Preferred Travel & Company Acquires Anchors Away Cruises & Tours

Adding Florida Locations and Travel Professionals in Dunedin and The Villages

Kristina and Kody Gear and Olga Placeres

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Preferred Travel & Company, a family owned and operated full-service travel agency headquartered in Naples, today announced the acquisition of Anchors Away Cruises & Tours. The merger expands Preferred Travel & Company’s luxury travel offerings into Dunedin and The Villages and increases its total number of travel professionals to more than 100.

Established in 1995, Anchors Away Cruises & Tours provides a wide range of vacation planning, including cruises, cruise tours, land tours, resorts and river cruising. The company will continue to operate under its current name as a division of Preferred Travel & Company. Its former owner Edward Mass, Jr. will remain on through the transition and no changes are anticipated in staffing.

“Anchors Away Cruises & Tours is a well-established agency that has focused on providing travel services to popular destinations worldwide for over three decades,” said Olga Placeres, President of Preferred Travel & Company. “By adding them to our family, we honor their foundation while strengthening it with our global network, elevated services and expanded luxury offerings.”

Both Anchors Away Cruises & Tours locations in Dunedin and The Villages will be maintained. However, the team at the Dunedin location on Heather Wood Boulevard will transition from their current office to a more spacious suite in the same building. This new space is larger than the previous office, enhancing the team’s ability to engage with clients and partners and providing the additional space needed for the agency to bring additional team members on board.

One of those new additions is luxury travel expert Monique Ross, who recently was appointed by Preferred Travel & Company as Director of Business Development. Ross is a highly accomplished professional with more than 25 years of experience in the cruise and travel industry, including serving in business development roles with luxury lines like Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises.

Based in the Dunedin office, Ross will enhance Preferred Travel & Company’s travel offerings by cultivating strong partnerships, expanding market reach and fostering meaningful connections within the community.

The Anchors Away Cruises & Tours location in The Villages opened in 2012 and is located at 4085 Wedgewood Lane. It currently houses four professional advisors, providing travel services six days a week. That location also is anticipated to grow with more special events for clients and partners.

The acquisition of Anchors Away Cruises & Tours comes following Preferred Travel & Company’s acquisition of Landmark Travel announced in 2023 as the company continues to expand its reach in Florida. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Landmark Travel is a luxury travel agency. It also has retained its name and currently operates as a division of Preferred Travel & Company.

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About Preferred Travel & Company

Founded in 1984, Preferred Travel & Company is a distinguished travel agency offering comprehensive worldwide travel services. With more than 40 years of experience and a dedicated team of more than 100 knowledgeable travel professionals, Preferred Travel & Company is well-equipped to cater to clients’ domestic and international travel needs. With five convenient locations in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Dunedin and The Villages, Florida, the agency continues to expand its reach. For additional information, please visit preferrednaples.com or call 239.261.1177.