R Crusoe Tour Operator
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PRESS INFORMATION!
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
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! ! PRESS INFORMATION
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Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Profile of the R. Crusoe & Son Traveler !
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R. Crusoe & Son believes there is a distinct difference between a “tourist” and a “traveler.” A tourist is someone who goes to see the most popular sites and attractions just to say he’s been there. He seldom wanders off the Road Most Traveled, preferring instead to snap the photo of proof that everyone else has. The tourist favors group over individual travel. Unusual or exotic places make the tourist uncomfortable. Anything outside the norm or off the beaten path is too much for the tourist to fathom. A traveler, on the other hand, likes getting away from the familiar. Though he might want to include the most popular sites in his itinerary, he chooses to approach them in an unusual manner and not on a tour accompanied by hundreds of people. Travelers want to see things as elegantly and gracefully as possible —perhaps with an appointment at the front of the line or on a private visit to a palace closed to the public. Travelers, by nature, want to see inside stuff, go behind the scenes, wander into places not often experienced except by in-the-know locals. They want to meet
fascinating local people for intellectually stimulating conversation. They step outside of the routine. Travelers are wildly passionate about exploration, and they aim for the Road Less Traveled. R. Crusoe & Son creates journeys for just such natural-born travelers. Who are typical R. Crusoe travelers? They are age 55+, well educated, successful, and adventurous. They have a little more free time than most, as well as the money in the bank to indulge in exceptional experiences. R. Crusoe & Son serves a clearly defined market: people with a keen interest in the finest international travel and those who have the ability to pay for it. Those who travel with R. Crusoe are passionate about unusual journeys. They want to go behind the scenes and way past the pre-packaged tourist itineraries. The possibilities around the globe are endless, but their free time isn’t. They go to R. Crusoe & Son because this company knows how to maximize their time—with extreme sensitivity to travelers’ comfort. R. Crusoe smooths the rough edges of planning and executing luxury vacations around the world by introducing travelers to the greatest guides, putting them up at the best hotels, and arranging meals at restaurants with the most glorious food and ambience. Travelers choose R. Crusoe for the opportunity to meet intriguing characters and break out of the ho-hum, the ordinary, the everyday. Why choose the uninspiring, when the compelling is just an R. Crusoe journey away?
2012
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! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Experience The World R. Crusoe & Son Style !
!
!
R. Crusoe & Son travelers have unprecedented access to insider opportunities that simply aren’t accessible by the average tourist. On many of its itineraries, R. Crusoe includes incredible “insider experiences.” When creating custom itineraries for a family or group, the company will seek out activities that have particular meaning or interest to the group. For example, R. Crusoe & Son planned a 26-day sweep through Rome, Slovenia, and Croatia for the Bishop family. One of the Bishop daughters rides dressage, and Mrs. Bishop expressed an interest in visiting Lipizzaner stallions in Slovenia, where the amazing breed was developed. R. Crusoe’s Europe tour specialist took it a step further and arranged for the Bishop daughter to take four private riding lessons in Lipica with a classically trained Lipizzaner master who has competed around the world. Other insider experiences created for this family included honey tasting in Slovenia, olive oil tasting in Croatia, lunch in a private home, caving in Postojna, and a family painting lesson at the home-gallery of a renowned Dubrovnik watercolor artist.
For a group of international hoteliers who have traveled with R. Crusoe quite a few times, the company arranged for the group, while in Xian, China, to come face-to-face (literally) with the ancient terracotta warriors in the excavation pit accompanied by the site’s lead archaeologist. Another group traveling with R. Crusoe enjoyed a private tasting and dinner at a 200-year-old distillery after it closed for the day. Yet another group took an after-hours tour of Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh and followed up with a champagne reception in the Throne Room. But the experiences don’t stop there. In China, R. Crusoe skips the most crowded and hohum sections of the Great Wall and instead take visitors to their favorite spot: Mu Tian Yu, where gorgeous forests and mountains surround a section of the wall build in the sixth century A.D. Or provide a private insider tour of a prince’s living quarters in Beijing’s Forbidden City. There are many examples of ways in which R. Crusoe immerses travelers in a destination’s culture. Here are just a few: •
A curator visit of Tang Dynasty tomb murals in China.
•
A private contrada walking tour in Siena, Italy.
•
Feeding Buddhist monks in Burma (Myanmar).
•
Lunch with resident monks at Sergiev Possad in Russia.
•
Lunch at a private hacienda in Peru’s Sacred Valley.
•
A private curator tour of the Strahov Monastery library in Prague, Czech Republic.
•
A private meeting with Egyptologists at Chicago House, the Luxor branch of the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.
•
A private tour of Hanoi’s Ethnology Museum with an American expat with exceptional expertise in Vietnam’s tribal cultures.
The benefit of traveling with R. Crusoe & Son is that anything is possible. Tour specialists create custom tours for travelers specifically to reflect the travelers’ wants, desires, and personal interests. Which makes each and every R. Crusoe tour a truly unusual journey.
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Distinctive Travel, No Matter How One Prefers to Roam !
!
! !
R. Crusoe & Son offers distinctive travel in a variety of formats. The company’s journeys include passage by land, air, and water organized into the following four types: Custom Journeys: Created specifically for a traveler — and his or her spouse, children and grandchildren, seven aunts, golfing buddies, fellow book-club members, or whomever they prefer to journey with. Travelers form their own groups of any conceivable size and decide on an emphasis— be it history, art, architecture, food, wine, shopping, etc. Each itinerary is unique and represents an unusual journey created to embrace a specific lifestyle, budget, predilection, hobby, or interest. Hosted Journeys: R. Crusoe & Son periodically offers unusual one-time-only opportunities to accompany R. Crusoe & Sons Managing Director David Weber and his wife, Patty, or another featured host. These luxury tours are created for small groups, usually 18 passengers or fewer, to create an intimate experience shared by likeminded travelers. These tours are chock full of special insider opportunities and private entree. Each journey is enhanced by choosing not only exceptional
hosts and local guides, but also by arranging for the group to meet outstanding, interesting local folks — government officials, artists, vintners, writers, historians, expats, and the like — people with a unique perspective on the destinations visited by the group. Private Jet Journeys: For those drawn to remote and untouched destinations not even on the radar of many travelers, the perfect approach is by private jet. R. Crusoe’s Private Jet Journeys take full advantage of the comforts of this type of travel: a seasoned personal flight crew including an American physician; elegant meals served with superior wine and spirits; top experts eager to share their knowledge at and between each destination; hassle-free border crossings; and freedom from the restraints of rigid commercial air routes. R. Crusoe Private Jet Journeys are, in essence, a return to the Golden Age of Travel. Special-Interest Group Tours: Pulling together a great luxury tour is quite an exhausting feat. Dinners in private homes. Private curator-led museum visits. Hands-on cooking lessons. Private wine tastings. Behind-the-scenes tours of astonishing places. Entrée into unique venues to which access is normally quite limited. Meeting interesting local personalities. Choosing top hotels and the most outstanding restaurants. Securing the very best guides in town. Creating a schedule in which each day has just the right mix of sightseeing and leisure time. Having the logistics make sense. R. Crusoe & Sons has had years of experience creating luxury group travel for everyone from patrons of America’s leading orchestras to members of an international business association to a group of discerning international hoteliers.
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Life is a Journey… !
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!
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Life is a journey, not a destination.” For those travelers who select an R. Crusoe & Son tour, a life-changing journey to an incredible destination is an integral part of the package. For those who travel frequently, it is much too easy to keep visiting the same London, the same Beijing, and the same Paris — never once reaching below the surface or getting truly inside. Travelers on a custom R. Crusoe itinerary go behind the scenes, access closed-to-the-public places, attend private events, and meet extraordinary local personalities. R. Crusoe tour specialists expertly create once-in-a-lifetime, hands-on, bespoke travel in lands near and far. R. Crusoe & Son can take travelers pretty much anywhere in the world they wish to roam. A destination isn’t featured in R. Crusoe’s travel journal or on the company’s website? No problem. The R. Crusoe team will happily design the tour because they love the thrill of exploration and the satisfaction of a journey well planned.
Among R. Crusoe’s destinations: Europe: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. Asia: Bhutan, Borneo, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Tibet, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. M iddle East: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Oman, and United Arab Emirates. Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Tanzania. Antarctica: The Antarctic Peninsula, the Falklands, South Georgia Island, and the South Shetland Islands. South Am erica: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. Central America: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Caribbean, and Panama. North America: Canada, Alaska, New England, and the Great Lakes. Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand: Australia, Kingdom of Tonga, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.
For additional information on specific tours and sample itineraries, visit http://rcrusoe.com/journeys.aspx.
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
!
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Fast Facts !
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Overview:
R. Crusoe & Son is an international tour operator that creates one-of-a-kind journeys for a very specific niche of luxury traveler. The company caters to both individuals and specialinterest groups and prides itself on the fact that its programs “reach behind the scenes and way past the pre-packaged tourist stuff.”
Philosophy:
R. Crusoe travelers are sophisticated, inquisitive, and bold. They know what they want and when they want it. As a result, R. Crusoe & Son specializes in creating custom journeys. The company offers options, flexibility, and sample itineraries to inspire travelers. The R. Crusoe & Son journey is created from scratch to meet the specific wishes, dreams, and schedules of each traveler.
History:
Founded in March 1997 by three individuals—David Weber, Cheryl Sturm, and Paul Sturm—with a passion for travel, a commitment to excellent customer service, a predilection for groundbreaking technology, and a keen understanding of exactly what a sophisticated traveler wants.
Creating the Brand:
The founders of R. Crusoe & Son knew exactly what type of travel company they wanted to build, but they were having trouble coming up with a name that would define their brand. After hours of library research, David Weber, on a whim, contacted the late Donald Staley, co-founder of the J. Peterman Company. David asked Don, who was considered the voice of the Peterman catalogue, if he did consulting. The reply? “No.” David then asked how much Don would charge for a day of his time. Don named a figure, David, Cheryl, and Paul showed up at Don’s apartment in New York City with a check in hand, and together they set about crafting a persona for the company. The four met a number of times to discuss the personality of this new travel company, which would represent the Old World spirit of grand adventure. This new company would tickle the imagination of travelers and represent the magic associated with truly luxurious, “insider” exploration. After a while, Don presented them with his concept: the new company would be called “R. Crusoe & Son” in homage to the legendary Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe’s protagonist who spent 28 years as a castaway on a remote tropical island.
Website:
www.rcrusoe.com
The R. Crusoe & Son Traveler:
Those who embark on an R. Crusoe & Son journey are most definitely “travelers,” not “tourists.” The company believes that travelers, by nature, want to see inside stuff, go behind the scenes, wander off the beaten path into places inaccessible to the general public, meet fascinating local people, and come home with good stories (that their friends haven’t already heard).
Destinations:
Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Antarctica, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, North America, Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand.
Tour Types:
R. Crusoe & Son offers a variety of true insider journeys based upon a traveler’s individual desires. These tour types include Custom Journeys, Hosted Journeys, Private Jet Journeys, Rivers & Rail Journeys, Family Journeys, and Special-Interest Group Tours.
Loyalty Program:
Those who travel with R. Crusoe & Son automatically become members of the Selkirk Society (named in honor of the intrepid gent who inspired Defoe to pen Robinson Crusoe). The benefits of membership in the Selkirk Society include a 5% discount for members and for the friends they refer who book a journey; a 5 percent discount for members who take two or more Crusoe trips within 12 months; free travel for a member who puts together a group of at least 10 people, and 50% off a member’s travel if he or she puts together a group of eight or nine travelers; advanced notice of new R. Crusoe journeys and special offers; the ability to make priority reservations; a waived consultation fee for each R. Crusoe
journey; and priority access to Hosted Journeys with Managing Director David Weber.
Operations:
R. Crusoe & Son tour consultants are available to answer calls and plan journeys for travelers during the following hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST
Management:
David Weber, Managing Director Paul Sturm, Vice President, Information Technology Cheryl Sturm, Vice President, Marketing Suzanne Pohl, Vice President of Operations
Contact Information:
R. Crusoe & Son 566 West Adams Street, No. 505 Chicago, IL 60661 (312) 980-8000 — telephone (800) 585-8555 – toll-free (312) 980-8100 – fax number [email protected] - general e-mail
2012
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! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
The People Behind R. Crusoe & Son
! What happens when a diverse group of talented individuals who happen to share a passion for travel get together to found a company? R. Crusoe & Son — a bespoke travel organization that specializes in creating unusual international luxury journeys. David W eber, M anaging Director and Co-Founder When David Weber was a child, family vacations centered around six kids in a station wagon headed for Wisconsin. It wasn’t until he took the proverbial backpacking trip through Europe between his sophomore and junior years of college that he discovered his love of visiting new places and enjoying unique experiences. David remembers hiking up to base camp in Zermatt, Switzerland, when a snowstorm came roaring in. His group took refuge in a little church where climbers typically stop to pray before their ascent. Sleeping on the floor of the church, David watched the storm roll in, with the Matterhorn off in the distance. It was a moment he found very inspirational, and he knew he wanted more. David returned to the U.S. and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Chemistry followed by a Masters in Counseling. He soon realized that if he wanted to have his own business one day he would need to understand the financial side of things, and he earned an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. He began his career in the commercial lending industry and later became the Chief Financial Officer for the Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies, where he remained for 10 years. He left A&K in 1996 and later launched R. Crusoe & Son.
With his intimate knowledge of the travel business from his years at A&K, David saw an opportunity for a travel company that dealt directly with the consumer. He felt that if a company did a great job, the traveler would keep coming back. Planning an incredible journey for someone requires a one-on-one relationship, and he knew that there was a distinct niche in creating personalized luxury journeys for an elite group of travelers. After having circumnavigated the globe more times than he can count, David does have a few favorite go-to destinations. East Africa is his Number One, and he proudly acknowledges that he has been there more than 30 times. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and says it’s the best place to truly get away from it all. “The way the horizon meets the sky, and the way that you can look around and see nothing but nature—that is incredible,” he says. “Kenya is a spot where one can go to decompress and experience the origins of man. It has this unmistakable pull that draws you to return again and again.” Other favorite spots include Italy — which feeds the soul — and Myanmar (Burma), which reminds him a lot of East Africa. Family vacations for David Weber’s own clan were much different than when he was young. While his children are now grown, the Weber clan 2.0 exchanged the station wagon for an airplane and spent their time together exploring the ends of the Earth, from Africa to Antarctica. Today, travelers can experience a David Weber-style experience with select Hosted Journeys on which David and his wife, Patty, take a small group of travelers on special one-time-only trips, which are chock full of insider opportunities. The next Hosted Journey with David and Patty: Alaska’s Glacier Country in the summer of 2013. Cheryl Sturm, Vice President, Marketing and Co-Founder Cheryl Sturm was literally born to travel. Her Dad was in the U.S. Army, which meant Cheryl (and her brother, Paul) began life in Berlin, Germany. It wasn’t until she was in the second grade that the family moved to Wisconsin. Cheryl didn’t go back to Europe until she was in college, but she fell in love with it and knew she wanted more, much more. Cheryl worked as a television reporter but found she disliked covering murder trials and politicians. She took a job in Chicago and attended Northwestern University’s
Kellogg School of Business, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Marketing. Working for the nonprofit arm of Abercrombie & Kent, she organized events including a gala for HRH the Prince of Wales, a party for Shaquille O’Neal, and a safari to East Africa for the Michael Jordan Foundation with Mrs. Deloris Jordan. Cheryl also holds a Master’s Degree in Broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her skills as an expert communicator and her ability to understand people and what motivates them are keys behind the success of R. Crusoe & Son. She oversees marketing and product development at the company, conducts site inspections, and reads voraciously in order to uncover the best-kept secrets at each destination.
Suzanne Pohl, Vice President of Operations When travel is your passion, sooner or later you figure out a way to be involved with it every day. Suzanne received a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Illinois and worked as a financial analyst, but she knew this was not her life’s calling. She eventually took time off to plan a career change and decided to try the travel industry, as it has had such a positive impact on her life. It was at the age of 12 when she traveled internationally for the first time with her father to East Africa that Suzanne fell in love with travel. Suzanne found her way to R. Crusoe & Son in 2005, where she started as a Tour Consultant and worked her way up to her current position as Vice President of Operations. “Ever since that trip with my Dad, I have been driven by a desire to experience the world, and I continue to travel extensively with friends, family, and now for work as well.” Suzanne has yet to determine a favorite place on Earth because she falls in love with every place she visits.
Paul Sturm , Vice President, Inform ation Technology and Co-Founder Though he lived in Germany for a few years as a child, it wasn’t until high school that Paul became fluent in German. After spending a summer in Germany and traveling through Europe, he discovered his natural ability to pick up languages, and he quickly became conversational in Spanish and Italian. Not a bad skill to have when you work with an international tour company. Paul has been working with computers since 1978, and in 1989 he founded Computer Voice Systems and developed front-office automation systems, which included voice, fax, and e-mail for retail brokerage firms. When it was time to launch R. Crusoe & Son, David Weber turned to Paul because when you are starting a company that relies on giving discriminating consumers flawless, personalized service, technology is key. Paul’s systems, which include proprietary software and hardware, lead the industry and are in use by most of the largest futures brokerage firms. A recognized expert in computer, telephone, fax, and Internet technology, Paul consults with computer software manufacturers, technology trade press, and others.
2012
!
PRESS INFORMATION!
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
!
!
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Profile of the R. Crusoe & Son Traveler !
!
! !
R. Crusoe & Son believes there is a distinct difference between a “tourist” and a “traveler.” A tourist is someone who goes to see the most popular sites and attractions just to say he’s been there. He seldom wanders off the Road Most Traveled, preferring instead to snap the photo of proof that everyone else has. The tourist favors group over individual travel. Unusual or exotic places make the tourist uncomfortable. Anything outside the norm or off the beaten path is too much for the tourist to fathom. A traveler, on the other hand, likes getting away from the familiar. Though he might want to include the most popular sites in his itinerary, he chooses to approach them in an unusual manner and not on a tour accompanied by hundreds of people. Travelers want to see things as elegantly and gracefully as possible —perhaps with an appointment at the front of the line or on a private visit to a palace closed to the public. Travelers, by nature, want to see inside stuff, go behind the scenes, wander into places not often experienced except by in-the-know locals. They want to meet
fascinating local people for intellectually stimulating conversation. They step outside of the routine. Travelers are wildly passionate about exploration, and they aim for the Road Less Traveled. R. Crusoe & Son creates journeys for just such natural-born travelers. Who are typical R. Crusoe travelers? They are age 55+, well educated, successful, and adventurous. They have a little more free time than most, as well as the money in the bank to indulge in exceptional experiences. R. Crusoe & Son serves a clearly defined market: people with a keen interest in the finest international travel and those who have the ability to pay for it. Those who travel with R. Crusoe are passionate about unusual journeys. They want to go behind the scenes and way past the pre-packaged tourist itineraries. The possibilities around the globe are endless, but their free time isn’t. They go to R. Crusoe & Son because this company knows how to maximize their time—with extreme sensitivity to travelers’ comfort. R. Crusoe smooths the rough edges of planning and executing luxury vacations around the world by introducing travelers to the greatest guides, putting them up at the best hotels, and arranging meals at restaurants with the most glorious food and ambience. Travelers choose R. Crusoe for the opportunity to meet intriguing characters and break out of the ho-hum, the ordinary, the everyday. Why choose the uninspiring, when the compelling is just an R. Crusoe journey away?
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Experience The World R. Crusoe & Son Style !
!
!
R. Crusoe & Son travelers have unprecedented access to insider opportunities that simply aren’t accessible by the average tourist. On many of its itineraries, R. Crusoe includes incredible “insider experiences.” When creating custom itineraries for a family or group, the company will seek out activities that have particular meaning or interest to the group. For example, R. Crusoe & Son planned a 26-day sweep through Rome, Slovenia, and Croatia for the Bishop family. One of the Bishop daughters rides dressage, and Mrs. Bishop expressed an interest in visiting Lipizzaner stallions in Slovenia, where the amazing breed was developed. R. Crusoe’s Europe tour specialist took it a step further and arranged for the Bishop daughter to take four private riding lessons in Lipica with a classically trained Lipizzaner master who has competed around the world. Other insider experiences created for this family included honey tasting in Slovenia, olive oil tasting in Croatia, lunch in a private home, caving in Postojna, and a family painting lesson at the home-gallery of a renowned Dubrovnik watercolor artist.
For a group of international hoteliers who have traveled with R. Crusoe quite a few times, the company arranged for the group, while in Xian, China, to come face-to-face (literally) with the ancient terracotta warriors in the excavation pit accompanied by the site’s lead archaeologist. Another group traveling with R. Crusoe enjoyed a private tasting and dinner at a 200-year-old distillery after it closed for the day. Yet another group took an after-hours tour of Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh and followed up with a champagne reception in the Throne Room. But the experiences don’t stop there. In China, R. Crusoe skips the most crowded and hohum sections of the Great Wall and instead take visitors to their favorite spot: Mu Tian Yu, where gorgeous forests and mountains surround a section of the wall build in the sixth century A.D. Or provide a private insider tour of a prince’s living quarters in Beijing’s Forbidden City. There are many examples of ways in which R. Crusoe immerses travelers in a destination’s culture. Here are just a few: •
A curator visit of Tang Dynasty tomb murals in China.
•
A private contrada walking tour in Siena, Italy.
•
Feeding Buddhist monks in Burma (Myanmar).
•
Lunch with resident monks at Sergiev Possad in Russia.
•
Lunch at a private hacienda in Peru’s Sacred Valley.
•
A private curator tour of the Strahov Monastery library in Prague, Czech Republic.
•
A private meeting with Egyptologists at Chicago House, the Luxor branch of the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.
•
A private tour of Hanoi’s Ethnology Museum with an American expat with exceptional expertise in Vietnam’s tribal cultures.
The benefit of traveling with R. Crusoe & Son is that anything is possible. Tour specialists create custom tours for travelers specifically to reflect the travelers’ wants, desires, and personal interests. Which makes each and every R. Crusoe tour a truly unusual journey.
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Distinctive Travel, No Matter How One Prefers to Roam !
!
! !
R. Crusoe & Son offers distinctive travel in a variety of formats. The company’s journeys include passage by land, air, and water organized into the following four types: Custom Journeys: Created specifically for a traveler — and his or her spouse, children and grandchildren, seven aunts, golfing buddies, fellow book-club members, or whomever they prefer to journey with. Travelers form their own groups of any conceivable size and decide on an emphasis— be it history, art, architecture, food, wine, shopping, etc. Each itinerary is unique and represents an unusual journey created to embrace a specific lifestyle, budget, predilection, hobby, or interest. Hosted Journeys: R. Crusoe & Son periodically offers unusual one-time-only opportunities to accompany R. Crusoe & Sons Managing Director David Weber and his wife, Patty, or another featured host. These luxury tours are created for small groups, usually 18 passengers or fewer, to create an intimate experience shared by likeminded travelers. These tours are chock full of special insider opportunities and private entree. Each journey is enhanced by choosing not only exceptional
hosts and local guides, but also by arranging for the group to meet outstanding, interesting local folks — government officials, artists, vintners, writers, historians, expats, and the like — people with a unique perspective on the destinations visited by the group. Private Jet Journeys: For those drawn to remote and untouched destinations not even on the radar of many travelers, the perfect approach is by private jet. R. Crusoe’s Private Jet Journeys take full advantage of the comforts of this type of travel: a seasoned personal flight crew including an American physician; elegant meals served with superior wine and spirits; top experts eager to share their knowledge at and between each destination; hassle-free border crossings; and freedom from the restraints of rigid commercial air routes. R. Crusoe Private Jet Journeys are, in essence, a return to the Golden Age of Travel. Special-Interest Group Tours: Pulling together a great luxury tour is quite an exhausting feat. Dinners in private homes. Private curator-led museum visits. Hands-on cooking lessons. Private wine tastings. Behind-the-scenes tours of astonishing places. Entrée into unique venues to which access is normally quite limited. Meeting interesting local personalities. Choosing top hotels and the most outstanding restaurants. Securing the very best guides in town. Creating a schedule in which each day has just the right mix of sightseeing and leisure time. Having the logistics make sense. R. Crusoe & Sons has had years of experience creating luxury group travel for everyone from patrons of America’s leading orchestras to members of an international business association to a group of discerning international hoteliers.
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
! !
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Life is a Journey… !
!
!
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Life is a journey, not a destination.” For those travelers who select an R. Crusoe & Son tour, a life-changing journey to an incredible destination is an integral part of the package. For those who travel frequently, it is much too easy to keep visiting the same London, the same Beijing, and the same Paris — never once reaching below the surface or getting truly inside. Travelers on a custom R. Crusoe itinerary go behind the scenes, access closed-to-the-public places, attend private events, and meet extraordinary local personalities. R. Crusoe tour specialists expertly create once-in-a-lifetime, hands-on, bespoke travel in lands near and far. R. Crusoe & Son can take travelers pretty much anywhere in the world they wish to roam. A destination isn’t featured in R. Crusoe’s travel journal or on the company’s website? No problem. The R. Crusoe team will happily design the tour because they love the thrill of exploration and the satisfaction of a journey well planned.
Among R. Crusoe’s destinations: Europe: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. Asia: Bhutan, Borneo, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Tibet, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. M iddle East: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Oman, and United Arab Emirates. Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Tanzania. Antarctica: The Antarctic Peninsula, the Falklands, South Georgia Island, and the South Shetland Islands. South Am erica: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. Central America: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Caribbean, and Panama. North America: Canada, Alaska, New England, and the Great Lakes. Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand: Australia, Kingdom of Tonga, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.
For additional information on specific tours and sample itineraries, visit http://rcrusoe.com/journeys.aspx.
2012
!
! ! PRESS INFORMATION
!
Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
Fast Facts !
! !
!
Overview:
R. Crusoe & Son is an international tour operator that creates one-of-a-kind journeys for a very specific niche of luxury traveler. The company caters to both individuals and specialinterest groups and prides itself on the fact that its programs “reach behind the scenes and way past the pre-packaged tourist stuff.”
Philosophy:
R. Crusoe travelers are sophisticated, inquisitive, and bold. They know what they want and when they want it. As a result, R. Crusoe & Son specializes in creating custom journeys. The company offers options, flexibility, and sample itineraries to inspire travelers. The R. Crusoe & Son journey is created from scratch to meet the specific wishes, dreams, and schedules of each traveler.
History:
Founded in March 1997 by three individuals—David Weber, Cheryl Sturm, and Paul Sturm—with a passion for travel, a commitment to excellent customer service, a predilection for groundbreaking technology, and a keen understanding of exactly what a sophisticated traveler wants.
Creating the Brand:
The founders of R. Crusoe & Son knew exactly what type of travel company they wanted to build, but they were having trouble coming up with a name that would define their brand. After hours of library research, David Weber, on a whim, contacted the late Donald Staley, co-founder of the J. Peterman Company. David asked Don, who was considered the voice of the Peterman catalogue, if he did consulting. The reply? “No.” David then asked how much Don would charge for a day of his time. Don named a figure, David, Cheryl, and Paul showed up at Don’s apartment in New York City with a check in hand, and together they set about crafting a persona for the company. The four met a number of times to discuss the personality of this new travel company, which would represent the Old World spirit of grand adventure. This new company would tickle the imagination of travelers and represent the magic associated with truly luxurious, “insider” exploration. After a while, Don presented them with his concept: the new company would be called “R. Crusoe & Son” in homage to the legendary Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe’s protagonist who spent 28 years as a castaway on a remote tropical island.
Website:
www.rcrusoe.com
The R. Crusoe & Son Traveler:
Those who embark on an R. Crusoe & Son journey are most definitely “travelers,” not “tourists.” The company believes that travelers, by nature, want to see inside stuff, go behind the scenes, wander off the beaten path into places inaccessible to the general public, meet fascinating local people, and come home with good stories (that their friends haven’t already heard).
Destinations:
Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Antarctica, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, North America, Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand.
Tour Types:
R. Crusoe & Son offers a variety of true insider journeys based upon a traveler’s individual desires. These tour types include Custom Journeys, Hosted Journeys, Private Jet Journeys, Rivers & Rail Journeys, Family Journeys, and Special-Interest Group Tours.
Loyalty Program:
Those who travel with R. Crusoe & Son automatically become members of the Selkirk Society (named in honor of the intrepid gent who inspired Defoe to pen Robinson Crusoe). The benefits of membership in the Selkirk Society include a 5% discount for members and for the friends they refer who book a journey; a 5 percent discount for members who take two or more Crusoe trips within 12 months; free travel for a member who puts together a group of at least 10 people, and 50% off a member’s travel if he or she puts together a group of eight or nine travelers; advanced notice of new R. Crusoe journeys and special offers; the ability to make priority reservations; a waived consultation fee for each R. Crusoe
journey; and priority access to Hosted Journeys with Managing Director David Weber.
Operations:
R. Crusoe & Son tour consultants are available to answer calls and plan journeys for travelers during the following hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST
Management:
David Weber, Managing Director Paul Sturm, Vice President, Information Technology Cheryl Sturm, Vice President, Marketing Suzanne Pohl, Vice President of Operations
Contact Information:
R. Crusoe & Son 566 West Adams Street, No. 505 Chicago, IL 60661 (312) 980-8000 — telephone (800) 585-8555 – toll-free (312) 980-8100 – fax number [email protected] - general e-mail
2012
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Contact: Jane Coloccia JC Communications, LLC (609) 737-2587 [email protected]
The People Behind R. Crusoe & Son
! What happens when a diverse group of talented individuals who happen to share a passion for travel get together to found a company? R. Crusoe & Son — a bespoke travel organization that specializes in creating unusual international luxury journeys. David W eber, M anaging Director and Co-Founder When David Weber was a child, family vacations centered around six kids in a station wagon headed for Wisconsin. It wasn’t until he took the proverbial backpacking trip through Europe between his sophomore and junior years of college that he discovered his love of visiting new places and enjoying unique experiences. David remembers hiking up to base camp in Zermatt, Switzerland, when a snowstorm came roaring in. His group took refuge in a little church where climbers typically stop to pray before their ascent. Sleeping on the floor of the church, David watched the storm roll in, with the Matterhorn off in the distance. It was a moment he found very inspirational, and he knew he wanted more. David returned to the U.S. and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Chemistry followed by a Masters in Counseling. He soon realized that if he wanted to have his own business one day he would need to understand the financial side of things, and he earned an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. He began his career in the commercial lending industry and later became the Chief Financial Officer for the Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies, where he remained for 10 years. He left A&K in 1996 and later launched R. Crusoe & Son.
With his intimate knowledge of the travel business from his years at A&K, David saw an opportunity for a travel company that dealt directly with the consumer. He felt that if a company did a great job, the traveler would keep coming back. Planning an incredible journey for someone requires a one-on-one relationship, and he knew that there was a distinct niche in creating personalized luxury journeys for an elite group of travelers. After having circumnavigated the globe more times than he can count, David does have a few favorite go-to destinations. East Africa is his Number One, and he proudly acknowledges that he has been there more than 30 times. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and says it’s the best place to truly get away from it all. “The way the horizon meets the sky, and the way that you can look around and see nothing but nature—that is incredible,” he says. “Kenya is a spot where one can go to decompress and experience the origins of man. It has this unmistakable pull that draws you to return again and again.” Other favorite spots include Italy — which feeds the soul — and Myanmar (Burma), which reminds him a lot of East Africa. Family vacations for David Weber’s own clan were much different than when he was young. While his children are now grown, the Weber clan 2.0 exchanged the station wagon for an airplane and spent their time together exploring the ends of the Earth, from Africa to Antarctica. Today, travelers can experience a David Weber-style experience with select Hosted Journeys on which David and his wife, Patty, take a small group of travelers on special one-time-only trips, which are chock full of insider opportunities. The next Hosted Journey with David and Patty: Alaska’s Glacier Country in the summer of 2013. Cheryl Sturm, Vice President, Marketing and Co-Founder Cheryl Sturm was literally born to travel. Her Dad was in the U.S. Army, which meant Cheryl (and her brother, Paul) began life in Berlin, Germany. It wasn’t until she was in the second grade that the family moved to Wisconsin. Cheryl didn’t go back to Europe until she was in college, but she fell in love with it and knew she wanted more, much more. Cheryl worked as a television reporter but found she disliked covering murder trials and politicians. She took a job in Chicago and attended Northwestern University’s
Kellogg School of Business, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Marketing. Working for the nonprofit arm of Abercrombie & Kent, she organized events including a gala for HRH the Prince of Wales, a party for Shaquille O’Neal, and a safari to East Africa for the Michael Jordan Foundation with Mrs. Deloris Jordan. Cheryl also holds a Master’s Degree in Broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her skills as an expert communicator and her ability to understand people and what motivates them are keys behind the success of R. Crusoe & Son. She oversees marketing and product development at the company, conducts site inspections, and reads voraciously in order to uncover the best-kept secrets at each destination.
Suzanne Pohl, Vice President of Operations When travel is your passion, sooner or later you figure out a way to be involved with it every day. Suzanne received a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Illinois and worked as a financial analyst, but she knew this was not her life’s calling. She eventually took time off to plan a career change and decided to try the travel industry, as it has had such a positive impact on her life. It was at the age of 12 when she traveled internationally for the first time with her father to East Africa that Suzanne fell in love with travel. Suzanne found her way to R. Crusoe & Son in 2005, where she started as a Tour Consultant and worked her way up to her current position as Vice President of Operations. “Ever since that trip with my Dad, I have been driven by a desire to experience the world, and I continue to travel extensively with friends, family, and now for work as well.” Suzanne has yet to determine a favorite place on Earth because she falls in love with every place she visits.
Paul Sturm , Vice President, Inform ation Technology and Co-Founder Though he lived in Germany for a few years as a child, it wasn’t until high school that Paul became fluent in German. After spending a summer in Germany and traveling through Europe, he discovered his natural ability to pick up languages, and he quickly became conversational in Spanish and Italian. Not a bad skill to have when you work with an international tour company. Paul has been working with computers since 1978, and in 1989 he founded Computer Voice Systems and developed front-office automation systems, which included voice, fax, and e-mail for retail brokerage firms. When it was time to launch R. Crusoe & Son, David Weber turned to Paul because when you are starting a company that relies on giving discriminating consumers flawless, personalized service, technology is key. Paul’s systems, which include proprietary software and hardware, lead the industry and are in use by most of the largest futures brokerage firms. A recognized expert in computer, telephone, fax, and Internet technology, Paul consults with computer software manufacturers, technology trade press, and others.
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