Mary McKenna founded Tour America 29 years ago from her sittingroom. Nearly three decades later, the company stands as Ireland’s number one travel agency for holidays to North America and cruises across the globe.
Proudly 100 per cent Irish-owned and operated, Tour America has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of global disruption. From the September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis to the Costa Concordia disaster, the volcanic ash cloud and the Covid-19 pandemic, Mary has led the business through each challenge with strategic thinking and a commitment to adaptability. These experiences have shaped a company culture grounded in agility, innovation and customer focus.
In 2023 Mary expanded her vision with the launch of The Travel Suite, a luxury travel boutique based in Milltown, Dublin 6. Specialising in five-star, tailor-made travel experiences around the world, The Travel Suite has quickly gained a reputation for excellence in the premium travel market.
As of 2025, Tour America continues to set the benchmark for customer service in the Irish travel industry. Its reputation is backed by a long list of prestigious awards, including Deloitte‘s Best Managed Company for 14 consecutive years, travel agent of the year, supplier of the year, marketing company of the year, multiple Sockie Awards for social media and a Small Firms Association Award. These accolades reflect the company’s dedication to service, innovation and leadership in a rapidly evolving industry. Here, she speaks about the ultimate cruises on offer:
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What do you need to know before going on a cruise?
The most important thing you need to know before going on any cruise is to ensure you pick the ship that suits you. There are different types of ships for everyone and Explora Journeys in my opinion is the ultimate one. You will step off this ship feeling relaxed, revived and ready for anything. Explora Journeys have two ships which move in between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and plan to have another two in the next few years for other destinations. Personally, I love the Mediterranean for it’s culture, proximity and diversity. The beauty of cruises is you can choose a different destination each time. Booking restaurants on board, excursions you wish to explore, treatments in the spa and knowing what clothes to bring should all be considered in advance.
Dining on board?
Explora Journeys have the best food on board any ship I have ever been on. The food is fresh, beautifully cooked and well thought out. I just loved the Emporium Marketplace where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, inside or outside, with a selection of food from all around the world from Asian plates to French assortments. In the evening we booked dinner in the Marble & Co Grill one evening and had fabulous steaks, and Sakura was a favourite another evening for Asian. Then the Med Yacht Club and Fil Rouge were superb for French and other Mediterranean cuisines. But Anthology was a winner for tasting. Be sure you book your restaurants in advance so you get where you want on the night you fancy. All restaurants are included in the Explora Journeys price, however Anthology is additional as it is like eating in a Michelin star restaurant.
Accommodation options on board
On Explora Journeys they only have suites with an outside view, which are spectacular as you arrive into a new destination every morning taking it all in from your personal terrace. They have designed the ship in such a clever way that although it is sizeable it is still small enough to discover places that the bigger ships cannot access, and have given twice the amount of space to its guests than any other ship, allowing for more pools, relaxation areas and restaurants. The suites are out of this world and range on size depending on your requirements and budget. The standard size suite was perfect with a huge bathroom, Dyson hair dryer, incredible linen, a beautiful terrace, fully-stocked bar, sitting area and much more.
Entertainment on board
There is so much to do on Explora Journeys, and nothing at all if you like. They have four sizeable pools on board for only 900 guests. My favourite pool was the infinity on Deck 5 as you could relax there until the sun goes down. They have an amazing indoor and outdoor gym, pickle ball and sundial yoga which I did the odd morning. The spa is out of this world, and I ended up using it on a port day and had it to myself. The massage I received was top class. They have board games, special speakers and a fabulous afternoon tea in the Explora Lounge each day. In the evenings there is a fabulous pianist who plays on the Steinway grand piano, a whiskey bar, a small casino and fabulous entertainment.
Demographic of passengers
Most of the passengers on board are in their 50s and 60s. There were some families – not many – and some younger couples. It was lovely to see a few multigenerational families celebrating a milestone, but most were there for the experience that Explora Journeys delivers in bucket loads; wellness, and an ocean state of mind. This ship is refined and chic at the same time.
For more information visit thetravelsuite.ie or contact our Explora Journeys experts, Niamh (niamhc@thetravelsuite.ie; 01 817 3504) and Brenda (bclarke@touramerica.ie; 01 817 3573)
