Cruise: How travel dreams are made reality for guests long before a cruise sets sail

“My formula for enjoying what I do is passion for the industry and a pinch of never-ending curiosity.”

Unsurprisingly, in order to know if a destination is a good fit, journey planners must experience it for themselves.

“We do regular visits to the ships for a closer look at onsite operation, so we can enhance the product,” says Ms Dimitrova.

“I very much enjoyed the educational cruise I did last year on Emerald Dawn, sailing from Budapest to Nuremberg.

“On the first day of the cruise, it started snowing, which complemented well the Christmas market visits we had planned for these themed sailings.

“The beauty of river cruising is that it’s a different experience depending on when you travel, so guests are always promised a unique experience.”

Yet journey planners don’t only look at destinations – they also draw intricate focus on building relationships with local people and businesses in each location.

Ms Dimitrova explains: “The job of a journey planner isn’t only to bring you to a small town in the Wachau Valley where you can enjoy local apricot products or a wine tasting.

“We try to ensure that we are developing the best possible journey with memories to last, whilst working with our long-term partners in each region to ensure our guests get a true glimpse of the culture in the different regions we visit.

“Between the initial idea of the journey and its actual delivery, there are many little steps we look into so we can ensure the value of the experience is guaranteed.”

Yet, even when the team aren’t stepping onboard vessels, they still spend their days being transported around the globe virtually, something Ms Dimitrova says makes her job “unlike any others”.

“For us to create a journey, we need to first have a vision, be able to imagine it and then put it in practice,” she says.

“This creativity and immersion keep us going and keeps us motivated, knowing that a product can constantly be developed and enhanced.”

For Ms Dimitrova, her job is a step towards turning fantasies into reality.

As she says: “Let your dreams sail!”