Judy Matthiessen

Kennewick, WA
Western Europe Custom Vacation Specialist

I was bit with the travel bug at a young age.  My father was from Denmark and my mother from Scotland, so I spent many years as a child living in Scotland and Denmark until my family moved to Washington State. Growing up in Europe, travelling at a...
Learn more about me.

Ocean Cruise Expert

The Paul Gauguin
The Paul Gauguin

I have sailed the Caribbean on, of course, Royal Caribbean as well as other lines.


As a lover of Europe I have undertaken several Mediterranean cruises including an amazing Azamara cruise. One Mediterranean cruise included ports in Spain and a visit to Marrakesh, Morocco.


The Greek Isles on Wind Star is a fabulous way to experience the smaller ship with it's more intimate feel.


Being from the Pacific Northwest many cruises to Alaska have found me on all of the lines that sail to this great state including Princess and Holland America.


My absolute favorite cruise was on the luxury liner Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia. I can't wait to sail it again.


What do I love about Ocean Cruising?  From the variety of food, entertainment, exploring different Ports of Call to relaxing in the Spa or poolside it is 7 or more days of pampering!


As you can see, I definitely have "sea legs"!

My Travel Albums

Ocean Cruising
Wind Star Breeze

My Reviews

32 of 57 people found this review helpful
Great Trip
Judy planned a trip to Ireland and Scotland for my husband and me. Despite a brief description, Judy planned a great trip using her personal experience and knowledge of the area. She booked us into really great hotels--retro, boutique and historical hotels and a B and B. In Edinburough she booked us into a Holiday Inn which I was not excited about. The location could not have been better in relation to what we wanted to see. We felt safe and it was quiet. We were pleasantly surprised at the price of the entire trip. My husband and I felt we got a lot of bang for our buck. We recommend Judy highly and would not hesitate to work with her again.
By  Happy Retirees  from  Kennewick, WA
Traveled to  Ireland ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
32 of 61 people found this review helpful
Top Rated Travel Expert
My husband and I have been using Judy as our travel agent for many years. We would not think of going to anyone else for our travel needs whether it be a vacation on the Oregon Coast or travel to Europe. Judy has traveled extensively, offers suggestions to make our journey seamless and always puts her clients needs first.
By  Retired Vagabonds  from  Pasco WA
Traveled to  Alaska ~ USA
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
35 of 68 people found this review helpful
Awesome Alaska cruise & land journey to Mt. Denali
Helpful, informative, handled all arrangements, friendly, took time to answer all questions, and promptly see us even if just a drop-in visit. As a result, the trip went very smooth. Even with all the transfers we knew what to expect.
By  Mac  from  Richland, WA
Traveled to  Alaska ~ USA
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
35 of 68 people found this review helpful
Great Family Cruise
It is always a pleasure working with Judy. She goes out of her way to answer our questions, find the best deal and communicate well.

The latest trip that she helped with was a family cruise to Alaska in August. She had to deal with four families, lots of questions and some last minute health issues with one of our daughters. She could not have been more helpful. I think "therapist" should be part of her title!

Though we didn't have to use it, we were very happy that we had trip insurance. Things happen and for the cost it certainly helped with our peace of mind.

Thank you so much!
By  Barb  from  Richland, WA
Traveled to  Alaska ~ USA
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
32 of 64 people found this review helpful
Germany trip for 3 couples
Judy was very patent with us as we changed our plans multiple times. She went beyond what a "normal" travel agent will tolerate and helped us in numerous ways as we had a handicapped traveler going with us. Her familiarity with Germany/Europe helped us immensely. We ended up in great hotels and the flights were good considering the distance.
By  Germany  from  Richland, WA
Traveled to  Germany ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO
Go to my main profile

Destination Expert:

  • Caribbean
  • Europe
  • French Polynesia
  • Spain

Travel Specialist:

  • Cruises
  • Luxury Cruises
  • Small Ship Cruises

Top Travel Partners:

  • Azamara
  • Paul Gauguin
  • Princess Cruises®
  • Celebrity Cruises
  • Windstar Cruises

Certifications/Awards:

  • Hawaii Destination Specialist Aussie Specialist
  • Oceania Specialist
  • Seabourn Specialist
  • Windstar Specialist
  • Viking River Specialist

Languages I Speak:

  • English
  • German

Industry Affiliations:

©  Travel Leaders Group