We speak to Yvonne Allen from Ponders Travel about her daily routines and her never-to-be-forgotten moments in the cruise industry…

My alarm goes off at…
6.30am. I try to do some household chores before heading to my office around 8.15am.

My job entails…
Mostly cruise sales, including tailor-made packages, but pretty much all types of travel and helping out with the vast amount of group work at Ponders. I have also delivered staff training sessions and was a fundamental part of the streamlining of the business and strategic direction when I joined in 2016.

I got my job…
In November 2016, following a stint in NHS nurse management (my previous career) and running my own cruise travel business, Cruise Ahead. I had previously worked with Clare Dudley, owner of Ponders Travel. Working for a family-run business gives you a great sense of pride and loyalty.

A typical day involves…
Checking and answering emails and organising my diary (with a coffee), along with answering any calls. I also deal with enquiries and catch up with booking administration, speaking to lots of lovely clients, past and present, and booking their dream holidays.

At lunchtime…
I try to take a break, and love to eat my lunch outdoors if it’s warm and sunny. Unsurprisingly, frequent busy periods mean I often eat at my desk.

The most stressful part of my job is…
Not getting to the bottom of that never-ending pile of admin on my desk.

I love it when…
I get feedback from clients following their holiday. Knowing they have had a wonderful time gives you quite a warm, fuzzy feeling.

I’ll never forget…
That the cruise industry is forever evolving and innovating, and we as travel agents need to adapt and change with it. The cruise market is still very small compared to the millions of oversees holidays taken every year.

We bring to the table…
Passion, enthusiasm, care, commitment, and energy, as well as a desire to ensure every one of our clients has their dream cruise holiday.

I’d shake up the industry by…
Getting cruise lines to put strategies in place to discourage agents discounting. There really is no need to discount. Customers then choose their agent based on service and everyone gets a bite of the full commission cherry. I’d also like to see better incentives for agents, especially with high-revenue bookings.