Cynthia Neu McCluskey is the Travel Coordinator and co-founder of the . She's a former newspaper and television reporter, TV news anchor and bureau chief based in El Paso, TX; Washington, DC; and Moscow, Russia for 33 years prior to creating this new concept for fitness cruises. Cynthia enjoys visiting new ports of call and suggesting to guests what they may want to see upon arriving to new port cities. She enjoys buying exotic jewelry from around the world.

Cynthia, reporting for the El Paso Times 10 years, also wrote radio editorials for Fred Hervey in El Paso during the '70s and 80s. Fred Hervey was founder and creator of the Circle K Corporation. By the late 80s, before CNN existed, Cynthia planned with El Paso NBC TV News anchor Peter Heinline to create a television news bureau in Washington, D.C. that would satellite news reports back to TV stations out west covering issues important to America's western towns. When Cynthia also became a local TV CBS News anchor they convinced Mr. Hervey to help them build Sun World Satellite TV News in Washington, D.C. Over the next 10 years, their independently owned and operated TV news bureau on Capital Hill broadcast daily reports back to 365 ABC, NBC and CBS TV affiliates across the Southwest. Peter Heinlein later joined the Voice Of America. By 1990 Cynthia was on her way to the Soviet Union to open a second TV News bureau in Moscow. It sent back TV reports via satellite on Soviet matters affecting those same western cities in the USA. Oil and military issues were major stories in Russia then, just as they are today. President Mikhail Gorbachav's Soviet government permitted Ms. Neu to do this because another Hervey business, the Sun World Corporation, agreed to publish in English, and distribute in the USA, the first ever Soviet free-press newspaper. That brave, underground weekly newspaper published in Moscow was Nezavisamaya Gazetta. It means the Independent Newspaper. It advocated Russia be democratic and independent with free press, free speech and free enterprise available to all.

It became world famous in 1991 as..."the first media ever to rally Russians to bring down Communism," wrote the Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 1991 on its front page. That 26 inch news story described the "late night heroic deeds led by Russia's only Independent Newspaper." When military tanks rolled into Moscow after midnight Aug. 19, 1991, determined to destroy any free press in Russia, Nezavisamaya Gazetta was the only media working courageously to print and distribute itself throughout the city until dawn calling for Russians to stand up and defeat Communism. It is still published weekly in Moscow. While working for this same newspaper in Moscow, and trying to help it to find paid advertising, Cynthia learned about the incredibly popular cruise industry. After returning to the USA she met Jim Seeley who was a travel agent teaching water aerobics. Together they decided to promote exercise cruises as the "Jim taught me water aerobics," says Cynthia. "And I showed him how we could promote our new idea for fitness travel through the media. The rest is history. Each day we say our prayers of thanks. Jim and I cannot believe our good luck!"

Cynthia is a 1975 graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso where she attended on journalism scholarships and grants. She was married to the late Ron McCluskey, an El Paso attorney, who had also served as Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C. to the late Congresswoman Gladys Noon Spellman of Maryland. Ron and Cynthia's son, Patrick McCluskey, lives in Austin, TX with his wife Shannon and their three children.

Shortly after creating the Cynthia became certified by Aquatic Alliance International (AAI). "I wanted to understand what our Fitness Hosts must go through to create water exercise programs," she says. Today Cynthia is also certified by the Arthritis Foundation and is a Red Cross Certified Water Safety Instructor who teaches preschool- ers how to swim. Spring Hill, where Cynthia teaches, was named Best RECenter in the nation in 2006. That same year Fairfax County's Park Authority was named the Best Park Authority in America. The in 2007 was named Royal Caribbean's #1 Business Partner in the Mid-Atlantic states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C. In 2008 Cynthia was named Top Aquatics Instructor at Spring Hill RECenter in McLean, VA.

Jim Seeley, who is Program Director and co-founder of the , is also a certified water fitness instructor and pool guard trainer in Fairfax County, VA where he's been employed more than 20 years. He specializes in water aerobics, yoga and tai chi. Jim's been certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics Fitness Association of America (AFAA), Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), American Aerobics Association International (AAAI), the Arthritis Foundation and the American Red Cross. He's taught fitness classes in all 9 Fairfax County Recreation Centers in Virginia.

"My exercise philosophy comes from a song I heard as a child," says Jim. " 'A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.' We've been blessed with club members who agree with this philosophy. We strive to make all our exercise cruises fun and they are!" As the travel club has grown it's added even more fun activities...such as ball room dancing. Jim is now certified to teach his popular Ballroom Dance Classes too on all his cruises. Zumba will be introduced by a new instructor from Maryland who cruises with the club for the first time in October, 2010.

As Program Director for , Jim created a bank of 200 certified water exercise teachers who take their own students on fitness cruises. is today a registered trade mark with more than 3,500 club members nationwide. Just as the travel club has grown and gained in popularity, so has Jim. For 5 years he's actively promoted the Ms. Virginia Senior America Pagent. In 2009 and 2010 he was invited by pageant officials to serve as its Master of Ceremonies. Click here to watch a slide show of pictures from this year's Ms. Virginia Senior America Pageant. "Incredible," is how Jim describes the pageant's participants. "Both marvelous and incredible," he says. "The most beautiful thing about all of them is their smiles. I love women who smile!"

Jim is a 1986 graduate of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. He is fluent in Spanish, having worked 7 years in customer service for American Airlines in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Miami. Jim is single, but keeps very busy with his parents, 10 brothers and sisters and their families. In 2005 he began producing and hosting a new TV show he created for Cox Cable TV in Fairfax County. His bi-weekly show is "Forever Young." Guests are members of the , as well as other popular retirees in the Washington, DC metro area, who promote good health and social activities for active seniors. His TV show is a top rated program in both Fairfax and Arlington Counties in Virginia and in Montgomery County in Maryland.

During the past 12 years, while escorting fitness cruises, Jim has become an expert on the design and history of cruise ships. He knows all the deck plans and layouts of each ship the travel club boards. He shares his knowledge with guests by taking them on walking tours of each ship the first day a new cruise begins. "This makes it easier for our guests to find their way around," he says. "No other travel agency adds this touch. It's part of our promise to take you on a cruise with us and not just send you on a trip somewhere by yourself."

Jim and Cynthia are the co-founders of Ventures in Travel, (DBA) doing business as the . Ventures in Travel is a subsidiary of Ventures in Video, Inc., in Falls Church, VA where the company has been in business more than 30 years. It is owned and operated by Michael Williams of McLean, VA. Chief Accounting Officer for both companies is Rick Bynaker, CPA, also of McLean. The club's Fitness Host Coordinator is Barb Batson of Nashville, TN. Chief Photographer and Webmaster is Cliff Crittenden, assisted by Huy Do and Evan Hambrick. Innovative Projects, Inc., in Fairfax, VA is the club's ad agency. Bonnie Burroughs serves as its top designer. Andrea Dickerson of Annandale, VA and Matt Hilferty of Herndon, VA are Assistant Travel Coordinators.

Fairfax County Park Authority, for which both Jim and Cynthia teach, was named Best Park Authority in the nation in 2006. Their travel club was named by Royal Caribbean in 2007 as its #1 Business Partner in the mid-Atlantic states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and in Washington, D.C. The award winning was given this honor above 104 other travel agencies on the East Coast.

For fellow agency contacts click here.