WANDERING MINDS

Five-star hospitality industry leaders reveal their secrets to savvy travel, hotel red flags to be wary of — and the keys to receiving outstanding luxury service, wherever in the world you may wander.

- CHRISTIAN BARKER

Lisa Pile

General Manager APAC, Regent Seven Seas Cruises

I always say pack your patience and a sense of humour when travelling - you definitely need forbearance these days. Still, travelling is a huge privilege. Enjoy every moment, even the holdups. I personally love airports; I love people watching if there's a delay.

It's a fact of life that bags can go missing during air travel, so your hand luggage should have all the essentials. This includes a change of clothes, passport, battery pack, phone chargers, all necessary documentation, and medication. The second thing I would highly recommend is travel insurance.

When you're getting onboard a cruise, walk around and get to know the ship on the day you embark. When you get into your suite, unpack, hang everything up and put the bag under the bed - you're officially on leave. When you're travelling on land or flying from place to place, it’s tough having to constantly pack and repack, check in and check out, whereas on a cruise, it’s such a wonderful opportunity to just unpack and relax.

In hotels or cruises, the more information that the guest gives us, the more we can personalise and individualise the service to their needs and tastes. Regent Seven Seas is an all-inclusive offering, right down to a personalised mini bar which is replenished daily. Why not let us know what you want in advance in that mini bar? It can be any kind of drink.

The more we know about you, the more we can personalise. What kind of food do you like? Are you allergic to anything? Is there something on the cruise you have always wanted to do? Are you celebrating a special occasion? People can be wary to share personal information. But rest assured, that personal information stays with us, it's secure and we only use it to enhance your journey.