Cruises
Ocean and river cruises, from first sailing to bucket-list voyage.
Personal travel planning with Dr. Sam
Travel, Planned
Around You.
I’m Dr. Sam, an independent travel advisor. I design cruises, all-inclusive escapes, and group journeys — and I stay with you before, during, and after you travel.
Two easy ways to start:
Cruises · resorts · groups · custom journeys
What I plan
Your kind of journey.
From the first idea to the final confirmation, every detail begins with how you want the trip to feel.
All-Inclusive Resorts
Relaxation-first escapes where everything is handled.
Group Travel & Celebrations
Honeymoons, destination weddings, family reunions, girlfriend getaways, and church or organization trips.
And Beyond
I plan all types of travel, from quick weekend getaways to fully custom itineraries around the world.
How it works
A clear path from idea to departure.
01
Share your vision
Complete the trip inquiry form or schedule a call — tell me where, when, who’s coming, and what the trip should feel like.
02
I design your options
I research and tailor choices to your budget, style, and must-haves.
03
Travel with confidence
I handle the booking details, confirm everything in writing, and I’m on call while you travel.
Why book with an advisor
One dedicated point of contact.
I monitor your booking, watch for changes, and advocate for you if plans shift — at no extra cost to you for most cruises, resorts, and tours.
Ready when you are
Bring me the trip you keep thinking about.
Two easy ways to start:
About
Meet Dr. Sam
Personal service, thoughtful listening, and travel designed around the experience you actually want.
I’m Dr. Sam — an educator by training, a traveler by passion, and an independent travel advisor by calling. After years of planning trips for family and friends, I turned what I love into a business built on personal service.
As an independent travel advisor, I have access to major cruise lines, resorts, and tour operators around the world — which means more options and buying power behind every trip I plan.
My philosophy is simple: travel is personal. There is no one-size-fits-all itinerary. I listen first, then design around the experience you actually want — whether that’s a quiet beach, a ship full of adventure, or a once-in-a-lifetime celebration with the people you love.
I can’t wait to plan with you.
— Dr. Sam
Start here
Let’s Plan Your Trip
Tell me about the trip you’re dreaming of — where, when, who’s coming, and what it should feel like. The more you share, the better I can tailor your options.
For booked clients
Client Forms
A few quick forms keep your booking accurate and your trip protected.
Please complete only the form(s) Dr. Sam has asked you to fill out for your trip.
Client Intake Form
Your traveler details — names exactly as they appear on ID, contact information, and travel preferences. Complete it once, and I keep it on file for future trips.
Complete Client Intake FormTrip Protection Denial Acknowledgment
Travel protection safeguards your investment against the unexpected. I’ll walk you through your options — and if you choose to travel without it, I’ll ask you to sign a brief acknowledgment of that decision.
Trip Protection Denial AcknowledgmentChoose the form you need above. Each one opens securely in Travefy.
Share Your Travel Story
Just back from a trip Dr. Sam planned for you? Share your experience — and your favorite photos. With your permission, your story may be featured to help other travelers plan with confidence.
Share Your Travel StorySandals & Beaches Guest Information
Booked a Sandals or Beaches resort stay? Complete this form with every guest's information exactly as it appears on your travel documents, so Dr. Sam can finalize your reservation accurately and without delays.
Complete Sandals & Beaches Guest InformationCruise Cabin Information
Sailing soon? Tell Dr. Sam your cabin preferences and each guest's details — bedding setup, dining preferences, celebrations, and anything else your cabin should be ready with before you board.
Complete Cruise Cabin InformationPrivate authorization
Secure Payments
A clear, secure path for deposits and final payments.
When it’s time to secure your trip with a deposit or final payment, you’ll receive a private, PCI-compliant authorization link.
Your card details go directly into a secure payment system — they are never submitted through this website, by email, or by text message, and your full card number is never stored.
What you’ll need
- The cardholder’s name
- The billing address
- The card you’d like to use for your trip payments
A conversation, at your pace
Schedule a Call
Prefer to talk it through? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute trip planning call. Pick a time that works for you — you’ll receive a confirmation right away.
Rather call? (240) 377-0866 · Rather write? Reach me any time on the Contact page.
Questions welcome
Get in Touch
Have a trip in mind or need a client form? Reach Dr. Sam directly.
Start your trip
Choose the easiest way to connect.
Send the details through the travel request form, reserve a time on the calendar, or reach Dr. Sam directly by phone or email.
Helpful details
Frequently Asked Questions
Straightforward answers about planning, payments, group travel, and support.
For most cruises, resorts, and tours, my planning service is covered by the travel suppliers — there’s no extra cost to you. If a trip ever requires extensive custom research, I’ll tell you about any planning fee up front, before any work begins.
For cruises and popular destinations, 6–12 months gives you the best choice of cabins, rooms, and pricing. That said, wonderful trips have been planned on much shorter timelines — reach out and we’ll see what’s possible.
Yes — family reunions, honeymoons and destination weddings, girlfriend getaways, and church or organization trips. I coordinate the group details so the organizer can actually enjoy the trip.
Deposits and final payments go directly to the cruise line, resort, or tour operator — never through this website. I’ll send you a secure authorization link and confirm every payment in writing.
Reach out through the Contact page or schedule a call. As your advisor, I’m your advocate — I work with the supplier on your behalf to sort it out.
I strongly recommend it. Travel protection can cover trip cancellation and interruption, medical emergencies, and lost luggage. I’ll walk you through the options for every trip.
Resources
Free Travel Guides
Welcome to Dr. Sam's free guide library — practical guides organized by topic, from ocean cruises (Virgin Voyages first) and river cruises to all-inclusive resorts, family vacations, honeymoons, Bali & Singapore, and planners for couples and groups.
Every guide lives inside one of the topic sections below, and each section starts folded up — just click a topic to open it and see its guides. That way you can see all nine topics at a glance, without scrolling through every guide to find yours.
Guides marked Available now are emailed to you right away when you request them. Guides marked Coming soon can be requested now, too — you will be first in line, and yours will be sent as soon as it is finished, in the order requests came in. The only “price” for any guide is your email address.
Topics:
Ready to book instead? Visit Book It Yourself for Dr. Sam's advisor booking links.
Browse by topic — click to open. All nine sections below start folded up. Click any topic to see the guides available now and coming soon in that section, then choose “Request this guide” on the one you want. Click the topic again to fold it back up.
Ocean cruising is where many Bond Travel journeys begin. Virgin Voyages comes first below — the line Dr. Sam knows best — followed by guides to the other major ocean lines she books.
Virgin Voyages
Start-here guides and port-by-port guides for the four Lady Ships — adults-only sailings, with the Beach Club at Bimini and Caribbean ports covered one by one.
Available nowResearched for you
Your First Virgin Voyage
Everything a first-time Sailor needs: what's included, the new VoyageFair Choices fares, dining reservations, and the one thing that changed about gratuities.
Coming soon
Which Lady Ship? Virgin Voyages Ship Comparison
Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, and Brilliant Lady — how the four ships compare, and which one fits your sailing. Request it now and be first to get it.
Available nowResearched for youThe Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas
Virgin Voyages' private beach club on Miami sailings: the lagoon pool, the groves, the bars, cabanas, and how a Beach Club day actually flows.
Available nowResearched for youSan Juan, Puerto Rico
Port day + embarkation — the old city is the excursion: the two San Juan terminals, the walkable forts, and how to run your day.
Coming soonPuerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Coming soon — be first to get it.
Coming soonCozumel / Riviera Maya, Mexico
Coming soon — be first to get it.
Coming soonGrand Turk, Turks & Caicos
Coming soon — be first to get it.
Coming soonTortola, British Virgin Islands
Coming soon — be first to get it.
Coming soonSt. Maarten
Coming soon — be first to get it.
Coming soonBarbados
Coming soon — be first to get it.
More Ocean Cruise Lines
Dr. Sam also books Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, Disney Cruise Line, and more — start with these two guides.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, Disney: Which Line Fits You?
The major ocean lines compared side by side — ships, style, dining, and who each line fits best. Coming soon — be first to get it.
First Ocean Cruise: What I Wish I’d Known
Boarding day, cabin choices, dining, and the small things first-time cruisers wish someone had told them. Coming soon — be first to get it.
River cruises carry you through the heart of Europe — smaller ships, a new port almost every day, and scenery that changes by the hour.
River Cruising 101: Rhine, Danube & Beyond
How river cruising works — ship size, what is included, the great rivers, and how it differs from ocean cruising. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Choosing Your First European River Cruise
Itineraries, seasons, and river cruise lines compared, so your first river cruise matches how you like to travel. Coming soon — be first to get it.
How to choose a resort that matches the trip you actually want — adults-only or family-friendly, lively or laid-back.
Coming soon
How to Choose Your All-Inclusive Resort
Adults-only or family-friendly, lively or laid-back — how to match the resort to the trip you actually want. Request it now and be first to get it.
Couples and luxury guides for two far-flung favorites — request either one now and be first to receive it when it is finished.
Coming soon
Bali — Couples & Luxury Guide
Coming soon — be first to get it. Request it now and it will be sent as soon as it is finished.
Coming soon
Singapore — Couples & Luxury Guide
Coming soon — be first to get it. Request it now and it will be sent as soon as it is finished.
Trips the whole family can enjoy — Disney included, plus travel that works when grandparents, parents, and kids all go together.
Planning a Disney Trip Without the Overwhelm
Parks, resorts, tickets, and timing — a calmer way to plan a Disney vacation the whole family enjoys. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Multigenerational Travel: Getting the Whole Family There
Rooms, pacing, budgets, and activities that work when three generations travel together. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Starting points for honeymoons and weddings away from home — the checklists and first decisions, in order.
Honeymoon Planning Checklist
A step-by-step checklist, from setting the budget to booking the details that make a honeymoon feel effortless. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Destination Weddings: A Couple’s Starting Guide
Venues, guest logistics, legal requirements, and timelines — where to start when you are marrying away from home. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Alaska, the national parks, and guided touring — when to cruise, when to go by land, and when a guide is worth it.
Alaska: Cruise, Land, or Both?
Glaciers, wildlife, and the Inside Passage — how to choose between a cruise, a land tour, or a combined cruisetour. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Guided Tours vs. On Your Own: An Honest Comparison
Cost, freedom, logistics, and local insight compared honestly, so you can pick the right style for your trip. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Step-by-step planners for group and celebration trips and couples getaways — plus a way to request a guide for a destination that is not listed yet.
Coming soon
Group & Celebration Trip Planner
Coming soon — be first to get it. Request it now and it will be sent as soon as it is finished.
Coming soon
Couples Getaway Planner
Coming soon — be first to get it. Request it now and it will be sent as soon as it is finished.
Don't see your destination?
Request it in the form — most-requested guides get built first.
The practical side of every trip — documents, protection, and packing, handled before you go.
Passports, Documents & Deadlines
What you need and when you need it — passports, visas, and the deadlines that can make or break a trip. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Travel Protection: What It Actually Covers
Cancellation, interruption, medical, and luggage coverage in plain language — and what travel protection does not cover. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Packing Lists That Actually Work
Carry-on and checked-bag lists for cruises, resorts, and tours — what to bring, and what to leave behind. Coming soon — be first to get it.
Free guide request
Request a Guide
Tell Dr. Sam which guide you'd like and where to send it. Ready guides are sent by email; coming-soon guides are sent as soon as they are finished — to the people who asked first.
You are requestingYour First Virgin Voyage
Choose that same guide in the form so Dr. Sam sends the right one.
Ready when you are
Bring me the trip you keep thinking about.
Guides are a starting point. When you are ready for a trip planned around you, start here.
Book it yourself
Book It Yourself
Prefer to book it yourself? Use Dr. Sam's advisor links below — you book online, and you still get Dr. Sam as your travel advisor for the trip.
Virgin Voyages
Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises aboard the Lady Ships — adults-only sailings with dining, entertainment, and Wi-Fi included.
Book Virgin Voyages
Sandals Resorts
Luxury all-inclusive resorts for couples across the Caribbean — beaches, dining, and water sports all in one place.
Book Sandals Resorts
Beaches Resorts
Family all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos — water parks, kids' programs, and room for everyone.
Book Beaches Resorts
Vacation Packages, Tours & More
Package trips, tours and activities beyond cruises and the resorts above — all bookable in one place.
Browse Packages & ToursDr. Sam, Independent Travel Advisor · Questions before you book? Call (240) 377-0866
Ready when you are
Bring me the trip you keep thinking about.
When you are ready for a trip planned around you, start here.