About Melanie
My formal education was in photography and anthropology, and I think that explains more about how I plan trips than any certification does. I was trained to look for the story underneath the surface and to pay attention to the small details that make a place feel true rather than staged. That's what I bring to every itinerary.
Before I became a full-time travel advisor, I worked in advertising, event planning, and for a major U.S. airline, which means I understand both how travel is sold and how it actually runs behind the scenes. I use all of it now, on your behalf.
Travel isn't just something I book. It's part of how I work.
I don't travel to collect passport stamps or check countries off a list. I travel because there is no substitute for standing in a hotel lobby, walking a neighborhood after dark, tasting the restaurant everyone's talking about, or riding the train my clients will be taking next summer. Every destination I visit becomes part research, part quality control, and part inspiration. I'm constantly inspecting hotels, meeting local partners, testing experiences, and asking the same questions my clients would ask: Is this hotel actually worth the price? Does this tour live up to the reviews? Is there a quieter beach, a better restaurant, or a more memorable experience just around the corner?
Those experiences become part of every itinerary I design.
My work has taken me everywhere from African safaris and the Galápagos Islands to the Scottish Highlands, Japan, Portugal, Fiji, the Caribbean, and throughout Europe and North America. Some destinations I visit because they're on my own bucket list. Most I visit because my clients are going there next, and I believe I can only recommend a place with confidence if I've experienced it myself whenever possible.
My father came here from Cuba and he's the reason I fell in love with travel and with cruising in particular, and the Disney Vacation Club membership he bought decades ago is still in active use by our family today. Travel, in my family, has always been something you invest in on purpose.
I'm also a Gold Star sister. My brother died while serving in the military, and in the same month I had a near-death experience of my own. Those two losses, arriving together, changed how I think about time, about grief, and about what a meaningful trip actually means. I don't believe grief is something you move past. I believe it's a continuing love story, and I think travel, done well, can hold space for that kind of story too. It's part of why I take the trips I plan seriously, even the joyful ones.
I hold certifications as an ASTA Verified Travel Advisor, a Certified Travel Associate through The Travel Institute, a CLIA Certified Cruise Counselor, and an IBCCES Certified Autism Travel Professional. I'm a member of Ensemble Travel Group and the Luxury Leaders Alliance through Travel Leaders Network. In 2025, TravelAge West named me one of its Travel Advisors to Watch.
But credentials are the floor, not the ceiling.
What I actually offer is judgment. The ability to look at your family, your travel style, your budget, and your dream, then weave them together into a journey that feels effortless from your perspective because every detail has already been considered from mine.
I don't take every client. If we're not the right fit, I'll tell you, and I'll mean it kindly. But if you're looking for someone who believes your trip deserves the same care and attention as the milestones it's celebrating, I'd love to help you create it.
What Do My Certifications Mean For You As the Client?
Because I take education very seriously.
ASTA is the American Society of Travel Advisors, the industry's leading trade organization, and the Verified Travel Advisor credential is only available to advisors who meet its standards for professionalism and experience. For you, this means the person planning your trip has been vetted, not just self-declared. It's a layer of accountability that most advisors can't claim.
This certification comes from rigorous, ongoing training in destination knowledge, supplier relationships, and client service, the kind of education that goes well beyond knowing which hotels are nice. For you, it means fewer surprises. I know how to navigate visa requirements, complex multi-stop itineraries, and the fine print in cancellation policies before they become your problem.
Cruise Lines International Association is the industry authority on cruising, and this certification reflects real depth across cabin categories, itineraries, and ship-specific detail that a generic booking site simply can't offer. For you, it means I can tell you not just which cruise line fits your trip, but which deck, which dining time, and which excursion is actually worth your one day in port.
This certification, through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, means I've completed specific training in supporting travelers on the autism spectrum and their families, from sensory considerations to advance planning with destinations and properties. For you, it means your family's needs are built into the itinerary from the start, not accommodated as an afterthought.
Membership in these consortia isn't a certification so much as a set of relationships, built over years, with luxury hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators around the world. For you, this often means upgrades, onboard credit, early check-in, or a personal welcome that you would not receive booking the same trip on your own.
The ASTA Accessible Travel Solutions credential comes from completing specific training in the realities of accessible travel: mobility needs, medical requirements, and how a destination's infrastructure can make or break a trip before it even begins. It's the floor, not the ceiling. What it actually means is that when you tell me what you or your loved one needs, I already understand why it matters, and I've planned for travelers like you before.
