5 Things NOT To Do After Calling your Travel Professional!

Now, you have made your decision and you have called your Travel Professional.  Let's go over a few things that will help your vacation be all that you want it to be!  Those things you should NOT do.

1- Look for cheaper rates.
When your Travel Professional gives you a quote, we have taken all the things you have told us, combined it with our knowledge and research, then presented options.  Our quotes may include things you aren't aware of.  If you look online to see if you can find it cheaper you are doing us both a disservice.  
Quotes that may appear to be cheaper may actually have hidden fees.  If you are not comparing Apples to Apples the vacation you are quoting online may be lacking some important items, like theme park tickets on a trip to Disney.  Can you do a Disney trip without theme park tickets?  Yes.  Will it be the trip you have always wanted it to be?  Probably not.

2-Ignore my emails.
I will normally send you a series of emails after you book a trip with me.  They may contain questions I need answered, tips for a smooth vacation, or things you may need to do.
Ignoring my emails could have a disappointing results.  For instance, you may have your heart set on riding Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. I sent you a heads up that Disney is planning a last minute Refurb during your trip.  It falls on the day you are spending at Magic Kingdom.  Reading  the email you would have known and made the necessary changes.
Or maybe, knowing you wanted to make your own FastPass Plus selections, I sent you detailed instructions on a new quirk in the selection process. (As we all know, Disney is constantly tweaking the process) You were up at midnight making your selections...and it would not work!  You contacted me for help, only to discover I was unavailable.  
Or I sent you a tip that the All Inclusive resort you were staying at required men to wear pants and a collared shirt in the dining room.  If you didn't read my email, you might not have known. 

3-Think your friends know more than I.
While it is true they might know some subjects better than me; Remember...This is my business.  Not everything they read on a fan board is true.  My job as a Travel Professional is to keep an eye on top of the latest developments to make your trip as perfect as possible.

4-Be timid about what you want.
I've given you a proposal.  You looked at it and think..."It's all perfect...except for one thing."  By not telling me of your concerns I can't address it.  Somehow in all our discussions, we missed this one point.  Should be easy to fix, but only if I know.  You will not hurt my feelings one bit by addressing it.  After all...this is YOUR trip!

5-Book on your own.
If you came to me for advice, we decide on a destination, get a price that everyone agrees is a good value, and you want to think on it a while, Great.  (so far).  
Then in the middle of the night, you decide to go online and book it yourself.   With most suppliers I can put a hold on the vacation I have quoted for you. Unless I tell you the deal expires at midnight, it can wait until the morning to get it booked.
As a Travel Professional I get paid only after you book with me. We all love to get paid for our work.  At this time I do not charge a planning fee, provided you book with me.  My only income comes from your booking with me.


Now, that wasn't so hard was it?  Remember, I am a Travel Professional, and as such I have only your best interest in mind.  I scour my suppliers daily to seek out the changes they may have made recently.  Occasionally I may have a client that throws me a curve ball.  I have the resources to research and find that answer, confident it is the right answer.

I can't have a blog without a cute picture (I think it is a law or something!)  Since it is a rainy Monday morning, I think I will try to find a nice sunny picture...how about this one.  It was taken on our cruise in October.  Bonus points if you can tell what it is!

5 Things to do before you call your Travel Professional

You want to go on a vacation!
Great!
But, before you call your travel professional there are a few things you should do to make the process a bit easier.

1- Pick your date range.  
While it is important to be flexible, it is just as important to have an idea of when you want to travel.  If you really have no idea - then how about picking a month or season.   Letting me know you are flexible but was thinking about an early Spring trip will give me a place to start.  If you know you can't get off work until say... after tax season...let me know.  If you have to go during kid's school break, then give me the dates.

2-Pick your destination area.
Again, being flexible will help, but we need to know where to start looking. If all you are sure about is "Someplace warm!", well that is a good place to start!

3-Choose a budget.
This is a biggie.  Some people have no idea how expensive a vacation can be.  While there are cost savings and deals available, remember the old saying. "You get what you pay for."  This is very true with vacations.  Start with a realistic budget, but don't get upset if it isn't enough.  
And be truthful with your travel professional.  If your budget is $3000, and you tell me it is only $2000 (expecting me to 'pad' it and upsell) you might be missing out on a great value.  I would not even look at that perfect vacation that is $3200.  The one that matches every single wish on your list.  Remember this is YOUR vacation.  The more information you arm me with, the better chance I have of getting you exactly what you want!

4- Check your passports.  
If you are stepping your foot off US soil, you NEED a passport.  While it is true you can cruise on a "closed loop" cruise without one, I do not recommend it.
Don't have one?  Remember to allow 6-8 weeks for it to be delivered.  Of course, they do have expedited processing and delivery - at a premium price.
Now that you are looking at it...notice your expiration date.  Remember more and more countries require your passport to be valid for 6 months AFTER your return date.

5-Decide on the purpose of the trip.
Relax? Sit on a tropical island?  Family time?  Golfing? Snorkeling? Checking off an item on your bucket list?
This is where all the other items start to come together.  
Let's say you want to go 'now'; someplace warm; less than $1000 per person; and the purpose is to relax, enjoy the warmth, and reconnect with your family; and you have your passports in hand.  I might suggest a quick cruise or an all inclusive on an island in the Bahamas.  

Of course, this just gives me a starting point.  I'll ask tons of questions to narrow it down to what you really want!

And the above picture?  Was taken from a bus zooming along the road in Nassau.  In the middle of December.  Where it was in the low 80's....