But just so you both the DIY travelers and the smart travelers know I
here to tell you there is no reason for you to go it alone. Remember the words
of Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does." Just because you like to do things yourself
doesn't mean you have to be stupid about it. Even the DIY handyman learns from
those who have been there and done that. In the case of Travel that would be
your Travel Professional.
My dad was an Independent Garage Owner and he
had a sign in shop that read: There will be an additional charge of:
$25 an hour if you
watch
$45 an hour if you
offer suggestions
$65 and hour if you
help.
The point being, the men working in the shop
are professionals. The have he tools; they have the knowledge; and they have
the experience to repair your automobile. Sit here in the lounge, enjoy your
coffee and relax and allow the professional mechanics to do for you what they
know how to do and you'll save a lot of money. Folks I don't care if your a DIY
or totally dependent your using a Travel Professional is a smart choice.
There is a common misconception going around
that travel agents have gone the way of the
dinosaur and are not needed to book a
cruise or any vacation for that matter. I wish I had a dollar for ever time I
have heard that. It usually goes something like this, "now that we have
access to the internet we can use our computer or even smart phone to go to
some online travel agency like Travelocity or Expedia (actually one and the
same) and book our own vacation and save money doing it.
Listen up all you DIY travelers. The single
most important reason for using a Travel Professional when planning and booking
a vacation or even a weekend getaway is that you know you have personal one on
one customer service. Again, I wish I had a dollar for every call I have had
over the years since people started booking their own trips online.
I have had people offer to give me up to half
the cost of their trip if I cold just get their money back from Expedia. They
had been trying for six months and were still in the batter box. Expedia
referred them to Barclay (overseas company) who referred them from one 800
number to another. Sorry, I can't help.
A good Travel Professional is able to answer
all of your travel related questions and guide you through important steps of
arranging your travel. This is even more important when you travel is
complicated by multiple flights, frequent hotel changes and there are special
needs in your family.
They will also be able to advise you on Travel
Insurance. Not all travel insurance is created equal. Some company's plans will better fit your
needs than others and the Travel Professional can help you choose the company
that is right for your needs. By the
way, you do need third party travel insurance. I have a friend who booked a $3K
week long cruise and a few days before the fully paid cruise one of their
parents died and they had to cancel their trip. Unfortunately, that close to
sail date there is zero refund. Fortunately, for them we had explained the
insurance options and they had bought the third party travel insurance and they
were reimbursed through that insurance 100% of their vacation investment.
Most travel agents today can be quickly
reached through a phone call, email, or text message. If you are looking
for great customer service, using an Travel Professional is the only way to go.
If you insist on being a DIY then you are on your own.
Another reason for using a Travel Professional
is that in most cases you get free access to years of knowledge and experience
that can help you pick the right cruise, hotels, resort, flights etc. We also know the latest information regarding
government and general travel rules. Keep in mind these are constantly
changing.
Your Travel Professional also keeps up on any
rule changes that cruise lines make (smoking on balconies, gratuity costs,
dinner and drink packages etc) so you won’t have any surprises when you embark
on your cruise. They know what the "all-inclusive" resorts really
include and what they do not. They will
know that beach accessibility seldom means on the beach.
When it comes to cruises your Travel
Professional Travel has the advantage. In most cases they have either inspected
the ship you will be sailing or actually cruised aboard it. These inspections and sailings allow them to
gain insight into each ship. Trust me when I tell you that like people each
cruise line has its own distinct personality as does each cruise ship.
I know a older couple in my church who booked themselves
on a cruise and simply had a miserable time. They came home from their four
night cruise saying, "We will never take another cruise." If they had
used a Travel Professional they would have known that the cruise they chose had
much more a party atmosphere than the quiet, relaxing trip they were expecting.
I said all that to say that a good Travel
Professional will always steer you towards the cruise that fits your
expectations. After all we want you to have a great time on your vacation
because we want to help you plan your next trip. If my client is unhappy then I
am unhappy.
In most cases using a Travel Professional will
not cost you any more than the DIY route and will certainly save you a lot of
time and frustration. Nearly all travel be it cruises or resort packages have a
built in commission rate for the Gravel Professional. That rate does not drop
out of the price if you elect to book your own trip. It stays in the price of the trip. In an odd
way it is you paying a commission to the travel supplier for selling you your
vacation. You see that money was only a part of the cost of the trip to you,
not to the supplier but the supplier keeps it anyway.
I am all for your doing your due diligence.
But why waste a lot of your valuable time squinting at the thousands of
websites offering to sell you a trip.
Using a Travel Professional can save you a lot of research and time that
you may not have. Tell your agent exactly what you are looking for and
let them get back to you with several different options. They will use
your interests, hobbies, and expectations to find the best fit for you. A
travel agent may also interest you in a cruise that you may not have even known
about.
Now I know that some of you DIY people are
going to read this and say, "But I like doing it myself." Common, be smart, don’t bi-pass an opportunity
to take advantage of the years of experience and knowledge of your personal
Travel Professional. If nothing else it will bring you a sense of security in
the decisions you make.
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