Julie-Anne Vaughan, travel manager for Oasis Portfolio of Luxury Travel, married 20 years ago. But she admits her honeymoon planning floundered while she was busy launching the exclusive Portfolio suite – which went on to be so successful it was crowned Luxury Travel Retail Business of the Year at the TTG Luxury Travel Awards 2025. 

She recalls how a colleague joked: “You need to do something good because people are going to ask…” and Julie-Anne went on to book a Caribbean voyage on Silversea Whisper. It was her husband’s first cruise and her first with Silversea. “What was important was the attention to detail, the food onboard, the wine choices… so it ticked all the boxes of what we were looking for at the time,” she explains.

But she laughs: “The thing is, I introduced my husband to the top end, so every year it’s now, ‘what Silversea cruise are we going on this year?’”

Through work and holidays Julie-Anne has now sailed on every Silversea non-expedition ship.

She explains the brand’s difference. “I love it that, when you get onboard, you’re met with your glass of champagne, you can ask your butler to unpack for you… The butlers, I find, are always one step ahead… you come into your suite one night after a long excursion and there’s a beautiful bath run for you with the new Otium spa products.

“What’s also good is because it’s ultra luxury all-inclusive there’s no class difference onboard; everyone is treated identically.”

The “superb” food and hundreds of complimentary wines are other standouts for Julie-Anne. The recently introduced S.A.L.T (Sea and Land Taste) concept with dishes themed to the voyage region has also impressed, as have S.A.L.T Bar signature cocktails. “On the last ship I was on one had a big bubble on top, then it burst and smoke came out of it,” she recalls.

She also enjoyed a complimentary S.A.L.T Lab cookery course, currently offered on Silver Moon, Silver Dawn, Silver Ray and Silver Nova. “The head chef is showing you exactly how to do it, so it’s a real experience and something different,” she enthuses.

Complementing her first-hand knowledge, My Silversea online resources help her team keep up to date on the line’s innovations. Julie-Anne explains: “We love the webinars. There was one recently with Donatella [Valzasina, head of sales for the south], looking through the new fare structures. We use those a lot for training purposes. They’re very good on all their training modules online as well.”

The team have also used Silversea’s Marketing Central collateral for e-blasting offers and creating displays. At the agency’s recent cruise show, enticing images were displayed on lightboxes, with QR codes for further information.

Silversea has supported such client fairs for the agency, along with afternoon teas, dinners, and charity auctions.

“We’ve a very good relationship with them,” says Julie-Anne. “If you do have a problem, they’re there to help. There was a client who had to have non-alcoholic gin. Silversea were very good at getting that organised and even sent me a picture of the bottle to check it was OK for her.”

Her own continuing cruises have helped Julie-Anne chart onboard trends. “The demographic now, especially last year on Nova, was early 50s so they’re trying to get the more in-between market onboard. It’s important the staff realise it’s not just for clients 70 plus.”

Among the wide range of destinations Silversea offers, Julie-Anne particularly recommends Latin America and Alaska, with All-Inclusive Plus excursions.

“People like to get off and be adventurous but also have the comfort blanket of knowing they’re getting back on the luxurious ship and their meal will be superb with a glass of pinot noir or whatever they’re drinking that night,” she says.

Alaska proved a personal favourite. “They brought a guide onboard and the good thing about Silversea is because it’s small – we’re talking 700 max – it gets into areas a lot of the larger cruise ships can’t. We sailed in alongside one of the glaciers. You literally felt you could touch it... The scenery was beautiful and the excursions were fantastic.”

Her clients have been impressed by the elevation of entertainment since Royal Caribbean Group acquired Silversea Cruises, but they most commonly praise Silversea’s attention to detail, explains Julie-Anne. “After 24 hours, the customers are walking into the bar and it’s: ‘is it gin and tonic again Mrs Vaughan? Would you like the usual; just a little ice?’”

She enjoys showcasing Silversea to first-timers when the line calls at Belfast. At the agency’s recent charity auction, an evening onboard Silver Ray was won by non-cruisers who have since booked Silversea with her. So, she jokes, like her husband, “they’re starting at the top.”