For the past 10 years, TravelAge West has been fortunate to have the name Marilyn Green on the masthead on the right side of this page. In fact, she’s the writer of this issue’s cover story, “The Best River Cruise Brands For Each Kind of Traveler” (page 16). Sadly, while we will still get to work with her on occasional projects, Marilyn has decided to retire as Cruise Editor.
I met Marilyn many years ago on one of my first cruise press trips. Although I still had a lot to learn about cruising, one thing I knew was that the cruise writers back then traveled in a pack and were not all that welcoming to new blood — except for Marilyn. She came right up to me with that famous smile, introduced herself and shared everything she knew about the ship (including what piano bar was the best choice for a late-night cocktail). Years later, when I was looking for a Cruise Editor at TravelAge West, there was no doubt who I wanted to reach out to first.
Marilyn’s talents go far beyond her years of experience as a writer and editor and her unrivaled knowledge of the cruise industry. She has had careers as a dancer and an artist — in fact, she has been chosen as an artist-in-residence on several cruise ships over the years. But her humility, patience and openness are the traits that truly made her such a great fit at TravelAge West, where she always made time to share her knowledge with others.
Fortunately, we have a new Cruise Editor who embodies many of Marilyn’s best traits. Jason Leppert is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about cruising.
His website, PopularCruising.com, utilizes skillful storytelling and in-depth videos to highlight the best options for travelers, and we’re looking forward to having Jason share those stories with our readers. Plus, Jason is a great guy — definitely the kind of person who likes to spread his knowledge — so be sure to say hello to Jason if you see him onboard your next cruise (and don’t forget to ask him for a piano bar recommendation).
