Shelton, Connecticut, April 4, 2007—Terry Hernon MacDonald may be married, but she dreamed of putting together a cruise for singles and told her husband as much. “He saw it as a natural extension of what I was doing already,” she says, referring to the e-newsletter she writes for single women. “He told me to go for it.”

But she procrastinated for several years, even though she’d had some experience organizing travel as an exhibits planner with a New York publisher. “That was land travel, and it was strictly business,” she says. “I had only ever taken one cruise, and it was with my grandmother. I figured I might be out of my depth when it came to coordinating something fun for single people.”

That changed when MacDonald met Virginia DeDad, the owner of Cruise Planners, at a Connecticut Women In Business meeting. Because MacDonald had founded that networking group, DeDad thought she’d be a natural to organize a trip for singles and encouraged her to go forward. “Cruises are my passion,” DeDad says. “I’ve been planning them and taking them for over 20 years, so I assured Terry that she and her guests would be in good hands.”

After hearing testimonials from several of DeDad’s happy customers, MacDonald agreed. The cruise planner suggested a 4-day jaunt to St. John, New Brunswick in Canada. “My husband has family in Nova Scotia, and we’ve stayed in St. John on our way up there,” MacDonald says. “It’s a breathtaking location, and if the weather is with us, it’ll be a refreshing break from the oppressive heat of August.” Her group, which she named Singles at Sea, will sail from New York on August 16 and return on the 20th.

The trip is open to single people, ages 30 to 50. Travelers who book before April 15th will be entitled to a 5% discount. They may call DeDad directly at 800-794-0741 or visit her website at www.royalservicecruises.com and click on ‘Specials.’

“The rates are very attractive,” MacDonald says, adding that she’s thrilled about getting a group of singles together. “Men and women always ask me if I ‘know somebody,’ but I’m the worst matchmaker in the world. I do throw a good party, so the goal is to put a bunch of fun-oriented people in the same place and let them take it from there.”



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