I’m delighted to introduce the newest member of the TravelAge West
staff. Ana Figueroa makes her debut this month as our Contributing
Cruise Editor. Ana will be either writing or editing all the
stories in our Cruise sections, and we’re looking forward to making
her part of the team.
Ana was already a frequent contributor to the magazine, so we
are well accustomed to her lively writing style and perceptive
insights. In addition, Ana comes highly recommended from a variety
of sources throughout the cruise industry. But what we really
appreciate about Ana is her understanding of how important it is to
help travel agents improve their businesses.
“I have a lot of respect for agents,” Ana said. “I respect their
entrepreneurial spirit and their shrewdness. I just want to stay
ahead of the game so I can better help them see what’s coming.”
Ana, a native of Southern California, has an undergraduate degree
from Loyola and a law degree from Stanford. Before she got into
journalism, she was a practicing attorney and a producer for Court
TV covering a variety of high-profile celebrity cases.
From TV, Ana became a staff reporter for Newsweek, where she
wrote her first cruise article. Several years and many bylines
later, Ana brings her considerable skills to TAW.
“TravelAge West already uses top-notch writers,” she said, “I
just want the Cruise sections to help agents get more value in
their business and help them anticipate new trends.”
You can read Ana’s stories on Costa Magica’s inaugural and the
recent enhancements at Holland America’s Half Moon Cay, beginning
on page24. Feel free to share your thoughts with her as you see her
at various events, or E-mail her at
[email protected]. I’m sure she would love to hear
from you.
