Sip, sail, repeat: This travel advisor turned Canada’s wine story into a river cruise success

Karen Gill doesn’t just sell travel. She pours it, swirls it, and pairs it with a perfect bite.

From her home base in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, the co-owner of Plan A Vacation has taken two Canadian passions – wine and travel—and blended them into something unexpectedly intoxicating: wine (and beer)-themed river cruises that don’t just visit Europe’s vineyards, but bring a taste of home along for the ride.

Like many, her career as a travel advisor started with a leap.

“26 years ago, I left the corporate world of Bell Canada and decided I could make money for myself,” Gill says. “I took all of that knowledge, jumped and grew.”

That jump eventually landed her in river cruising—but not before a few pivots. Destination weddings? Done. Pandemic reinvention? Check.

Today, she runs an 11-person team alongside her husband and agency co-owner, Steve, whose resume includes pioneering Niagara College’s teaching winery, brewing, distillery and cidery program.

Together, they’ve turned their shared love of food, wine and beer into a niche that feels both obvious and brilliant in hindsight.

“We're very passionate about it,” says Gill. “We decided to blend our two worlds and really show the world what Canadian wine and beer is all about.”

Blending two passions

It all started on the Danube, where Gill experienced her first river cruise back in 2016 with Uniworld.

“I instantly found my jam,” she says, recalling that first sailing. “It was a vibe I really enjoyed. It was an emotional experience.”

She eventually brought her husband Steve on board a river ship, with a warning—one that would prove prophetic.

“I said to him, as he was walking on board, ‘Stop. Welcome to your new addiction.’”

The couple doubled down, eventually leaning into wine-themed cruises with AmaWaterways, who eventually sent their head sommelier, from California, to spend time with the Gills in Niagara.

“We toured around Niagara for two full days, showed him what we have, introduced him to wineries,” says Gill. “I had done wine-focused river cruises, but I wanted to take it to the next level.”

Enter: wine hosts. And not just any hosts. Some of Niagara’s finest. “We brought on Canada’s first wine host from Niagara,” Gill says. “They came on board and educated the entire ship.”

Canadian wine goes global

Passengers, while sailing through Europe’s most famous wine regions, learned about Ontario’s terroir, sipping Canadian favourites, discovering that yes, Canada does in fact make wine (and very good wine at that).

The concept goes well beyond a few tastings. The cruises are layered experiences—think truffle hunting, curated pairings on board, and lectures that connect Old World traditions with New World innovation.

“With our wine host, we help decide the pairings on board with the meals. The host also does lectures,” Gill explains. “The response was incredible.”

Another layer? Dinners on board AmaWaterways are partnerships with Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, one of the world’s oldest and largest international gastronomic society, and Karen’s husband, Steve, just happens to be a knighted member.

“We've bridged all of that together,” says Gill.

Small groups, big connections

Sometimes, the guest list reads like a wine-world hall of fame.

“We did a cruise on the Nile in Egypt and brought Donald Ziraldo, who put ice wine on the world map,” Gill says. “He brought some of his rarest ice wines out of his personal cellar, we did an ice wine tasting and a lecture on the Nile.”

“He’s the Godfather of ice wine, and we were meeting the Gods of Egypt.”

Gill’s groups typically range from 30 to 60 people – small enough to keep things personal, often involving wine club members.

And, for exclusivity, Gill will plan pre- and post-cruise experiences, giving her guests access and bonding time with her hosts.

And yes, wineries play a role in filling the spots. “We bring all the marketing components, we’re co-branded with Ama and the winery. It gets promoted at winery events, people get excited about it.”

Beer joins the voyage

But wine isn’t the only thing on tap. In 2024, the Gills tested the waters with a beer-themed river cruise, partnering with Ontario’s Sawdust City Brewing. The result? Equal parts education and good times.

“We taught people how to pair beer with food. We brought a brew master. We did a wine versus beer experience…we got such incredible feedback,” says Gill.

Even a Danube flood during one cruise couldn’t dampen spirits. While “stuck” in Vienna, Gill found more craft breweries to keep her group engaged. At one point, they wound up at a local Oktoberfest.

“There were other people on the ship going, ‘Can we come with you?” she says.

At its core, Gill believes the pairing of river cruising with wine (and beer) is a natural one.

“People who enjoy river cruises generally enjoy good food and wine. It’s a great marriage,” she says.

As for what’s ahead? More cruises. More hosts. Canada has an official beer host, who’ll join a future cruise in 2027.

Has it elevated Gill’s business? “Big time,” she says. “It’s about working smarter, not harder.”

“We look forward to educating the world about what Canada has to offer. We’re proud to share that story.”

Cheers to that.

This article originally ran on May 6, 2026, as part of PAX's annual "10 Most Fascinating Travel Advisors" list to mark Travel Advisor Appreciation Day. To read the full feature, click here. 

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