Updated:
December 19, 2009
Insured, Licensed
Russell
A. (Rusty) Pickett is a retired career Naval officer, having spent more than
26 years as a Submariner. He served in a variety of assignments across the
country including Headquarters staffs in
Although
Shellback
Cruises
is
a “cruise oriented” travel agency able to book cruises on any cruise, river
cruise or barge company worldwide, we are able to arrange a full assortment of worldwide land/sea
packages and select land only packages though such companies as Disney and
Disney Adventures,
Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America/Westours, Globus/Cosmos, Blue Sky Hawaii Tours, Merit Golf Vacations, Abercrombie and Kent,
Quantas Vacations,
Brendan Worldwide, Travel Impressions, Pleasant Holidays, Celtic
Tours, Tauck World Discovery and Tauck Bridges, Classic
Custom Vacations, CIE Tours, Celtic Tours, Universal Studios Vacations
and many others. The company has booked
individual, group and fundraising packages for travel worldwide. The
company is also a specialist in arranging military - especially Navy - reunions
in Charleston, South Carolina. The
company's customers live throughout North America!
Click
to
read what our clients have to say!
Industry/professional certifications include:
Elite
Cruise Counselor having been examined and certified by
CLIA. Rusty Pickett is one of only just over several hundred travel agents in North
America to achieve this distinction.
Click the CLIA button to learn about the value of booking with and Elite Cruise Counsellor!
Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist, having been examined and certified by CLIA!
Member, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Board Member: Cruise Lines International Travel Agent Advisory Board (2004 - Present)
Certified "Distinguished Travel Professional" by Travel Professionals
Network
Certified professional agency by
the International Air Transport Association
Member Agency Vacation.com is a network of more than 9000
Agencies!
Member, Advisory Board Member,
Member:
Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality - the leading travel industry
association promoting travel for those with disabilities.
Certified: “Princess
Commodore and Alaska Expert” by Princess Cruises; "Cunard Commodore" by Cunard Line, "Freestyle
2.0 Certified Specialist" by NCL; Great Alaska Specialist by
Holland
America
Tours; "Celebrity
Cruises 5-Star Graduate" by Celebrity Cruises; Royal Caribbean "WOW
Expert Plus" Agent, Graduated from the
"Disney College of
Knowledge"
and Regent Seven Seas University,
and is a "Niche Cruise Specialist". Additionally
he is "Vegas Certified" by the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention
Authority. He travels and
cruises extensively to ensure he keeps current on 
recent industry trends, and
routinely attends industry and travel company trade shows, presentations, and
ship orientations. He has been profiled in international trade
magazines including Travel Trade Magazine,
and ASTA Agency Magazine. He was panelist for the 21st
Annual Travel Trade Cruise-a-thon and NACTA International Conferences. He was a monthly writer for
"Home Based Trade" supplement to Travel Trade Magazine.
Additionally he has represented the cruise industry through routine interviews on the
local Charleston area TV stations. He routinely participates in industry surveys and
discussions and conducts regional travel agent seminars for agents home based in
South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
He is also a certified open ocean diver, and can assist you with planning that great dive adventure!
As a volunteer within the community, Rusty Pickett
is Youth Services Chair for the Carolinas District of Kiwanis
International, and served as Lt. Governor of Division 21, Carolinas 
District
from 2007 - 2009. He is a member of the South Carolina
Chapter of the Naval Submarine League, The Military Officers Association, and the Charleston Council of
the Navy League of the United States, Council 704 and Lynch Assembly of the Knights of Columbus and the
Ancient Order of Hibernians.
The
preferred card of
Shellback Cruises