LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISORY MAGAZINE: Loretta Darcy Awarded Top Travel Trendsetter

Loretta Darcy has been with her agency’s owner, Mary Jean Tully, since day one and remains one of the agency’s top-producing senior travel designers. Tully first opened her business as The Cruise Professionals 30 years ago, and then re-branded as Tully Luxury Travel two years ago. Today, the thriving business has three divisions: Cruise Professionals, African Dreams and Private Travel Designers.

Darcy went to travel school and was hired right after graduation by Kuoni Travel, where she specialized in Hawaii and Asia Pacific. She left Kuoni to become a flight attendant for a charter airline and then went to work for a new cruise-only agency in Toronto — one of the first three in Canada.

“As fate would have it, Mary Jean, who then lived in the U.S., working for a cruise line, recognized the business opportunity to open her own cruise-only agency,” says Darcy. “She called our office to check out her competition and before you knew it I was being interviewed and then hired for a job working at The Cruise Professionals.”

Today, Darcy specializes in luxury cruises but tells us she recognizes the need for expansion in the constantly evolving industry. “Tully Luxury Travel is always looking at what our future clients’ needs will be,” she says. “The travel business is always changing, and we have to change with the times not only to survive but thrive, as well.”

To this point, Darcy makes just as much of an effort to experience destinations as much as she does each cruise ship.

Case in point: Earlier this year, Darcy and Tully attended the christening of Seabourn Encore in Singapore. They disembarked the ship in Bali, where Darcy’s family joined to spend nine nights split between Amankila; Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve; and Bulgari Resort Bali. Aboard a Crystal world cruise several years ago, Darcy and Tully flew to Tehran, where they stayed and explored over four days. More recently, Darcy traveled to Chilean Patagonia, as well as Santiago and Valparaíso. Since many of her clients are traveling to the region, it only made sense that Darcy better acquaint herself with the destinations. Next on the list is Peru, where Darcy will visit Machu Picchu with her family and friends to celebrate her birthday.

In addition to the pre- and post-cruise itineraries, Darcy also books a lot of multigenerational vacations. Her clients come from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Germany.

To build her brand, Darcy plans to continue creating excellent itineraries for her current customers. “Our clients are the future,” Darcy says. “I know that when I provide them with an outstanding travel experience, they will continue to send us referrals.”