Michele "Shel" Santiago

Michele “Shel” Santiago is a cruise and travel advisor based in Waupun, Wisconsin, and the founder of Journeys by Shel. She holds certifications with four cruise lines — Royal Caribbean Master of Adventure, Virgin Voyages Gold First Mate, Princess Commodore, and Celebrity Learning Scholar — and works as an independent advisor through Cornerstone Collective Travel. More importantly, she’s sailed the ships. Thirteen of them across four lines, including ten Celebrity ships covering all three modern classes, plus Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, Norwegian Getaway, and Carnival Freedom. Shel never planned on this career. She kept planning trips for friends and family until they told her to do it for real — so she did. She specializes in first-time cruisers because she was one herself in 2022, and she’d rather someone go now than keep waiting. With her husband Shane, she shares their travels through Life Journey Fusion. Less stress. More sunsets. That’s my job.