From Montana to the Mediterranean: How Strategy and Storytelling Power Full-Ship Charters

In Good Company is a series by AUTHENTIC Meetings & Incentives® spotlighting the people behind the brands shaping today’s incentive travel landscape.

This week, we sat down with Amy Zmolik, Manager of Charter & Incentive Sales at Holland America Line, to talk about the art of selling full-ship charters, the psychology of incentive travel, and how life in Montana inspires her approach to creating meaningful onboard experiences.

You’ve gone from selling campgrounds and natural gas to selling entire ships. What’s the common thread between closing a campground deal in Montana and negotiating a multimillion-dollar charter on the high seas?

It’s strategy and storytelling. Whether I was helping a campground franchisee optimize their rates or leading B2B marketing in the energy sector, the goal was always to connect the dots between business goals and human experiences. It’s all about understanding what people and companies value. Selling full-ship charters is just the next evolution—where I get to combine analytics, creativity, and relationship-building to deliver transformational travel that feels personal.

The scale is different now, but the heart of it—building trust and solving problems—is exactly the same.

Montana is home base for you now. Do you think living in wide-open spaces influences the way you approach the intimacy of onboard experiences?

Definitely. Montana teaches you to appreciate space, quiet moments, and intentionality – opportunities to create meaningful connections with what and who surround you. That translates beautifully onboard, where we create spaces for people to unplug, reflect, and bond. I think living in a place with so much natural beauty and a population that maintains deep pride in being rooted there helps me see the value in working with clients to ensure their vision for their brand and for their onboard experiences comes to life and feels expansive—even in intimate settings.

Incentive travel isn’t just logistics—it’s psychology. What’s the most underrated human emotion planners should be designing for when they put people on a ship?

It’s a tie  - wonder and anticipation!

Wonder. We talk a lot about relaxation and reward, but wonder is what sticks. It’s that moment when someone sees the Panama Canal open before them, becomes engulfed by a Norwegian fjord’s walls of rock and waterfalls, hears the crash of a glacier calving, or tastes something surprising and impactful that they’ve never tried before.

If planners can design for that sense of awe, they’ll create memories that last far beyond the trip.

Anticipation. It’s the emotional runway that sets the tone for everything that follows. When planners build excitement before the trip—through personalized touches, sneak previews, impactful imagery, and thoughtful communication—they’re already shaping the guest experience. That emotional buildup is powerful.

You’ve been recognized as a top producer and sales leader again and again. Beyond the numbers, what’s the personal win that still makes you smile years later?

Building my travel agency from the ground up is still one of my proudest achievements. Starting with zero leads and growing to over 1,500 clients in less than 4 years required grit, creativity, and a lot of resilience.

That experience taught me how to navigate uncertainty, adapt quickly, and stay focused on the long game.

Today, that experience in resilience helps me relate to Holland America Line  (and Seabourn) clients as they plan multiple travel groups simultaneously across a diverse range of suppliers—I understand the complex environments planners and event leaders operate within, and I know how to support them to provide solutions that feel thoughtful, strategic, and personal. Success isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about helping people feel confident in the business guidance I provide while ensuring they feel cared for and prioritized throughout the process.

And one just for fun: if you could host a full-ship charter with any three people at your dinner table—past or present—who’s coming aboard and why?

I’d invite Walt Disney—for his visionary creativity and ability to turn imagination into reality. Dolly Parton—for her storytelling, business savvy, and pure charisma. And Mike Rowe—for his humor, down-to-earth perspective, and incredible stories from behind the scenes of everyday America. They’d bring laughter, wisdom, and incredible stories—and I’d be soaking up every minute.

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