About Us

Allie Hubers

Allie Hubers is a seasoned freelance writer based in Niceville, Florida. With a passion for international travel, she has visited over 70 countries across six continents and sailed on more than 50 cruises. Allie specializes in sharing authentic, experience-driven travel stories that inspire and inform.

Her writing, storytelling, and expert travel insights have been featured in publications such as Business Insider, U.S. News & World Report, MarketWatch, Travel Lemming, Royal Caribbean Blog, Cruise Passenger Australia, The Daily Express U.S., The Sun, and Cruise Blog.

Allie has an MBA in Data Analytics and works as a senior strategy analyst. She also teaches statistics and analytics at Penn State, with a focus on business insights and communication.

Angie Vognild

Having cruised over 30 times, Angie Vognild is a well-seasoned traveler with marketing experience in the cruise industry. Her first cruise was at just one year old on the Big Red Boat, and she has since cruised across the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and beyond.

Before co-founding Candid Cruise and Travel, Angie managed social media and digital content for Royal Caribbean Blog and Cruise Blog, where she helped grow audiences across multiple platforms. Her content has been featured nationally on The Today Show.

Beda Pavek

Beda Pavek is a seasoned cruiser, logging her first cruise in 1992 with Monarch of the Seas. That cruise was impactful and started a love of cruising ever since, logging over 25 cruises with more to come!

Living in Florida helps to add to that love, as several ports are a short drive away. Beda brings a unique aspect to Candid Cruise and Travel, as she’s living life in her retirement years and loving every minute of it!

Patty Vognild

Patty Vognild took her first cruise in 1992 on Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas after a travel agent friend convinced her that cruises were the best vacation value. She has been hooked on cruising ever since. Now over 30 years later, Patty has cruised over 30 times. She loves traveling the world one cruise at a time.

Patty loves to meet people, ask tons of questions, and share what she learns along the way. Some of her favorite cruise destinations include Alaska, Australia, China, Norway, Italy, the Greek Isles, Singapore, the ABC Islands, Hawaii, and Estonia.

Hayley Phillips

Hayley Phillips is a Certified Travel Advisor, published travel writer, and avid cruiser and traveler with a Bachelor’s in International Relations. She is passionate about helping others explore the world through well-crafted itineraries and expert travel insights and planning. With a love for history-rich destinations and hidden gems, she specializes in creating meaningful and immersive travel experiences for others.

Jenna DeLaurentis

Jenna DeLaurentis is a freelance writer based in Northern Nevada. She focuses on the travel industry, and her work has brought her to over 40 countries and all 7 continents.

Jenna enjoys traveling to all corners of the world, but she is especially passionate about exploring Italy, South America, and the polar regions. She loves finding ways to visit these regions on a budget, whether utilizing travel credit cards or snagging cheap flight deals.

Aside from covering land-based travel, Jenna specializes in the cruise industry, and she also works as a freelance video editor.

Logan Merrill

Logan Merrill is an outdoor enthusiast with a taste for adventure. She has traveled across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. Some of her favorite travel destinations include Alaska, Singapore, and New Zealand.

In her spare time, Logan can be found on the beach with a good book. She works in digital marketing.

Chantal McPhee

Chantal McPhee is a travel writer who has published 300+ articles for a number of popular sites such as Royal Caribbean Blog and Cruise Blog.

She has traveled to more than 30 tropical destinations and explored much of Europe while living in northern France. She has an MBA in International Business and currently teaches Business Strategy.