Viking has selected Michael Consoli, owner of Atlanta-based Cruise Planners – Michael Consoli & Associates, as godfather of the new Viking Sekhmet — one of seven river ships the luxury cruise line is naming this year. The honor recognizes Consoli's designation as Viking's No. 1 global-producing travel advisor for 10 consecutive years, a milestone in a career spanning more than 25 years in the travel and hospitality industry.

On October 15, Consoli will travel to Amsterdam to join six other travel industry leaders at Viking's official fleet naming ceremony, where he and his counterparts will each stand as godparent to one of the new vessels.

The Ship and Its Route

The Viking Sekhmet is purpose-built for Egypt's Nile River, accommodating 82 guests across 41 staterooms finished in Viking's signature Scandinavian design aesthetic. The vessel also features an indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Its inaugural commercial sailings will run a 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary beginning in November 2026, calling on Cairo, Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, Aswan, and other storied Nile destinations.

For hospitality and luxury travel professionals, the Sekhmet's launch underscores the continued appetite for immersive, culturally driven river cruise experiences. Viking has long led the North American market in river cruise awareness, and Egypt itineraries represent one of the category's fastest-growing segments as travelers seek out less-charted waters beyond the Rhine and Danube.

A Franchise Model That Produces

Consoli operates within the Cruise Planners franchise network — the largest home-based travel agency franchise in the United States — where he also holds the distinction of being the organization's No. 1 producing franchise owner. Michelle Fee, Founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, credited Consoli's success to a combination of product knowledge, client relationships, and genuine passion for the travel experience.

Consoli's relationship with Viking dates to 2010, a period when river cruising was beginning its rapid expansion in North America. His agency has since built a client base of thousands of travelers annually, with repeat business and referrals forming the core of its growth — a service model that resonates strongly with the high-touch expectations of luxury hospitality consumers.

For operators and advisors tracking the river cruise and luxury hospitality sector, the godfather distinction is more than ceremonial: it signals the kind of advisor-line partnership that drives measurable volume, with Consoli's decade-long top ranking at a single brand illustrating the compounding value of deep product specialization in an era of commoditized online booking.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.