This past year was one for the books – and we’ve compiled our annual “Year in Review” to celebrate it. Below, you can find photos and quotes from both Odysseys guests and employees highlighting our favorite moments from the past year. So, without further ado, we present to you: Our Year in Review.
To see even more highlights from 2024, see our full photo gallery:
Eleanor W. (Manager, Reservations & Customer Service) recorded a video outlining how to log on to our My Odyssey online guest portal, where you can access all the information you need to prepare for your upcoming Odysseys tour – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Four of our European tour directors, collectively dubbed “the four Evas” – Ieva Kreslina from Latvia, Eva Matosevic from Slovenia, Eva Koszeghy from Budapest, and Eva Bunner from Munich – gathered during a tour director meeting in Vienna with our Worldwide Services team.
Odysseys employees Dani R. (Reservations & Customer Service; center – turquoise sneakers) and Elyse R. (Reservations & Customer Service; back row, second from left) visited the legendary Ta Prohm Temple at Angkor Wat while on the optional post-tour extension to Cambodia on their Journey through Vietnam training trip.
“Our tour leader Fattah deserves accolades for somehow magically locating and recovering my lost eyeglasses. The glasses fell out of my bag in the desert…Much to my surprise, two days later Fattah appeared with my glasses…I really can’t say enough about the kind, warm manner of this wonderful man.” – Barbara Montagu-Pollock | Johns Island, SC
First-time Odysseys guest Barbara Montagu-Pollock shared a story from her Moroccan Discovery tour detailing how her glasses, which were lost in the Sahara desert, were miraculously returned to her – thanks to the dedication of her tour director, Fattah Bouchekhbat. Click here to read the full tale.
While on a training trip on Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania, Odysseys employee Melissa H. (Reservations & Customer Service) snapped some incredible wildlife photos – including this one of two nuzzling elephants.
To celebrate Black History Month, our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee organized a group visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston to view an exhibition of art by Black artists.
We introduced the first of four brand-new tours for 2025: Essential France: Provence to Paris.
Our employees enjoyed some Valentine’s Day treats at our office in Newton, MA, while participating in our annual charity fundraiser and food drive for Watertown Food Pantry. Pictured: Delaney G. (Special Interest Groups; left) and Kate H. (Special Interest Groups; right).
We announced an exciting new addition to our website and catalog to help our guests make more informed choices regarding what tours best fit their needs. Read more about our Physical Activity Levels by clicking here.
“It’s so hard to choose favorite parts [of the tour] because it was all so incredible…We’ve already shared the Odysseys Unlimited website and catalogs with friends and family, along with stories about our great adventure in Costa Rica. We can’t wait for our next tour!” – Mike & Patty Payette | Dracut, MA
Mike and Patty Payette – Odysseys guests and parents of our employee Jamie P. (Marketing) – sat down with us to talk about their Costa Rica’s Natural Heritage tour. Click here to read the interview on our blog.
Amy B. (Information Technology; bottom right) and Cara K. (Worldwide Services; back row, fourth from right), both Odysseys employees, were thrilled to see the Taj Mahal while on their Mystical India training trip.
Canadian Rockies Explorer tour director Linda Quinn shared some photos from her vacation on our Moroccan Discovery small group tour. This one was taken during a sunset camel ride in the Sahara Desert.
After taking our Insider’s Japan tour, travel writer Malerie Yolen-Cohen wrote about her experience on her travel blog, Getaway Mavens. Read her post here.
We revealed another new tour for 2025 – Italy’s Classic Cities.
“There was just so much included. Amazing history, amazing locations, hotels were beautiful, the group really clicked, and we had a fabulous tour director.” – Martina S. | Newton, MA
Another successful training trip – this time on Legendary Türkiye – was completed by Odysseys employees Martina S. (Special Interest Groups; left) and Rachel S. (Reservations & Customer Service; right), who are pictured here in front of the Library of Celsus in ancient Ephesus.
Odysseys Unlimited celebrated its 26th anniversary this year! Here, some of our Product Development team (from left to right: Stacey H., Fred B., Manuela R., and Moriah B.) – along with Odysseys president Bruce E. (second from right) – toast to another great year of travel during our in-office party.
Some of our Worldwide Services team members journeyed to Canada to meet with our tour directors and travel partners ahead of a busy summer season for our The Canadian Maritimes and Canadian Rockies Explorer tours.
We participated in the annual Walk for Hunger to benefit Project Bread, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger in Massachusetts. Our employees had a blast fundraising and walking together as a group.
Dusty and Sally Jackson, three-time Odysseys guests, returned from our Ancient greece small group tour and sent us some excellent photos, including this one taken in Santorini. On top of being a loyal guest, Dusty is also a talented photographer; take a look at the rest of his on-tour photos here.
Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director Filippo Camerlengo proved that our TDs enjoy our tours just as much as our guests do by sharing photos he took while leading one of our Northern Italy tours. You can see his photos here.
For the first time, Odysseys Unlimited took part in Boston’s annual Pride Parade and joined hundreds of companies and organizations as they marched through the streets of downtown Boston.
A fascinating tour to an all-new destination was announced: West Africa Discovery: Ghana, Togo, Benin.
Sandy L., our Senior Manager of Worldwide Services, traveled to Egypt to meet with our tour directors there. In-between meetings, she and her colleagues visited a local art center to participate in some creative activities; here they are displaying their masterpieces.
“It was a really great experience. This tour is very well done, from the hotels to the sightseeing and the tour director. It was a real treat…I don’t know how we got so lucky.” – Elizabeth “Liz” M. | Newton, MA
Odysseys employees Liz M. (Finance & Administration) and Jessica N. (Operations & Fulfillment) traveled to spain and Portugal for a training trip and captured this fun photo of their tour group in front of Monumento al Encierro in Pamplona, spain.
Elaine and Carl Martin took their 31st Odysseys tour, Bulgaria & Romania Discovery, and posted a two-part video series about their experience on their YouTube channel, travldtwoseven. Click to watch part one and part two.
Every year, we invite the Frozen Hoagies food truck to visit our office and treat our employees to some ice cream sandwiches. It’s definitely an employee favorite!
“The history and culture of Morocco were fascinating. OU offered stellar accommodations and great tours to make every day interesting. We were always intrigued and entertained.” – Geraldine “Geri” & Gregory “Greg” Bebernitz | Tupper Lake, NY
Four-time guests Geri and Greg Bebernitz shared all about their experience on our Moroccan Discovery small group tour on their blog, Retirement adventure Blog. Click here to read about their adventures.
To round off our slew of new tours for 2025, we revealed Jewels of Colombia, a tour full of hidden gems.
Some members of our Worldwide Services and Product Development teams spent time in spain and Portugal to meet with tour directors and prepare for the fall travel season. Pictured from left to right: Sandy L., TD Jose Flores, and Maggie D.
On our Tanzania adventure small group tour, 12-time Odysseys guest Marty Jacobson experienced something truly remarkable: while on safari, a cheetah jumped atop his vehicle and perched there for a full eight minutes. Marty snapped this photo of tour director Maulidi Nguma and the cheetah before it said goodbye.
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we invited More Than Words – a Boston-based nonprofit that empowers system-involved youth, such as those in foster care, to run an online retail bookstore – to set up a pop-up bookstore at our office. Meanwhile, local Argentinian-owned restaurant Che Empanada served a delicious lunch.
“I cannot think of any [negatives]. It was amazing…Thank you, Odysseys!” – Melissa N. | Newton, MA
Odysseys employees Becca G. (Reservations & Customer Service; left) and Melissa N. (Reservations & Customer Service; right) joined a group of guests for a training trip on our Journey through Central europe small group tour.
Janet and Tom Urgo returned from their first-ever Odysseys tour, Portrait of Italy, and sent us some photos of their favorite travel moments. Click here to view them.
The long-awaited opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo was well-received by our guests. Here, tour director Amr Sharkwy is pictured giving a tour of the museum to one of our tour groups.
On their work trip to Patagonia, Odysseys employees Angela B. (Worldwide Services) and Stacey H. (Product Development) met with tour directors and travel partners to prepare for the travel season. Here, Angela (center) poses with tour directors Maria Elena Bartsch (left) and Lucelia Scarpelli (right).
Our employees enjoyed some Halloween activities (and candy!) at the office – including costume and pumpkin-decorating contests.
“Thank you for the trip of a lifetime. I loved every minute of it!” – Lisa H. | Newton, MA
Odysseys employees Larissa D. (Reservations & Customer Service; right) and Lisa H. (Operations & Fulfillment; left) had a blast on their training trip to Egypt.
Some guests on our Mystical India tour were in Jaipur during the height of Diwali celebrations (the Hindu festival of lights) and captured some magical videos and photos. Click here to view more.
“We were spoiled with everything that we got to see even in the first few days of our tour.” – Taylor R. | Newton, MA
During a sunset game drive, Odysseys employees Rebecca B. (Special Interest Groups) and Taylor R. (Reservations & Customer Service) posed with their group for a photo backdropped by African plains on their Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania training trip.
We were very excited to welcome 13 of our tour directors from around the world to our office for a week of meetings and exploring Boston. At an onsite employee “tour fair,” they gave presentations about their tours to Odysseys employees.
The tour directors were also able to attend our annual holiday party, where employees gathered for a fun – and delicious – lunch at a local restaurant. Here, (from left to right) TDs Seddik Aassim (Morocco), Patricia Johnston (Australia), Ahmet Memis (Türkiye), and Ali Dogan (Türkiye) pose with Bruce E. (center).
To finish off a year full of successful employee training trips, Odysseys employees Caitlyn H. (Reservations & Customer Service) and Dorothy T. (Information Technology) traveled to Egypt on our Egypt & the Eternal Nile small group tour.
We hope 2024 has been as full of fun and adventure for you as it has been for us. We truly look forward to providing you with exceptional travel experiences in 2025 and beyond.
Remember to check out our gallery full of memories by clicking the link below.
Start planning your 2025 travel now – space on our small group tours is filling up fast! Call us toll-free at 1-888-370-6765, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, to make your reservation today. Remember: your $475 deposit is fully refundable for any reason until 95 days prior to your departure.
