We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Sturgis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

Cruising is exploding in the travel space. With younger generations wanting to see more of the world, and some older generations wanting to travel in retirement, cruising is a great way to see different parts of the world while staying within a budget. It is great for people that may not have ever traveled outside of the country before, or are first time solo travelers because of the security it provides and the ease of navigating the country you are visiting.

Many of my clients are first time cruisers, whether that be couples, solo travelers, or groups, and my goal is to educate and make sure they have the trip of a lifetime. We are seeing an uptick in unique itineraries that are drawing in people that may not have thought of taking a cruise before – with specialty sailings, like eclipse viewings taking the lead in popularity among my clients.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started Cruising with Jen originally just to document my travels, but realized there was a need on social media for educational cruise content. I like to focus on the different cruise lines that I have sailed on so that I can provide my expertise as a travel agent, but also as a passenger. As someone that has cruised for over 15 years, both in family settings, solo, and as a couple, I am able to provide insight on the cruise line that is best for each client based on their needs and how they prefer to spend their vacations. I am also passionate about showing that travel can be accessible to everyone.- you really do not have to spend a ton of money to plan a great vacation, and have unique experiences. As a full service travel agent, my goal is to make the process easy, so that you can focus on relaxing!

How did you build your audience on social media?

My initial focus was on Youtube and Reddit. I have always struggled with TikTok and Instagram, so I decided to focus on the platforms that I knew. I think that has been the key to the early success that I have had with my business, because instead of having to learn how the algorithms work on platforms I don’t use as much – I am able to focus my time on what I know where I can showcase my personality and potential clients can really get to know me and my travel planning style.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe that my personal travel experience, at different points in my life have really benefitted me. I have clients that go for luxury, and clients that go for budget. Because I have personal experience in both, I am able to relate to both kinds of customers and make sure their needs are met. I also make sure to showcase my organization and how I plan personal trips so that clients can see the attention to detail that I will put into their own vacations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cruisingwithjen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cruisinwithjen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560281116742
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cruisingwithjen