David Lauwers

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. – St. Augustine

Travel is in my genes: my parents took me on my first flight from our home in the United Kingdom to Spain before I could walk! When I was a toddler, we traveled mainly to the Mediterranean. I have expanded my horizons a bit since…

After leaving England, I worked in the hospitality and airline industry in Australia and the Middle East. Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was my home for five years.

Although I am now settled in Chicago, my role in the travel business takes me around the world several times a year. I visit the UK at least once a month. En route, I enjoy personally inspecting a Virtuoso Preferred Hotel or checking out a historical site or cultural attraction. And my clients? They benefit too, as my first-hand experience allows me to better prepare my clients for their vacations.

I am a member of the Virtuoso Cruise Committee.

My passions in travel?

• Adventure and Expedition Travel: snorkeling or taking a submarine to the Southern Ocean floor in Antarctica: its majesty and the amazing things you see last a lifetime.
• Ocean Cruises – although my schedule hasn’t quite allowed a world cruise yet, I’ve visited all 7 continents and many ports and countries on my over 125 cruises so far.
• River Cruises – I love waking up in a new destination every day.  I also love visiting the excellent restaurants you might find on the way.
• Top hotels – a great hotel is so much more than just a place to sleep! My goal is to personally stay at as many Virtuoso “Best of the Best” hotels as I can!
• Sustainable Travel – making sure we only take memories home from our travels, and giving back to local communities.
• Australia and New Zealand – having lived “down-under” ignited my passion for this beautiful part of the world!
• Great Britain and Western Europe – as a Brit, I know my way around the United Kingdom, but also the south of France, Spain, Greece and the other delightful destinations of the Mediterranean.
• African Safaris: I’ll never forget watching elephants at a watering hole just a few feet away from me at a Lodge in Zambia, while having my morning coffee. Or the Garden of Eden-like surroundings of the Belmond Khwai River Lodge in Botswana, with elephants, crocodiles, giraffes and a variety of birds enjoying the refreshing waters of the river.

Whether you are looking to take a river or ocean cruise, an expedition or safari…let’s work together to create a memorable trip.

My Most Recent Travels

• Polar snorkeling with a seal during one of my four (so far) expeditions to Antarctica
• Walking in Shackleton’s footsteps on South Georgia
• A bucket list trip: Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda
• By private jet to a luxury villa residence at Anantara Phuket in Thailand; and taking the Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express train from Bangkok to Singapore.
• Exploring Antarctica and the Great Lakes on Viking’s expedition ships
• A “Route du Bonheur” self-drive vacation around Relais & Chateaux properties in the Provence and the South of France, with exceptional Michelin-star meals included.
• Sampling Luxury Lodges of Australia, including Lizard Island, a nature reserve in the Great Barrier Reef; Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island (“Australia’s Galapagos”); Emirates One & Only Wolgan Valley, an Aussie luxury “safari” in the Blue Mountains near Sydney; and The Louise in the Barossa wine region.
• A variety of small-ship adventures: yachting with SeaDream in the British Virgin Islands; around Japan, as well as Tahiti and French Polynesia with Windstar Cruises
• “Ultra-Luxury” cruises with Seabourn in the Caribbean, Silversea in Portugal, Regent Seven Seas from Istanbul to the Greek islands
• River cruising on the Rhine, Moselle, Danube and Bordeaux with Uniworld, through the Netherlands with Tauck and Eastern Europe with Avalon Waterways.
• Ocean cruises: relaxing in the Retreat Suite Class on Celebrity, partying on Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages and a classic voyage on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth
• Safari in Botswana, exploring the magnificent wildlife of Africa
• And of course, checking out our Virtuoso Preferred hotels, like British country house, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, The Boca Raton and Aqualina in South Florida, and mountain retreat Montage Deer Valley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David’s Qualifications

• Virtuoso Cruise Committee Member
• Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) certified Master Cruise Counselor
• Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
• Certified Australia “Aussie Specialist”
• 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist – Gold
• Flanders Specialist
• Silversea Cruises Specialist
• AmaWaterways Specialist
• Cunard Commodore
• Ponant Academy Specialist
• Princess Cruises Commodore
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises Luxury Cruise Expert
• Windstar Cruises Star Specialist
• Avalon Waterways Specialist
• Certified Scenic Specialist
• Hurtigruten Amundsen Explorer Club
• Royal Caribbean International Autism Friendly Certification

Contact David Lauwers via e-mail or by phone 312-266-7447.