DESTINATION WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
Although becoming very popular, people still ask – What is a Destination Wedding? OR they ask: how do we go about setting up a wedding in another country or, on a Tropical Paradise Island? As a Travel Professional I started with weddings and honeymoons and this is a little information about it…
A Destination Wedding is an extremely attractive option from a financial perspective. Many resorts will perform the service for free or for a nominal charge.
Your invited guests will typically pay for their own airfare and accommodations. If you have enough guests who attend the ceremony, the bride and groom can often enjoy a complimentary room upgrade and additional amenities. If you add up all the advantages of a destination wedding, it makes it a very attractive alternative to a traditional ceremony. The picture attached was a wedding in Belize; VIP clients of our agency.Additional options for a Destination Wedding: A video streaming for those at home to enjoy as if they were in attendance (especially nice for those who physically can’t travel.)
ANOTHER option in sharing the wedding by using a Recorded Video: when the Bride and Groom return home, invite their guests to enjoy the recorded wedding at an informal reception.
Check our Blog at end of June for HOW TO ARRANGE A DESTINATION WEDDING and HONEYMOON.
Escorted Trips
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
Hello everyone: All of us are back working again. Apparently my planning was not good, everyone was responsible for a trip at the same time. Although we felt like we were on revolving doors, our phones transferred calls to each of us, as many of you may know. Anyhow, thanks to all our clients willing to wait until we returned. Lucky enough no emergency calls!
George and I escorted the “New England Cruise.” We traveled with four ladies from Waco and boarded our Royal Caribbean Cruise after a night in Boston. George just told everyone he was from Utah and these were his five wives.“Later we discovered there were many on the ship who had actually believed him.
Cindy went with “Cindy’s Fun Bunch” on Carnival from Galveston. They had a great time and ready to go again.
Agaytha did the short Big City Trip to Buffalo, NY and “Niagara Falls.”
Pat went to Scotland to research our 2016 Scots Irish Tour. So, like I said my planning wasn't good with everyone out of town at the same time.
Just a little about our ports on the New England cruise:
Actually it was scheduled as a Fall Foliage cruise, but due to lack of rain the leaves were just in the beginning stages of changing and personally I went for the lighthouses. There are so many between Nova Scotia and Boston that it’s almost a parade of lighthouses. You might say I have a lighthouse fetish. Every place we have traveled if they had a lighthouse, we saw it.
All of our ports had either a cold rain or mist when we arrived but cleared within the hour. Although windy and chilly, it wasn’t bad at all.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick: We took a small boat to see the coast line of lighthouses, three to be exact. However, our guide was a marine biologist and also educated us on lobsters, too.
Kellyann pulled up a lobster trap and passed a male lobster around for everyone to hold while explaining the difference in a male and female lobster and included their breeding habits.She called the male Larry and the female LaVerne.
“The one to the right was Larry.” Males are just looking for a one night stand and never return to the same mate twice. They are much longer and narrower than the female. I may joke about this, but it was extremely interesting.
Upon our return to Halifax she escorted us to Murphy’s where we enjoyed a “whole lobster” for lunch. It was about the size of Larry, 1.5 or 2 pounds. She also taught us the proper way to consume a lobster; one piece at a time.
After spending a little time walking around their quaint town we boarded our ship in time for the next meal. We had located a little restaurant on board “Seaside Café,” where we usually went for our afternoon snacks. Royal Caribbean offers specialty restaurants on board where you make a reservation and pay a fee, but this one is complimentary and specializes in light snacks, sandwiches, fish and chips, soups and salads.
Check next week for more information about our New England Cruise.
Travel Protection Plans
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
We know everyone hates to purchase insurance – but when you need it, it’s great that you purchased it.
Has anyone ever explained what a Travel Protection Plan really is? It’s always offered on the internet, but I haven’t really found an explanation to purchase.
Some plans offer: cancel for medical reasons or cancel for any reason etc.
There are various types of policies you can purchase – but be sure you purchase something that covers medical and evacuation. Due to unforeseen demonstrations, uprising situations, natural disasters this can be very necessary. For medical our US Medicare does not pay should you become sick or injured in a foreign country. You need something else before you leave home. Always check your own personal medical insurance before traveling.
Most tour companies and cruise lines offer insurance but I recommend you purchase a different policy – one not operated by the supplier. If the one by the supplier is a good policy, offering what you need and I know the Insurance Company, then I will recommend it.
Example:
A family ready for their vacation, they have spent well over $4,500 for the trip. Little Johnny get’s sick and they can’t take the trip. No one explained that most of the trip and sometimes all of it is non-refundable. Not even if a person gets sick or possibly an immediate member of the family passes away. If you can’t take the trip then kiss that $4,500 goodbye.
If your Travel Professional explained all of this to you and you purchased the TPP, you can call her/him, or the supplier and cancel the trip. File a claim form for your refund.
OR what if you were on your vacation and a member of the family with you got sick and needs medical treatment – that is included, or if a member of family at home got sick and you need to fly back home – the insurance company has an 800 number to call for emergencies. They will help arrange to get you home ASAP. You keep any receipts concerning the return home and they will reimburse you for expenses up to a specified amount.
Example:
Yes, we have had people use this – one family a few days into their cruise; received a call that the gentlemen’s mother had unexpectedly passed away. Their air from the next port was arranged and they were taken to the airport for their flight home. Later they received a reimbursement check for the portion of the cruise they had not used. They continued to purchase insurance after that. Wouldn’t you?
Other option:
If you don’t care about the refund before traveling but would like a less expensive medical insurance – we offer that too. Example: A woman was in Italy and had a stroke, she was hospitalized until ready to be transported home. Her companion, covered on the policy stayed with her. A nurse and the companion accompanied her home to the hospital of her choice. That was covered on her medical insurance purchased with her trip.
I’ve always told my family if I pass away while on vacation – just put me in cold storage and enjoy the remainder of the trip.
“I’ll keep until we get home and the insurance will cover the cost.”
Why using a professional travel agent is better than booking online
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
Recently a client ask how does a travel agency work and how do they get paid? Also, why should I use a Travel Consultant when I’m good on the Internet and know what I want?
My response was: “You receive my services: knowledge, education, experience and you can reach out and touch me! Will Mr. Bing or Mrs. Google be available to talk to when you are stranded or your flight was cancelled and you don’t know what to do?"
How are we paid? Suppliers build a commission in their prices to cover a travel agent, the internet agency or extra profit for the supplier. (If you should book direct with the supplier.) Once you travel they cut a check and send to the booking agency or keep for their company as extra profit. We work closely with many of our preferred suppliers, and they keep us up to date with their destinations, specials and many will help make changes to their particular packages to fit our clients needs. Our suppliers can be Cruise Lines, Tour Companies, Hotels and even Adventure and Activities Companies.
Yes, we have preferred suppliers, but if they don’t meet the needs of a client then we do use others but only if they are reputable and bonded.
Travel consultants keep up our continuing education, and throughout the year we will personally experience destinations and attend seminars at sea.
A card was sent to us by Royal Caribbean International. It feels good they appreciate the help and knowledge of their travel agents.
It reads:
THE VALUE OF A TRAVEL AGENT!
“With so many travel options out there, it can be overwhelming; I work as your 'value interpreter.' Using my expertise, I find amazing experiences that exceed your every desire, but not your budget. With my services, you can be confident that your vacation will be perfectly planned, hassle-free, and filled with moments you’ll never forget.”
Avoid pitfalls of booking online
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
If you have been following my monthly post and you still prefer using the Internet for bookings rather than just research, try to avoid the potential pitfalls of booking online.
- Do your homework first, know the questions to ask and where to ask them.
- Beware of the misleading promotions.
- If you are eligible for special deals –for example, a senior, AAA member, Many sites do not allow for the extra discounts.
- Look for sensitive information: using your Credit Card look for closed padlock at the bottom of your browser and a URL that begins with “https.”
- Just because a site labels a price as discounted, it doesn’t mean it its. Your Travel Consultant can compare prices and book that Internet deal for you.
- Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints against the company.
If you called a travel agent to do your homework, just to be sure you have a good hotel and it’s safe where you want to go: please don’t tell your friends you did it all by yourself on the Internet. Some agent had to devote time to you and not a real client who appreciates his or her knowledge, education and experience.
Using a travel agent can avoid travel mishaps
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
The difference in booking on the internet vs. a travel agency?
Travel professionals will ask questions and then cover any obstacles they may foresee.
They need to know what you want to experience, maybe zip lining, maybe tour museums, or just sightseeing in a particular area. Also, what do you expect to get out of your vacation – closer family relations, learn new things, or maybe just get away from it all and the relaxation you have been needing. They want to assist you in having a dream vacation, great value and hassle-free. They offer quotes with you in mind, not the suppliers.They complete the quote with everything you are wanting. Air, Hotel, Activities, and Transportation to the final destination. Including taxes, Fees, and sometimes even gratuities. This is their passion and what they are trained to do. Your agent will know the products, and reputation of the suppliers. They know their business as you probably know yours too. As for safety matters they receive up-dates on various travel destinations.
Internet Sometimes good prices can cost you convenience (you might save a few bucks on your air, but your flight time could be more than twice as long.) Do you plan the air or the destination first? How much of your time have you spent on the computer; is your time valuable? As they say “Time is worth money” what you saved in price you may have used up in your time. Oh dear what if you made a mistake or picked the wrong hotel; who is there to help you? Don’t leave out any of the vacation entities.
- Do you need transportation once you arrive at your destination?
- Shuttle or Rent Car (which one will you need?)
- Hotel, is it clean and convenient for your planned activities?
- Does the hotel have a restaurant, or do you need to leave the hotel to eat?
Just a little tip: Know your destination and where it is located! A previous client decided to plan her family trip online to Disney. “Thinking it would save her money” she booked their hotel and purchased the Disney tickets. When they arrived on the East Coast in Orlando, at Disney World she discovered they should be on the West Coast in Anaheim, at Disneyland. Since Disney has various locations and booking companies Walt Disney World could not honor her Disneyland booking.
Did she enjoy telling me? No, her sister did!
Online booking may not be there for you when travel trouble arises
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
Who are you booking with on the Internet? Are they reputable, reliable? Will they be there tomorrow? When you run into a problem, will they answer the (800) number? Who will you ask for?
One reason online services can be chancey is because many websites don’t let you cancel, make changes or even make special requests for your trip. Be sure you are asking the right questions. They only respond to the questions you ask. If you don’t know what to ask, you won’t get the answers you need to make an informed decision.
Always be aware of misleading promotions. Too-good-to-be-true deals often come with the conditions that you buy additional airfare or accommodations at inflated prices.
This is not to say the Internet is bad. The Internet has helped consumers and travel agents become better educated about the gamut of travel products available to them and has simplified price shopping. Even a Travel Consultant can refer you to a website to look at a particular hotel or resort; or a specific room.
The Travel Consultant has Education, Experience, Knowledge. This is their business. They personally inspect properties, destinations and even fly different airlines to see what they have to offer a traveler. The Travel Consultant is always looking for more ways to add Value to their clients vacation.
Embrace the value of using a professional travel consultant
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
Have you heard the joke about the new barbershop that opened across the street from the established barbershop? The new shop put up a sign that said $5 haircuts. After a few days, the established shop put up its own sign. “We fix $5 haircuts.”
Well, travel agents spend a lot of time these days trying to help their client fix online “bargains.” In fact, a recent survey was conducted questioning travel agents about the 10 most common complaints their clients have when “going it alone” online. Just a few of the most common are:
- Booking the wrong date or the wrong time
- No assistance with changes or refunds
- Concern about reputation of company
- No provisions for special requests
- Price quoted did not include taxes
- Credit card is denied, but they were not notified
- Time-consuming and confusing
- Don’t understand rules and restrictions
- Paying more than necessary
- Unable to get the advertised fare or the quoted price
Agents can give travelers the peace of mind that comes along with knowing they’re getting the trip they want for the lowest price possible. Agents provide a complete packet of information that is unbiased, while also saving the consumer time and money.
Watch for our Next Value item – in July, another tip on how you will benefit by using a Travel Consultant.
Value of a Travel Agent
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
We are starting a series of VALUE OF A TRAVEL AGENT. Hopefully, I won’t offend anyone. I really do like the Internet for researching, but many people abuse the travel agent by asking for verification of certain hotels and destinations then, they book on the Internet and rejoice “they did it all by themselves.”
Hopefully, you will realize we are a specific profession just like other professions. We learn, become educated and we perform services to our clients. We like to say we do this because it is fun, but we really do it for a living too. At our agency everyone has a specific certification earned through the Travel Institute, Cruise Lines International Association, Inc, University of Miami, and Specific companies selling travel.
If I was an attorney, physician, webmaster or even a plumber you would pay a retainer or a quote fee. Sometimes we do charge fees, mainly for air and extensive research but most of the time we earn a commission from our suppliers and hopefully, served our clients well so they will come back, again and again. We are a people service business and really do enjoy what we do.
My FIRST adventure in River Cruising
7/28/2021 8:50:00 AM Link | | Add comment
Many years ago my husband, George, and I decided as travel agents that we needed the experience of a European River Cruise. Of course, we had cruised the Oceans, Mediterranean and Caribbean many times but never a river cruise. We didn’t know how to compare it to the other cruises.
We flew to Paris and took a high speed train to our port city, Avignon. The train ride is another adventure I will share with you in the future.
We didn’t know what to expect, where to board the boat, if we could eat the food or even speak the language. Our taxi driver, of course, knew where the ship was docked and dropped us off beside the boat.
No convenient terminal to check-in, you just drag your luggage down a rough ramp to the opening of the boat. From the dock the boat looked very wide, wider than we had expected. We entered this very impressive boat through double sliding doors. The lobby was very elaborate but not so wide, and then we discovered why it was not wide, our river boat was sitting next to this one and we had to walk through the lobby of this boat to board our not so elegant boat. Our boat (called a ship in the future) was the Motel 6 sitting next to the Ritz Carlton, well not really but very different in age and style. Their lobby was nice but very small, staffed with two great greeters.
They checked us in, took our luggage and escorted us to the cabin. We thought our ocean liners had small cabins – well, when the door opened we just stood there speechless. There was a night stand bolted down between two twin beds. We had no TV, but we did have a bucket of Ice and bottled water on a very small counter. Yes, the bathroom was tiny, too.
Are you thinking we were in for a rough seven days on the river? Wrong, the staff spoke several languages and one was English, the chef knew how to please the Americans with various Westernized foods, which were delicious. The chef had many nationalities to please, and according to the conversations no one had a complaint. He and his staff aimed to please everyone. At breakfast they had a buffet and offered a menu. We even had Mimosas or Champagne with our breakfast, if we wanted it. For entertainment, the local villages supplied the entertainment. They even had us join in their dancing and they would stay over and visit, asking about America, how and where we lived. Typically everywhere we went we were asked, "Does everyone in Texas have a horse and gun?" Oh, another advantage of this ship the passenger capacity was only 134.
First day: The tour director met with everyone and explained we could leave the ship and take free time to explore the quaint town and stretch our legs before dinner or just sit and enjoy the scenery. Then he continued to let us know each day we would have a complementary four-hour tour; if we chose to go along. It could be a walking tour, motor coach tour or a combination. We happened to be in a wine region and had many chances to enjoy wine-tasting or tour of the wine cellars. The history of the family-owned vineyards and winemaking traditions was more than interesting. It was remarkable how they had operated everything for centuries.
We saw and toured 12 15th century buildings still being used today though out France. The history we received was not something you could just learn or enjoy from a book. Being there and having a guide tell all about the buildings, their use and age was like walking back in history. The experience was overwhelming.
While daytime cruising, we had a narrator explaining the history of the areas we were passing through. Not realizing it before, but the rivers were the paths taken by everyone in the past. It was a highway for cargo, people wanting to visit another village and even shopping in another town. What was their way of life now is our enjoyment.
I would say we glided through heaven on this cruise. There wasn’t one thing I could complain about, not even the petite cabin. The service made up for the size. Relaxing and no stress! This being our first River Cruise on an old ship was great. The memories from the experiences we had will never be forgotten.
Would I cruise the rivers again? You bet, and we have. The cabins on the newer ships are much larger, some with step out balconies, more suitable bedding, larger bathrooms than on most cruise liners. The passenger capacity has been raised on some ships, but they are still not crowded and still have no long lines. The open seating has remained the same; sit where you want with whom ever you wish. Enjoy a complementary glass of wine with lunch and dinner and a variety of complementary tours.
Kaye Horacek
