My Journey In The Travel Industry

Where It All Began (1990-1991):

Discovered my passion for travel during a work experience week at Lunn Poly, Ascot

• Spent my time stamping brochures—but I loved every second!

• Enrolled in a Travel & Tourism course at Brooklands College, Weybridge

Early Career:

• Gained hands-on experience at Alec Bristol Travel, Chertsey, leading to my first job

• Joined the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) and began my career as a travel agent

• Worked at top travel agencies, including:

  • Thomas Cook

  • Lunn Poly

  • Going Places

  • Teletext Agency – Holiday Now

• Balanced my career while starting a family

A Bold New Chapter – Canada (2007-2013):

• Emigrated to Nova Scotia with my family for a fresh start

• Began my cruise industry journey at Cruise Holidays travel agency

• Became a cruise specialist—even before I had taken my first cruise!

• Turned my dream into reality, both selling and experiencing cruises

Returning Home & Continuing My Passion (2013 – Present):

• Moved back to the UK and continued working for Cruise Holidays

• The company rebranded to Cruise & Travel Holidays, where I still share my passion for travel today!

My Journey – From Setbacks to a Thriving Luxury Cruise Business

Taking the Leap – Opening My Own Travel Boutique (2019)

Opened Lorraine’s Cruise Boutique at Ashridge Garden Centre, Binfield – a dream come true

• Unfortunately, the pandemic hit soon after, grounding flights and docking cruise ships

• By July 2020, I had to close my shop but continued working from home, hoping for a turnaround

Two Years of Struggles & Burnout (2020-2022)

• The travel industry remained at a standstill, leaving me and many colleagues burned out

• Struggled to regain my passion, caught in a cycle of stopping and starting

A Game-Changing Moment (January 2025)

• A casual Zoom chat with a networking acquaintance sparked a turning point

• We motivated each other to rebuild our businesses and move forward

• I realised: I didn’t want to sell just any cruise - I wanted to curate truly extraordinary experiences

Rebranding & Rebuilding with Purpose

• Launched a brand-new luxury cruise website

• Revamped my Facebook page & rekindled my industry connections

• Reignited my passion for crafting bespoke, high-end travel experiences.

Up-to-date (September 2025)

• 50+ years old, happily married for over 20 years, with 2 adult children, and 1 grandchild, living & working from my home in Wokingham, Berkshire at a business I’m incredibly proud of!