We agree! Ngaire and her staff are (pardon the pun) keenly focused on maximizing their clients enjoyment of their precious vacation time. We've had mixed experiences with TAs so by and large I'm a do-it-myselfer when it comes to travel. We found Ngaire from the CC board as well and were pleasantly surprised by her competence and skill. Hands down, she's the best TA I've found to work with.

What's special?

- She's willing to push back on our ideas when a different alternative is available that would be better for us. That advice, by and large, has been spot on.

- She and her staff spend time on the ships, get to know the crews, and obviously love cruising. When we board, the senior officers and crew all know Ngaire and her staff, which is certainly helpful if any special requests come up.

- She has always looked out for the clients, especially if fares or promotions come out after-the-fact that would benefit the client base.

- She encourages her clients to let her know what they learn and anything new that comes up. In addition, she encourages us to get to know each other. This board is a good example - look how much we all learn from one another (and that she & her staff can also learn). We can then have better trips with such a wealth of information and experiences to include in our decisionmaking.

- She hosts great escorted sailings. When you meet Ken, Linda, Ron and some of her other staff, it just makes for a much better time

- She's introduced to all of us the importance of sheep population control in New Zealand. Yep, that's right. EAT MORE LAMB!! :D

Cheers, Anne