I’ve been fascinated by travel for as long as I can remember.
One year, I went into the family office and found my mom trying (and failing!) to secretly plan a trip to Disney for the family. Her exact words were something along the lines of, "Thank goodness, I'm horrible at keeping secrets and now you can plan it with me!"
We had such a great time planning that trip that becoming a travel advisor was always in the back of my mind.
As a kid, I would flip through a Viking brochure and imagine what it would feel like to wake up somewhere new every morning — castles outside my window, cobblestone streets waiting to be wandered, café tables tucked into quiet corners of Europe. It felt like stepping into another life.
Years later, sitting in a cubicle at a 9–5 job that left me feeling nothing, I realized something important: I didn’t just want to daydream about beautiful journeys. I wanted to help create them.
About Stephanie Urko, Travel Advisor
Before becoming a travel advisor, I was a professional musical theatre performer. Life on stage taught me timing, precision, and how every detail — even the smallest one — shapes the entire experience.
When I met my boyfriend Trevor and we began moving frequently, I searched for a career that could travel with me. Travel planning offered freedom, flexibility, and the chance to build something meaningful from wherever I am in the world. It was the right choice.
But river cruising? That was the calling.
At an industry education event early in my career, I attended a river cruise presentation that stopped me in my tracks.
Smaller ships. Walkable cities. Cultural immersion by day and incredible meals by night. Active excursions paired with the ability to simply wander.
It wasn’t a retirement plan — it was my ideal vacation.
And it’s exactly what I now curate for my clients.
Why River Cruises — and Why Me?
River cruises have so many moving parts. The right itinerary. The right cabin category. The right cruise line personality. The right pre- or post-cruise timing. Miss one piece, and it can affect the entire trip.
What I understand — and what many people quietly need — is a sounding board. Someone who has trained with ten river cruise lines, sailed as a guest, walked ships firsthand at the
2025 ASTA River Cruise Expo in Vienna, and knows how to anticipate the questions you don’t even realize you should be asking.
I create personalized itineraries that include the details most travelers overlook: emergency contact information, grocery store names in Germany, realistic pacing so you’re not trying to “do it all” in one afternoon. I plan thoroughly enough that you can be spontaneous once you’re there.
Because the goal isn’t just to travel.
It’s to travel beautifully — and confidently.
My friends would describe me as thorough, passionate about my work, and fun-loving. I overpack (I’m working on it), I rewatch the same shows on repeat (Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Parks & Rec, Brooklyn 99), and I have to intentionally build breaks into my own itineraries so I don’t try to see an entire city in a day.
Originally from Massachusetts and now based in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, I share life with Trevor and our two dogs, Roo and Sienna. You’ll usually find me with green tea during the day and a box of Cheezits in the evening — cozy on the couch with the pups.
A Little More About Me
What You Can Expect
If you’re someone who is usually the one taking care of everything — the planner, the organizer, the one double-checking confirmations — I want this to be different.
I want you to feel taken care of.
I want you to come home saying, “I’ll never do this without a travel advisor again. It was so easy.”
At The River Edit, I’ve done the narrowing down for you. The research. The comparisons. The editing. All that’s left is for you to arrive, unpack once, and let the river carry you.