Cruising Insights & Travel Hacks with Alex Pinelo

Dive into the fascinating world of river cruising with Alex Pinelo, Senior Vice President of Sales at Ama Waterways. In this episode, Alex shares his 40-year journey in the cruise industry, revealing the uniqueness of river cruising and AmaWaterways' innovative plans. Discover personal stories, from helicopter rides over Victoria Falls to his favorite Hilton stays. Plus, gain practical travel tips and hacks to enhance your journeys.

Introduction and Welcome

Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, a podcast where two recognized travel industry executives with a combined 71 years on the inside of travel and technology give up their secrets to the thing everyone wants to do: travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Here are your hosts, Mike Putman and James Ferrara.

Mike Putman: Good day, everyone. I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara, and welcome to No Tourists Allowed, The Christmas Edition. That's right, the last podcast of the year. We've got a lot of things to cover this year. James and I both have been out on the road traveling to various travel conferences.

Mike Putman: Sorry we've been amiss for last week. I think we were here the week before that, but we've got lots of interesting things to talk about. We also have a very special guest with us today, and that is the Senior Vice President of Sales of AmaWaterways, Mr. Alex Pinello. Welcome to the podcast, Alex.

Alex Pinello: Hi, James. Hi, Mike. If you add my years, that's a hundred and ten. I'll be celebrating my fortieth year in the cruise business in April of next year.

Mike Putman: That is awesome. You're in probably a little bit warmer climate than James and myself. I'm in South Carolina and it is forty-three degrees, which is not normally this cool this time of year.

James Ferrara: I've got you beat. I'm up in New York, it's about thirty-five degrees and I'm dreaming of last week. I'm not dreaming of a white Christmas. I'm dreaming of last week in Cancun, Mike. It's terrible that we missed our podcast, but we weren't losing a lot of sleep over it. It was beautiful and warm and it was lovely and busy. It was a very busy conference, so it wasn't as if we were out by the pool lounging around or swimming in the ocean. It was a lot of work.

Alex Pinello: I'm in Calabasas, California and the temperature, believe it or not, is light rain and it's sixty degrees. Light rain is unusual for us here, but we can use it, that's for sure.

James Ferrara: Light rain—everyone has to pull off the road there. They don't know what to do. We have a special guest, and there are a lot of great things about having Alex here with us. Alex, you have a forty-year career in the cruise industry, and we want to hear about that. That gives you a really valuable perspective for our No Tourists Allowed listeners. We've known each other a long time; we are good pals in the business. The travel experience that you represent now is particularly perfect for the Christmas season. We need to talk beyond Christmas season because anyone who's traveling for Christmas has their plans in place already. But AmaWaterways is a famous river cruise line with a really lovely experience. Right now, we're almost done with the famous Christmas markets in Europe. That's a real bucket list experience. The first thing we do with guests at No Tourists Allowed is subject them to Mike's rapid-fire questions about personal travel likes and habits. As a travel industry executive, you're on the road a lot, so you're a real expert yourself.

Rapid-Fire Questions with Alex Pinello

Mike Putman: Our listeners like to get a better idea of you as a traveler. Just say the first thing that comes to your mind. This is about your personal travel, and we'll move through these relatively quickly. Alex, do you have a favorite hotel brand or an individual property?

Alex Pinello: I do have a favorite hotel brand and that is Hilton. When I started working with Ama, I was living in Miami and their headquarters are in Southern California in Calabasas. I was coming to their headquarters one week a month, so I quickly became Diamond with Hilton. Once you get status on any property or any airline, you become accustomed to using them. You know all the perks that come with the status for staying there so many nights. The Hilton property in Beverly Hills is probably one of my favorite Hilton properties. It's pretty amazing. I actually got the opportunity to stay there after I did a cruise. Using my points, I was able to get one of their nice corner suites, which we all shoot for. That would be my brand and my property.

Mike Putman: I had a company before this one based in Dallas and I was commuting. I was staying at a Hilton property and I wasn't keeping track, but I became Hilton Diamond and somehow they gave me Diamond for Life. I don't know what I did to deserve that, but it is a nice perk for sure. Alex, tell us about your favorite destination. Do you have a favorite place to go when you have your own time?

Alex Pinello: Believe it or not, as much as I love going to Europe, one of my favorite destinations has always been France. There's so much to do. Who doesn't like French wine? Who doesn't like some good French champagne and the French restaurants? There's so much aside from Paris because everybody loves Paris. But you get into some of these other cities within France, like in southern France, and you go to Lyon or Avignon. Those cities in France have more Michelin-star restaurants per capita. Great food, great wine, beautiful sights, beautiful scenery, and wonderful people. France is one of my favorite places to travel to.

Mike Putman: Mine as well. How about shore excursions? What's the best shore excursion you've ever been on?

Alex Pinello: The best shore excursion that I've ever been on—oh my god. I have to tell you, I did our Africa product and I did the two-night extension at Victoria Falls at the Victoria Falls Hotel. One of the options you can add is a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. At that point, I had not gone to the land portion of my safaris yet, so one of the animals that we had not seen was a zebra. Believe it or not, from the helicopter ride through Victoria Falls, which was spectacular, we actually saw a zebra. There were four of us in the helicopter who were on the cruise, and we were like, "Oh my god, there's a zebra! Turn the helicopter around!" It was great. That helicopter tour of Victoria Falls definitely was up there on my list.

James Ferrara: We are famous here at No Tourists Allowed for talking about the terrifying helicopter experience—reasons not to take a helicopter. That sounds rather beautiful, though.

Mike Putman: Are you an aisle or window guy, Alex, when you're flying?

Alex Pinello: Aisle, a hundred percent.

Mike Putman: And do you check your bag or do you carry on?

Alex Pinello: Oh my god. I am the worst packer and it is hard for me to not check a bag, but I try not to check a bag as often as possible because of certain airports. Miami is one of them, and Los Angeles LAX is another. If you check a bag, it could take up to an hour to get your bag after the plane lands. I try to carry my bag on as often as possible.

A Forty-Year Career in the Cruise Industry

Mike Putman: Tell our listeners a little bit about your background. Forty years in the business—I don't know of another cruise executive that has forty years tenure in the cruise industry. Not to make you feel old or anything, but tell our listeners about your vast experience.

Alex Pinello: I wanted to be a pilot; that was my dream since I was a little boy. Long story short, that didn't work out. While I was going to school in Miami, I got a part-time job at the Port of Miami checking people in. This was back in 1984. I started with Norwegian Caribbean Lines. I was checking people in at the port and then I took my first cruise and I fell in love with cruising. I kept going to school while working part-time, then I moved to headquarters and moved up the ranks within the organization. I even worked onboard for four years because every time I went, I never wanted to get off the ship. Back then, we would go on back-to-back cruises and it was great. I worked onboard for four years as a shore excursion manager and cruise director. When I got off the ships, I was in the sales department as a BDM, moved to some other cities, then I was an executive. I became a VP of Sales for national and key accounts. Then I was on the opening team for Disney Cruise Line for four years, which was a great experience. In December of 2016, I retired from NCL, and two months into it, I realized I wasn't ready for this. I missed the travel advisors and the traveling. I knew Christine Karst, who's the co-founder and one of the owners of AmaWaterways. I would meet her at all the conferences and we would travel together. We started talking and she didn't really have a position for me, but she created one. I started as the Director of Latin America, based out of Miami. Little by little, I grew within the organization. I moved to national accounts, became VP of Sales, and now Senior Vice President of Global Sales running the sales for the whole organization. I went from ocean to river and I just love cruising. There's not a bad cruise product out there, but we're different. There's not a bad river cruise product out there, but we're different. Of course, we're biased; we're the best. I fell in love with the business, and in my personal humble opinion, there's no better way to travel than by cruise. Especially with the river, you're right there in the heart. Oceans take you to the destination; rivers take you through them. We stop in the heart of the cities where you get right off the ship. Everything is pretty much included: the excursions, the food, and you have a truly immersive experience. It's like traveling in your own private yacht through these beautiful countries, cities, and towns throughout the world.

The AmaWaterways Story and Fleet

James Ferrara: River cruise has been one of the hottest growth spots in the travel industry for years now. It is a more intimate experience. Tell us a little bit more about Ama within that experience. What is it that makes Ama different and stand out?

Alex Pinello: We were together last week at the "Academy Awards" of the travel industry. We were really excited seeing everyone there, looking great in our black tie. We were proud of the awards we got, from Best Cuisine to Best Ship with AmaMagna, and the Best Overall River Cruise Company. We are a family-owned and operated business. They started the company back in 2002. It was Rudy Schreiner, Christine Karst, and the late Jimmy Murphy. When they started the company, they didn't own any ships; they were leasing them. Their dream was to one day have three ships. Well, by 2025, we will have twenty-nine ships. They've always run a very disciplined company with conservative business practices. There's no debt, so all the ships are paid for as they build them. We'll have twenty-three in Europe alone—the Danube, the Rhine, France. We'll have a couple ships in Portugal on the Douro River. We'll have three ships in Africa—two on the Nile and then one on the Chobe River. We have one in Southeast Asia on the Mekong River visiting Vietnam and Cambodia. A brand new destination for us starting in November 2024 is Colombia in South America, right on the Magdalena River. To answer your question about what differentiates us, it's the fact that we're family-owned and operated and our owners are so involved in the day-to-day business. It's all about the people. The crew bends over backwards to ensure our guests' expectations are not only met but exceeded. Everything is included: all onboard dining and all shore excursions. Some river cruise companies just include one daily excursion. We include professionally trained wellness hosts onboard. We have complementary Wi-Fi. We even have a specialty restaurant onboard, the Chef's Table, that's also included. Our commitment to sustainability is second to none; all of our European ships have been certified with the Green Award by the Port of Amsterdam. Even when you do a pre or post extension, that cruise manager is with you every step of the way. Many companies make decisions based on how they can put an extra buck in their pocket. At AmaWaterways, we make decisions based on how we can provide a better guest experience. As a result, we are the most awarded river cruise company. We carry fewer guests than many of our competitors, allowing us to have more amenities like a fitness center, a beauty salon, a spa, the specialty restaurant, and even a heated pool on the sun deck. Wine, beer, and soda are included during meals, including champagne at breakfast. We even have a one-hour open bar every night before dinner. It's not what you pay to get on the ship; it's what you pay to get off the ship. With AmaWaterways, we include so much. We like to say we may not be all-inclusive, but we're more inclusive.

James Ferrara: We know Christine and Rudy. Christine was a guest in our first season. They are warm, lovely, personable people, and they exude gracious hospitality. That makes its way through the whole organization and the whole experience.

Mike Putman: Actually, this time last year I was on the AmaMagna doing the Christmas market cruise myself, so I can testify firsthand what a wonderful experience it was. I've been on sixty-three cruises, and that was my first river cruise. I would underscore everything Alex said. The thing that was most interesting to me, other than porting at a city and walking a hundred feet into the center of town, was the efficiency. One day we did two different stops in one day, which you would never consider on an ocean-going vessel. The thing that really made it super special for us were the people. The culture created by the executive team definitely flows down. People are sincerely happy to be working there. You're greeted by people trying to give you an exceptional customer service experience. It's part of their DNA.

Alex Pinello: Did you do any bike tours? We carry bicycles on our ships, and those are very popular as well.

Mike Putman: It was snowy in a lot of places! And I was being dragged by my wife and my daughter through every Christmas market in Europe. We did some great experiences beyond the Christmas markets, though. A lot of these shore excursions I typically would not do on an ocean-going vessel because they seem a bit touristy, like being dragged through a market that's made for travelers where they're selling stuff made in China. But the tours provided by Ama were actually really educational. I wouldn't have done several of them had they not been included, and I'm really happy I did. It was a fantastic experience.

Exotic River Cruises: Africa, Southeast Asia, and Colombia

James Ferrara: This time of year, you're in the land of Christmas—Austria, Germany. This is where our idea of Christmas in the United States comes from. These Christmas markets are really beautiful and charming. But looking forward into the spring and beyond, you mentioned some travel experiences I was not aware of in Africa. You said the Chobe River?

Alex Pinello: Oh my god. We're blessed to have traveled to a lot of places, but in April I did our Zambezi Queen on the Chobe River, and it was by far the best thing I've ever done in my life. It's unbelievable. The Zambezi Queen is our smallest ship with twenty-eight guests—fourteen suites. You're cruising four days on the Chobe River. It's the only ship in our fleet that doesn't follow a nautical schedule; you're actually following the animals. You get to see the Big Five: the leopards, the lions, the rhinos, the buffalo, and the elephants. You combine the four-night cruise with five different land options because you're doing safaris by water and safaris by land. You start with three nights in Cape Town, fly to Victoria Falls, and then go to the ship on the Chobe River. You do two safaris by water each day, including fishing or bird watching. The boats only carry about ten passengers, so it's very intimate. You're going face-to-face with the animals. One day you go to Chobe National Park. You'll never see more elephants in your lifetime; it's amazing. You have a full-day game drive safari there. After that, you go to Victoria Falls for a couple nights, staying at the Victoria Falls Hotel. From there you go to Johannesburg. Then you can select whether you go to one of the Tintswalo Safari Lodge properties, Kruger National Park, or do the Rovos Rail. We stayed at a Tintswalo Safari Lodge, which was unbelievable. With those safaris, you're having private cocktail parties in the bush with rhinos behind you. It was magical. You can even add the Rwanda extension for the gorilla trekking. There's no better way of doing a safari because you're seeing the animals face-to-face as they come to the river to drink water.

James Ferrara: You mentioned Vietnam and Cambodia are very popular destinations now. You also mentioned the AmaMagdalena on the Magdalena River in Colombia. What happens there?

Alex Pinello: That is starting in November of 2024. We're in the process of building two ships. The AmaMagdalena will come out in November 2024, carrying sixty passengers. The AmaMelodia will come out in June of 2025, carrying sixty-four passengers. We'll be doing seven-day cruises on the Magdalena River, cruising from Cartagena to Barranquilla and then the reverse. We'll have wonderful land extensions in Medellín, Cartagena, and even Panama City. It is selling so well. We tend to be innovators in the space, and we're the first to cruise in that area. We're right now developing the whole land program in Colombia. It's an amazing destination for culture, food, rum, dance, wildlife, coffee, and chocolate. We're so excited with this new destination that we have an office in Barranquilla. Shakira is from Barranquilla and has a house there—not that that's why we have an office there, but it's an interesting fact. The people are lovely, the music is great, the food is great, and the scenery is beautiful.

James Ferrara: So Colombia, the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia—where you can add extensions in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Siem Reap with Angkor Wat, and Ho Chi Minh City—and Africa and Egypt on the Nile. Those are the exotics.

Alex Pinello: And our core still is Europe with twenty-three ships. It's our core destination, and there's no better way to visit those amazing countries. Our business has always been about providing unforgettable cruise experiences and creating customers for life. We are so proud of what we offer and proud of our relationship with you guys. You're great partners and great friends.

James Ferrara: We appreciate it. It takes a good travel advisor to get the right person into the right experience on the right ship. I've heard so many people say, "I don't like cruising," and when I drill down, it's clear someone put them on the wrong ship.

Alex Pinello: You hit the nail on the head. There's not a bad cruise product out there, but we are different. The majority of our business comes from our valued travel partners. We consider ourselves more than a supplier; we're your business partner. Together, we're going to make sure that we are putting your clients on the right product. You guys do an amazing job. We love working with your entire team. Let's continue to show the world one river at a time.

Sustainability Initiatives at AmaWaterways

James Ferrara: I love that. Let's touch on sustainability because it gets talked about a lot. River cruise does seem a bit more gentle on the planet than ocean cruising, doesn't it?

Alex Pinello: Absolutely. For the most part, we're not traveling as far as ocean cruises and we're not consuming as much fuel, but we take sustainability very seriously. It's at the core of everything we do. We've eliminated single-use plastics onboard. The engines have come such a long way since 2002. Mike, you mentioned you were on the AmaMagna, which is our biggest ship. It carries 196 guests, which is the same number some competitors put on their smaller ships. On our regular ships in Europe, we normally have two engines. The AmaMagna has ten engines. When we're going downstream, we may only have to use one or two engines. We also installed solar panels on the AmaMagna balconies, which generate a big portion of our electricity onboard. We have some gardens onboard for certain herbs and spices. We use special tinting on the glass to save on energy. Because most of our ships have outdoor balconies, when you open the balcony door, the air conditioner turns off in your stateroom. You need your key card in the slot for the lights to be on. We are continuously improving.

James Ferrara: Our listeners want to know that you're mindful of it. It's a thoughtful approach we can feel good about.

Alex Pinello: In the past, you'd get a ream of paper in your stateroom and end up throwing it away. Now we have a state-of-the-art app. We provide all the information there, allowing our guests to stay connected. The documents and daily cruise news are there. If you want it printed, you can ask reception, but ninety percent of our guests use the app. It makes it easy and eco-friendly.

Mike Putman: Assuming this new ship for Colombia is not being built in Colombia, how do you get it there? These are not ocean-going vessels.

Alex Pinello: Believe it or not, we are actually building it in Colombia. It's a smaller ship, obviously, not like the large ocean liners we tend to think about. They are both being built there in Colombia.

Expert Travel Tips and Packing Advice

James Ferrara: That's interesting. Alex, when you travel, let's bring it back home. We promise our listeners tips and hacks to help them have more memorable travels. Is there anything you do in your personal travels to get a better sense of place or have a better time?

Alex Pinello: I'll give you a couple tips. Regarding packing, when I try to carry on my luggage, I leave my clothes on the hangers and in the laundry plastic. They tend to not wrinkle when you keep them in the plastic, then you fold them and put them in your suitcase. That's a huge tip. Another thing we take for granted is tipping. Don't get stuck with only twenty and fifty dollar bills. Before I went to Vietnam and Cambodia in September, I went to the bank and got a pack of single dollar bills and five dollar bills. In some countries, if the bills are torn or old, they won't take them. Make sure you have fresh bills without tears or rips. Also, always make a copy of your passport and keep it separate. I heard this from someone else in the industry, Vicky, but I use a passport holder with an Apple AirTag so I don't lose it. One last funny story: how many times do you check in at the airport and get your boarding pass without looking to see if it's your name? I was in Europe coming back from a trip. I checked in, got my boarding pass, and was walking to security. I happened to look down, and it said "Edamame Jones." I've never forgotten that. I had to go back. When you get your boarding pass, check it. When you get your passport back from a cruise line, even if they put a sticker on the outside with your name, open it up and make sure it's yours. You don't want to figure that out at customs or immigration.

Mike Putman: That's some great advice, Alex. I'm sure our listeners will appreciate that. You've been really gracious with your time. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Alex Pinello: Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy New Year. Your clients are lucky because you guys are a top-notch class act. Nobody takes better care of their clients. Thank you for all you do.

James Ferrara: Thank you, Alex. We'll all see each other on our next AmaWaterways cruise.

Reflections on a Recent Trip to Cancun

Mike Putman: It was great having Alex onboard. He has been in the business a long time and has such a vast plethora of knowledge. We could have him back to talk about the early days of Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Lines and Royal Viking Lines. James, you and I just came back from Cancun. Although we were on a business trip, it's never all business with us. We were at Moon Palace Resorts, which is enormous. There are three different resorts on the property and a whole bunch of restaurants. We had some private events and a drone show, which was pretty groovy.

James Ferrara: I posted that video to my Instagram. For clarity, the venue put it on, but anyway, I'd never seen anything like it. There were fifty to a hundred drones in sync making different objects in the sky. They made our company logo and the Palace Resorts logo. I just noticed whenever you see a drone show, there's always that one drone whose program has gone off and it's somewhere else. We had some big parties while we were there. We went to a facility that was just built by Riu Hotels & Resorts. They built an Ibiza-style party palace next to one of their hotels. It's built around a swimming pool in the middle with bars, balconies, and DJ booths. They had foam cannons, dancers, and confetti. They asked everyone to wear white that night for a "white party." This facility holds several thousand people. If you're a Riu guest at one of their hotels in Cancun, these parties are free four nights a week. Depending on what level of all-inclusive plan you're on, you can go. It was a big investment and a really cool venue. Mike, you were off on your own one night.

Mike Putman: The Riu Hotels & Resorts facility has fifty or sixty dancers in elaborate costumes on pedestals and stages. If you're thinking about an all-inclusive in the Riviera Maya or Cancun area, I would consider Riu as a plus if that suits your fancy. It was loud club music, but supremely well done.

James Ferrara: One of those dancers came over with a big water gun rifle and squirted tequila into my mouth. What an experience.

Mike Putman: I went out to my favorite restaurant in Cancun. Cancun is a very popular destination for all-inclusive resorts, so a lot of times people don't get off the resort to try other things. When I do, I go to Lorenzillo's. It's on the bay side of the hotel zone. It's a beautiful complex built out over the water. They have a huge live lobster tank with five and six-pound lobsters. It's a very upscale menu, great alfresco dining, and a nice wine list with Mexican wines. It's great food.

James Ferrara: That was not a lobster I saw swimming next to your table.

Mike Putman: They have a pet twelve-foot crocodile. It's not really a pet; it just lives in the bay. I'm assuming customers throw it food even though there are signs saying not to. It swam and stayed about eighteen inches away from my foot. He looked well-fed, too.

Travel Industry News and 2023 Wrap-Up

The big news in that area is that in the first week of December, the new airport in Tulum opened. You used to have to fly into Cancun and drive two hours south to Tulum. Now you can fly directly into Tulum. Cancun has been either the number one or number two destination for international travelers out of the United States lately. It'll take some pressure off the Cancun airport, which is maxed out.

James Ferrara: We're going to wrap up our season for 2023. Thank you, listeners, for being part of No Tourists Allowed. One of the highlights was giving away that Virgin Voyages cruise for two. When we come back after the holidays, we'll come back with another offer like that. Tell your friends to join us here. We thank you for being with us through 2023 and wish you happy holidays.

Mike Putman: Look forward to it. Happy holidays, everyone. Thank you for listening to another episode of No Tourists Allowed. We'll see you next year.

No Tourists Allowed is produced by Podcast Studio X.