(17 Reviews)
94% Recommended

Karl Kuenzel

Houston, TX

World Traveler Specializing in Cruises and Tours

Currently working by appointment only. Schedule your appointment here: calendly.com/karl-kuenzel I am an experienced world traveler who has been around the world twice, lived, studied, and worked abroad on six of the seven continents for nearly 40 years. I enjoy history and take tours as often as possible. Historic sites, museums, castles and cathedrals are among my favorites. I specialize in luxury ocean cruises and escorted tours. Let me put my expertise to work for you. I do the research, planning, and arranging so that you can avoid all the hassle and have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Looking forward to talking with you. Schedule your appointment here: calendly.com/karl-kuenzel

My Travel Specialties

Luxury Cruise Travel Specialist

What sets me apart from other travel agents is my experience and expertise that I can provide for you. I have been cruising for over 25 years. I have been around the world more than twice -- once on a world cruise and the other times on segments on various cruise lines and ships. I know ships, ports,...
Read more from my Luxury Cruise Travel Specialist bio.

Cruising in Glacier Bay Alaska

Certified Alaska Specialist

You can see Alaska in pictures. You can see Alaska in videos. But to fully grasp the magnificence of Alaska, you must visit it and walk on it.

Many people take an inexpensive, quick, round-trip cruise to the Inland Passage. They maybe see a glacier. They maybe see a whale. They maybe see an...
Read more from my Certified Alaska Specialist bio.

Athabascan Princess in Ceremonial Garb

Food-Lover Cruising

One of the reasons that I enjoy cruising is that it provides me access to Michelin quality chef-prepared food that I ordinarily would have to travel to a large city to access.

I can prepare and eat a good meal at home. I can visit a local restaurant and have a tasty meal. But the quality varies...
Read more from my Food-Lover Cruising bio.

Chef's Table Dinner

Escorted Tours Travel Expert

The last time I was in the British Museum, I can remember visiting the antiquities, parts of the same ancient cultures we studied when we were in school. Near us was a couple who were trying to figure out the importance and the relevance of the frieze, whether it was from Athens or Rome, and how it...
Read more from my Escorted Tours Travel Expert bio.

Assyrian Gate in the British Museum

Accessible Travel Expert

15% of the world's population experiences some sort of disability. The number of people with mobility issues increases with the age of the individual. Oh, to be young and physically active again.

In my early years I was a high school and college athlete. I worked in a steel warehouse during...
Read more from my Accessible Travel Expert bio.

Using a Rollator on a Cruise Ship

My Travel Albums

Accessible Travel
Food On Luxury Cruise
Chef's Table
Chef during Galley Tour
St Johns Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Newfoundland on a map

My Travel Stories

Visiting the Home of My Ancestors

One of the highlights of my travels has been visiting the home of my ancestors in Germany -- some came from the north (near Berlin) others came from the south (near Munchen/Munich).

What a thrill to get off the ship in the port of Rostock and travel about 145 miles to reach the capital of Germany....Read more.

Customer Testimonials

Cruising in the Aftermath of a Pandemic

Karl is great at handling all these challenges to your travel plans.
Karen K Georgetown, TX

The Best Thing I Ever Did Was Take A World Cruise

The best thing I ever did was take a world cruise. Visiting all those countries. Seeing all those ports. Talking with the local people and experiencing the things of their every day lives is beyond words to describe these. Yes, it is a big chunk of time, and it does cost more than a shorter cruise, but it was well worth it, and I am hoping to do so again. You meet new people, who become your friends. You see the exotic -- kamoto dragons, the haka dance and the traditions of the Maori people, the tallest buildings in the world, whales, and canals. This is a once in a life-time experience that I will always treasure and never get tired of talking about. What about you? Let Karl arrange your world tour for you as he did for me.
Orly, T, Mukwonago, WI

Fears Gone Cruising Is The Best!

I did not want to go on our first cruise. I tried to get Mr. Mills to book an all-inclusive resort instead, but we had a special deal for Royal Caribbean. I was so nervous, and was sure I was going to be miserably anxious and overwhelmed the entire time. I came out of that experience not only happy we went, but absolutely in love with cruising. In my opinion, it is the best vacation someone with an anxiety condition can take, because there’s so much preparation that is done to make sure you have a good time.
Haley M, Miami, FL

My Reviews

6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Our Cruise Was an Enjoyable, Memorable Experience!
Karl listened when I explained what kind of vacation we wanted to have. He thoroughly researched and presented us with a couple of options. We selected the one we wanted and Karl did the rest -- planning, organizing, and arranging everything for our cruise as well as our pre- and post- cruise stays. He is great! He did everything for us. Karl has traveled in South America and previously took the same cruise we did. Our vacation was well worth the the cost! Much better than I could have done on my own. I am already talking with him about our next trip.
By  EdwinK  from  Sun City, Texas
Traveled to  Chilean Fjords ~ Chile ~ South America
I would not recommend this agent to my family and friends
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5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Dedicated Professional
Karl is super smart, super organised and super experienced. He is also dedicated to making sure his clients get the best treatment possible while traveling.
By  Heather G  from  Cuenca, Ecuador
Traveled to  Ecuador ~ South America
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Are We Glad We Booked Our CruiseTour with Karl
I was talking with a coworker last week. We both went on a cruisetour in Alaska this summer. I booked through Karl. My coworker booked with one of those online travel sites. My coworker traveled on one of those big ships with waterslides. They spent a few hours in a couple of ports in the Inside Passage, arrived in Seward, got on a bus, spent a night in Anchorage, got back on the bus the next day and rode up to Fairbanks. They spent two nights in Fairbanks and then flew back home. Karl told me that my family could take one of those less expensive cruisetours so that we could say that we had visited Alaska. Or, we could let him arrange a tour for us. We got to meet with native Alaskans, learn about the Athabascan people including their traditions, dances, and totem poles; learn about the Gold Rush and rode the Great Pass train; saw glaciers, whales, eagles, moose, and bears; stayed two nights at Mt. McKinley and two nights at Denali; saw a Gold Dredge, and learned culture in Fairbanks.
By  PK  from  Taylor, TX
Traveled to  Alaska ~ USA
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Alluring vacation
Karl was up-to-date on everything, including Covid regulations and accessible options for our cruise on Allure of the Seas. He secured an early boarding time for us and assisted us in booking shore excursions. The trip was very relaxing and I didn't have to worry about a thing as he coordinated all the details with me. He was aware of our needs for assistance and booked an accessible balcony for us. That room had better facilities than any I've seen. Thanks for your help, Karl, in planning this vacation.
By  Lee  from  Houston TX
Traveled to  Caribbean
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Enchanting cruise on Enchanted Princess
Karl carefully researched and provided the most appropriate options for my cruising experience. I'm older, don't like a lot of noisy "music", like to eat, etc. So he interviewed me and used that information to plan my trip , calculating costs and interests and matching that with the cruises available as well as my budget. It was a late season cruise - no hurricanes - and we had smooth sailing all the way. Enchanted Princess was lovely and we were welcomed in all the ports that she visited. Karl advised me about Covid restrictions for each location - much easier when coming on a cruise ship than when you fly into one of these islands! He checked with me regularly to make sure everything was on schedule, my flights and hotels were appropriately booked, and that I was content with the choices I had made. He followed up with me after the cruise to make sure all had gone as planned and offered his services for my next cruise. I will be delighted to use him again!
By  Lee  from  Houston Tx
Traveled to  Caribbean
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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Destination Expert:

  • Estonia
  • Alaska
  • At Sea
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Fairbanks
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Ecuador
  • Glacier Bay
  • Virgin Islands
  • England
  • Norway
  • Kenai Fjords National Park
  • Malta
  • Sydney
  • Skagway

Travel Specialist:

  • Accessible Travel
  • Escorted Tours
  • Luxury Cruises
  • World Cruises
  • Family Vacations
  • Groups
  • Religious
  • Historical Sites
  • Museums

Top Travel Partners:

  • Holland America Line
  • Oceania Cruises
  • Tauck
  • Celebrity Cruises
  • Globus
  • Ponant
  • Princess Cruises®
  • Monograms
  • Cosmos
  • Silversea
  • AmaWaterways

Certifications/Awards:

  • CTA
  • Certified Travel Advisor - The Travel Institute
  • Certified Cruise Counselor - CLIA
  • Verified Travel Advisor - ASTA
  • Certified Alaska Specialist
  • Certified Celebrity Expert

Industry Affiliations:

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