(37 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Michael Santalucia

Hamburg, NY
Advisor Specializing in Hawaii, Alaska & Europe

When my wife and I opened SantaLucia Travel, LLC our primary ambition was to help people see the world while making memories with the people they love. Whatever your travel dreams, we put our expertise and passion for the industry to good use, pla...
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Specializing in River Cruises

Durnstein, Austria
Durnstein, Austria

I experienced my first river cruise several years ago with Avalon Waterways on a 14-night Magnificent Europe sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam and instantly fell in love with river cruising. My wife and I also fell in love with Avalon’s Panorama staterooms with their large size and floor to ceiling glass doors that can be stacked open to convert your room into a large open air balcony! The itinerary we sailed was an incredibly immersive, yet intimate journey through 6 countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Holland), 3 rivers (the Danube, Main and Rhine), over 60 locks, numerous castles, monasteries, cathedrals, markets, and even some great regional breweries!

AmaWaterways is another outstanding river cruise line that I’ve personally sailed.  My experience onboard lived up to Ama's reputation for superb ship design, and outstanding dining, service, and activity options ashore. Ama means love, and they really treat each guest as a valued member of the family! 

River cruises are a wonderful and enchanting way to experience multiple regions or countries, often while docked conveniently in the center of the local villages or cities. Unlike giant ocean cruise ships, river boats are far more intimate. There are typically fewer than 200 guests. This creates a small community where often, by the end of the cruise, you will have met every person onboard including the crew. You may even go home with some new friends! You’ll start and end each day with superb dining and enriching experiences that allow you to experience the culture and meet the locals of each region as you sail along the rivers, all included in your fare, and you’ll only have to unpack once! 

While most people think of Europe when they think of river cruising, there are numerous outstanding options available on rivers all over the globe, including right here in the United States! Other great river cruise options exist in Africa, South America, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and more! Just imagine being on safari floating down a river in Africa or Brazil! There are river cruises that fit everyone’s bucket list. Let me help match you to the one that best suits your desires!


We have had numerous clients sail a variety of river lines, including AmaWaterways, American Cruise Line, Avalon Waterways, Scenic, Tauck, Viking, etc. While in our opinion there is no such thing as a bad river cruise, there are distinct differences that make each line unique. This is one of many areas where my expertise will help match your preferences to the right river cruise line and itinerary.

Contact me today to start planning your next journey on the rivers of the world!

My Reviews

29 of 45 people found this review helpful
Four girls in the Emerald Isle.
Mike SantaLucia organized our family trip to Ireland and did a superb job. He kept our interests in mind when planning out everything. His guidance and suggestions as to the choice of airlines, the hotel accommodations and places of interest to see helped us make the most out of our trip. He even recommended alternate activities if the weather was unsuitable on a particular day. We will definitely use him again.
By  Lynne  from  Hamburg, NY
Traveled to  Ireland ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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33 of 53 people found this review helpful
Best trip of our lives
Mike was extremely helpful. He helped us plan our honeymoon to meet our specific needs, and found us the perfect vacation spot. He was always prompt in getting back to us to answer our questions, and touched base with us several times leading up to the trip with specific advice to make our travel easier. He also took the time to set up a package for our honeymoon that made it extra special. We were referred to Mike through a mutual friend, and we're glad we went through Mike to book our trip because it far exceeded our expectations and truly was the best trip of our lives.
By  Anthony and Viviana  from  Telford
Traveled to  Playa Mujeres ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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20 of 31 people found this review helpful
Best Travel Agent Ever
Mike goes above and beyond. He's not finished with his job helping you enjoy a great vacation, until your home again.
By  Patty  from  Orchard Park, NY
Traveled to  Caribbean Sea ~ At Sea ~ At Sea
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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31 of 53 people found this review helpful
Wonderful visit to Ireland
Hi Mike,
Our trip to Ireland was great. As you know, Ireland is a wonderful place. We enjoyed many beautiful sights, exhibits and museums. We spent time walking around touristy areas as well as non- touristy neighborhoods and loved them all.

I especially want to thank you for your suggestion for me to purchase additional car insurance to cover the wheels, mirrors and glass. While filing out the paperwork, I listened to several Hertz employees tell costumers that the extra insurance was available, but “not really necessary”. Once on the roads, it was very obvious that the extra insurance is important! And, by the way, to my relief, the inspector upon my returning the car did not mention the new scratches, and neither did I!!

The first Hotel we stayed in, the Granville Hotel, was lovely. Everything about it was wonderful. The room was pretty, comfortable and the hotel restaurant pub was equally lovely and the food was great. All the staff was eager to do anything to make our
By  Mom K  from  Elma, NY
Traveled to  Ireland ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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35 of 61 people found this review helpful
knows cruise industry inside out, and lots of tricks to make my experience the best!
I cant say enough good things about SantaLucia travel. Mike will bend over backwords to get thing done and knows his business better than any agent I have ever dealt with (any I travel A LOT, and have very high standards!). Mike even took time away from this years Suberbowl to ensure I could get in on a cruise special that was expiring that night! Mikes customer service and travel knowledge is truly outstanding!!! He works very hard at what he does, and is very dedicated!!
By  Pete  from  orchard park, NY
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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Destination Expert:

  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Hungary
  • Netherlands
  • France

Travel Specialist:

  • River Cruises
  • Luxury Cruises
  • Castles & Cathedrals
  • Adult Only
  • Coach Tours

Top Travel Partners:

  • AmaWaterways
  • Avalon Waterways
  • Tauck
  • Viking
  • Adventures By Disney

Certifications/Awards:

  • CTA
  • Certified Travel Associate (CTA)
  • CLIA Elite Cruise Counsellor (ECC)
  • Luxury Cruise Specialist (LCS)
  • Hawaii Destination Specialist
  • Alaska Specialist

Industry Affiliations:

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