OASIS President Named Godmother of Emerald Dawn
Emerald Waterways has named US travel industry veteran Kelly Bergin as the godmother of one of its two newest “Star-Ships,” the Emerald Dawn. With more than 25 years experience in the travel industry, Kelly Bergin was recently named President of OASIS, a national affiliation of independent travel consultants. OASIS is a division of the Smart Travel Group and is located in Boca Raton, FL. In this role, Ms. Bergin is responsible for helping new sellers of travel launch their careers as well as aiding established agents grow their businesses.
“The agent relationship is integral to our strategy of growth in North America and Kelly exemplifies the high standard of quality that fits so well with our products,” states Glen Moroney, Scenic founder and chairman. Emerald Dawn is one of two new ships launching in 2015—Julie Kendrick of Midcounties Co-operative Travel in the UK has been named the godmother of Emerald Dawn’s sister ship, Emerald Star. The dual christening is scheduled for August 21 in Budapest.
Bergin's Travel Career
Prior to joining OASIS, Ms. Bergin owned her own leisure travel agency in Salt Lake City, UT, and worked for Princess Cruises and Funjet Vacations as a business development manager. Upon moving to South Florida, Ms. Bergin became briefly involved in the real estate industry working as a regional sales manager for a technology company offering marketing and website solutions. But Kelly’s enduring love of travel led her back to the travel industry where she helped establish OASIS as one of the fastest growing host agencies in the country today.
Bergin serves on the board of directors for the Professional Association of Travel Hosts (PATH), the agent advisory board for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the leadership committee for the South Florida Chapter of the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA). A graduate of Florida Atlantic University, she and her husband Michael reside in Boca Raton, Florida.
“It is truly an exciting honor to be selected as the godmother of the new Emerald Dawn and to be part of the Emerald Waterways brand, which represents the best of what our industry has to offer,” said Ms. Bergin. “As an early convert and proponent of the river cruise experience, I use every opportunity to sing the praises of river cruising to our agents and extoll the tremendous value it offers to their clients. I look forward to continue this effort on behalf of Emerald Waterways.”
About the Emerald Dawn
The new ‘Star Ships’ carry 182 guests in 72 suites and 20 staterooms, including two specifically built for solo occupancy. Unique items include an onboard heated swimming pool with a retractable roof, which transforms into a movie theater in the evening; two restaurants – Reflections, the main dining room, and The Terrace, which serves breakfast and lunch; and a new type of cabin design that replaces the run-of-the-mill French balcony, common to most ships, with an indoor balcony complete with decked area and an ingenious open-air system. With the simple push of a button, the upper half of the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window drops down to allow an open-air opportunity; top suites separate the balcony from the cabin with sliding doors. In addition, there’s an onboard hairdresser, massage therapy room and fitness area.
Strong value continues with the fare inclusions: all transfers to and from the ships; all onboard (and some on-shore) meals; unlimited tea and coffee; wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; bottled water in the cabins; continental breakfast, pre-dinner canapés and after-dinner sweet treats served in the top suites; WiFi onboard the ship, most shore excursions; and more – including all gratuities.
