About Us

We love all things travel… ocean cruises, river cruises, independent trips… you name it! The world is an amazing, beautiful place – so don’t be afraid to explore it! Let Sunburst Cruises and Travel help you turn your travel dreams into reality.

Whether it’s cruising the sunny Caribbean, enjoying fine food and luxurious hotels while seeing the best of Europe, or going on an African safari, we can help plan your next vacation.

If you can dream it, we can plan it.

Meet the Owner

Hello! My name is Leigh Ann Joyce and I LOVE to travel! I spent 36 years with a Fortune 300 company and traveled the globe on business. When I retired, I decided to use the wealth of experience I acquired to help others travel for pleasure. Family trips, solo adventures or group excursions for all ages? I can handle them all. Together we can make the trip you’ve only dreamed about become a reality!

I’m a “hands-on” owner – it’ll be me on the line when you call Sunburst! At my home base in Piedmont North Carolina, I work daily to research and plan travel for others. My background in engineering taught me the importance of attention to details – the details needed to send my clients on well-planned and stress-free vacations. Looking for an all-inclusive cruise or a culturally specific land tour? I’ll make sure your trip is life-enhancing and just plain fun!

I’ve visited well over twenty fascinating countries and regions including Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, Malta, Norway, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, the Caribbean, Spain, France, Austria, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. My experiences have left me well prepared to respond to any need you may have, such as renting a car in foreign countries, booking excursions, traveling with elderly parents, or planning a cross-country trip through Austria. I’ve done it all! I love sharing tips, tricks, and insider information with my clients.

What if things don’t go exactly as planned? I won’t leave you “hanging out to dry” on your own. I’ve been through a railroad strike in France, numerous flight cancellations, and re-bookings as well as travel insurance issues. COVID-19 has made travel less certain; I take care to counsel clients on how and when to alter their plans when needed. Having an experienced and trusted travel professional on your side can make all the difference.

When I’m not off on new adventures with my husband or planning great trips for you, I enjoy spending time with our children and grandchildren, playing lots of golf, and getting together with friends from near and far.

What Customers Say

"Leigh Ann took over our trip midway and was efficient and prompt in answering any and all questions we had. She was great in getting our money refunded when our trip was canceled due to the Coronavirus. I can’t wait to travel with her in the future."

Nancy
Greenwood, SC

★★★★★

"Leigh Ann has handled all our issues professionally and successfully. She has great communication skills and responds to questions quickly. We look forward to many more trips booked through Sunburst Cruises."

Harry
Advance, NC

★★★★★

"Leigh Ann from Sunburst Cruises and Travel has been extremely helpful during a very difficult time. With so much uncertainty surrounding travel plans with the coronavirus, Leigh Ann has been responsive to all my questions and concerns. She has stayed in contact with frequent updates, taken care of things for us, and ultimately kept us calm and relaxed during this stressful time. We highly recommend her for any travel planning. We plan to continue to work with her once we get to a time where we can safely travel again."

Alison
Goldhill, NC

★★★★★

"Leigh Ann is wonderful. She is smart, dependable, honest and gracious. She and her husband have become good friends. She is very detail oriented. She is loves cruising and will thrive with Sunburst Cruses. We traveled with her to the Mediterranean in the past. She also scheduled our March 2020 British Isles and Scandinavian trips but both were cancelled due to virus pandemic. She was professional and helped schedule all aspects of the back to back trip. She arranged special excursions and found great prices. When the trips were cancelled, she helped secure our refunds."

John
Asheville, NC

★★★★★

"Leigh Ann has helped me plan and book three trips, two of which were quite complicated. She’s helped me rebook two trips which were moved due to the pandemic. She’s always knowledgeable, insightful, and responsive. We just returned from the first trip we’ve taken that she arranged, and she was amazing when things went sideways with the pre-cruise and post-cruise travel arrangements, both of which occurred on weekends. She got us a comped meal and lovely bottle of wine in one of Celebrity’s specialty restaurants due to the pre-cruise transfer issues and then she spent hours helping us with alternate transportation, hotel booking (amazing considering it was spring break in Florida) and rebooked flights on the way home. If it weren’t for Leigh Ann, we would have been one of the thousands stuck in the Ft Lauderdale airport trying to find a way home due to bad weather. She really strives to make sure her clients have the best travel experience possible, from beginning to end!"