Welcome to the official press kit for Heather Hills, owner of Flow Voyages. She is a cruise travel advisor specializing in helping individuals and families find the right cruise experience for their needs - whether that's a milestone celebration, an accessible travel solution, or discovering amazing destinations closer to home. With more than 20 cruises spanning ocean, expedition, and river experiences across major cruise lines, Heather brings firsthand knowledge combined with a unique therapeutic recreation background that sets her apart from traditional travel agents.
This press kit provides comprehensive information about Heather's expertise, professional background, and potential story angles. Whether you're a journalist covering accessible travel, cruise industry trends, or North American tourism, you'll find the resources needed to develop compelling stories about thoughtful cruise planning and inclusive travel experiences.
About Heather Hills
Heather Hills is the owner of Flow Voyages, a cruise and resort vacation planning company she founded in fall 2019. Based in St. Joseph, Michigan - Southwest Michigan across the lake from Chicago - Heather has established herself as a trusted cruise travel advisor who takes a consultative approach to vacation planning. She consistently ranks at Pinnacle tier at her host agency KHM Travel Group, one of the nation's leading travel agencies, based on annual sales performance.
What distinguishes Heather from traditional travel agents is her background in therapeutic recreation, which shapes how she approaches every client conversation. Rather than simply taking orders and booking cruises, she works one-on-one with clients to understand what they actually need from their travel experience - helping them overcome physical, mental, and emotional obstacles that can prevent people from fully embracing leisure activities.
Heather's expertise spans three specialized areas:
Cruise Travel Planning
With more than 20 cruises across ocean, expedition, and river experiences on major cruise lines, Heather has the firsthand knowledge to match travelers with the right cruise for their interests, budget, and travel style. As a CLIA member and Pinnacle-tier advisor at KHM Travel Group, she combines personal experience with access to industry resources that allow her to provide current, accurate information while focusing on the consultative work that makes vacations truly memorable.
Accessible Travel
Heather's degree in Leisure Studies from Kent State University and certification in Recreational Therapy give her specialized expertise in planning cruises for travelers with accessibility needs. This includes guests requiring mobility assistance such as walkers and wheelchairs, elder travelers, those with amputations, developmental disabilities, or anxiety about travel. Her expertise extends beyond ship accessibility to planning appropriate excursions and finding creative solutions that allow travelers with disabilities to have exceptional cruise experiences. In summer 2025, Heather experienced this firsthand when she completed a Great Lakes cruise aboard Viking Octantis expedition ship with a broken ankle, navigating the voyage in a boot with a rolling walker.
Group Celebrations & Milestone Travel
Heather specializes in coordinating multigenerational family celebrations and group trips at sea - birthday parties, anniversaries, reunions, and other milestone events. Her work goes beyond booking cabins to include coordinating onboard activities, working with shoreside resources to build customized excursions, and creating surprise picnics and special events that make celebrations memorable.
Professional Background
Heather holds a degree in Leisure Studies from Kent State University and is certified in Recreational Therapy. Before founding Flow Voyages, she worked professionally as a recreational therapist at Lincoln Park Hospital in Chicago and at a behavioral health center in suburban Maryland. This clinical background shapes her approach to travel planning - she understands how to have meaningful conversations with clients and builds itineraries designed around their specific needs and circumstances, not just their stated preferences.
Flow Voyages launched in fall 2019 when Heather and her husband James Hills - founder of ManTripping.com and CruiseWestCoast.com - recognized that their expertise and experience as travel content creators translated directly to helping people plan cruise and resort vacations. Since the cruise industry restart in 2021, Heather has consistently ranked in upper sales tiers at KHM Travel Group, currently holding Pinnacle tier status.
Awards and Recognition
- Pinnacle Tier Member - KHM Travel Group (based on annual sales)
- CLIA Member
- Featured In:
- Toledo Blade
Story Angles
- Accessible Cruise Travel
- How travelers with mobility challenges, developmental disabilities, and anxiety can have exceptional cruise experiences
- Planning beyond ship accessibility - excursions, activities, and creative solutions
- Personal perspective: Navigating an expedition cruise with a broken ankle
- Exploring Our Own Backyard
- The case for North American cruise destinations - Great Lakes, Alaska, Pacific Coast, rivers
- Why travelers who "scoff" at domestic cruising often come back as converts
- Amazing experiences that don't require overseas travel (while still serving clients planning bucket-list voyages to Easter Island and West Africa)
- The Therapeutic Recreation Approach to Travel Planning
- How clinical training transforms the travel advisor role
- Moving beyond "order taking" to consultative vacation design
- Helping travelers overcome obstacles to leisure
- Milestone Celebrations at Sea
- Coordinating multigenerational family cruises
- Creating memorable group experiences beyond the booking
- Custom excursions and surprise events for special occasions
Media Assets
High-resolution images and additional media assets are available upon request. Our media library includes:
- Professional headshots and bio photos
- On-location cruise photography
- Destination imagery from cruise experiences
For media inquiries or to request assets, please contact:
Heather Hills
Email:
Phone: 630-779-9301
