Donna Robertson on Monday, Jan 29, 2024
Karen helped us plan the perfect cruise, recommending the right cruise line and cabin onboard. Everything was taken care of for us, and she was quick to respond to questions or follow up concerns both before we left and while we were travelling. The trip was amazing and exceeded our expectations. She provided us with detailed information and had all our travel documents in one place (on the Trip App which we enjoyed) including hotel transfers, flights, cruise details, copies of passport etc. Karen’s detailed knowledge of areas of interest was great. Thank you again for suggesting to visit the Gardens by the Bay at night. The light show was phenomenal – NOT TO BE MISSED. This is my third trip with Karen, and I will definitely book with her again. It was so easy and everything was completed for me.
Submitted by Linda Edwards on Thursday, Jul 04, 2024
Karen is wonderful! She has been so helpful in planning every detail ensuring I feel confident while travelling. She has provided suggestions and advice when I have been unsure about my plans. I have just returned from an amazing trip to Africa which I never would have even thought of taking. Karen suggested it and it was a wonderful experience. I have recommended Karen highly to friends.
Submitted by Louise Lia on Wednesday, Jul 12, 2023
Karen is the best travel agent, service and communication is the best, she always updates you if there is a problem..i highly recommend karen at mildura travel and cruise..
Submitted by Eric Bruton on Monday, Apr 22, 2024
Had a great time, the travel itinerary was well planned and easy to follow, the hotels were good and close to areas of interest, travel agent was brilliant and helpful, would recommend without hesitation.
Submitted by Jocelyn Rawlins on Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024
My itinerary as put together by Karen Ridge of Mildura Travel & Cruise ran like clockwork. I cannot thank her enough. My recent vacation and visit to the Marquesas Islands on the Aranui 5 was smooth sailing all the way. Flights, transfers, overnight stops...everything was done for me including handy hints and links to helpful websites for the traveller. I have used this agency before and will again. Karen is efficient and preempts one's every need. I commend Mildura Travel & Cruise; they truly take the worry out of planning a trip.
Submitted by Elwynne Wentworth on Saturday, Jun 17, 2023
We wanted a tour of Spain and Portugal that wasn’t constantly moving, long days and not getting to really see the cities at leisure. After the initial meeting with Karen she offered to draw up a plan including all the places we wanted to see and suggesting some others worth visiting. The trip she planned didn’t disappoint. We felt no pressure when travelling as Karen had booked all the airfares, hotels and transfers in consultation with us. She also suggested a few prepaid small group tours. These suited our travel style. We gave Karen a budget amount and she kept within this limit. Karen contacted us while we were away via email to check we were aware of changed transfer times etc. This was a wonderful holiday going where we wanted and for as long as we wanted. We hope to book another trip with Karen and would certainly recommend using her knowledge and expertise in planning and booking holidays.
Submitted by Peter Argiro on Monday, Jan 22, 2024
Karen's attention to detail for us was perfect, from organising private pick up from the airport to the itinery of what to do was perfect... she understood our needs and delivered on every level! we will be booking our next holiday with Karen !!
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