I met with my friend Casey Coven a few weeks ago, she is an agent in the travel industry and a part owner of a local Cruise Planners franchise. We got to talking about the honeymoon, and soon were talking about honeymoon horror stories. This was an interesting topic for me, because this is a part of the wedding process which we have virtually no interaction with. Besides what our clients want to share with us, we don’t hear much about what might’ve been frustrating or disappointing during the honeymoon.Casey on the other hand, has lots of experience.
As it happens, the context of planning a wedding usually makes the perceived benefits of a self-service booking no-so-worth-it. I was convinced–even if you usually plan your own vacations, you should hire a travel agent to help plan your honeymoon.
I asked Casey to share her thoughts. He’s what she had to say!
Congratulations!
You made the big decision to get married. Now comes the stressful part, planning the wedding and the honeymoon. You can take part of the stress of the Honeymoon away by working with a Travel Agent.
First, lets dispel a myth. Travel Agents don’t cost you money, in most instances they may save you money. If you have a travel emergency who are you going to contact? The internet site you booked your trip with isn’t going to answer the phone on Saturday night when you’re stranded at the airport.
Booking early makes a big difference, too. You are putting a lot of time, energy and money into a Honeymoon, so make sure you are spending it wisely and not waiting until the last minute and paying a premium price. Don’t fall into the trap, thinking if you wait until the last minute it will be cheaper. There will always be someone who tells you that, but as a general rule, that is not the case. Also this may be the most special vacation you ever take, don’t settle for less because of a lack of planning.
How much time do you have to spend on your Honeymoon and where would you like to go? What types of things have you always envisioned doing on your Honeymoon? A Travel Agent can help you answer those questions and aid you in selecting the place that will be right for you. The travel agent also knows what’s going on in the various destinations because they are constantly attending webinars and dealing with suppliers and clients who are traveling to those destinations.
With some advanced planning, a travel agent will assist you in creating that very special honeymoon you have always envisioned. An all-encompassing benefit to using a travel agent is that it offers that “personal service” to your travel planning experience–offering help and customer service that a website simply cannot provide.
Information that really is up to date
Travel agents are constantly communicating with the travel community, thus giving you the most up-to-date info on airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel visas, and other travel services to consider as you plan your trip. They attend all sorts of seminars and webinars to prepare themselves and earn the credentials to book for trip requests like yours.
Reviews on websites give you a picture, but travel agents can give you a current picture.
Help along the way: more reasons to use a travel expert
Buying travel insurance is important, but with all the countless options for travel insurance these days, it can become confusing. Your travel agent can help you pick which package works best for your needs. What if something has come up and you need to cancel your trip? If you have used a travel agent they are the only person you need to call.
An online travel agency is simply isn’t going to treat your situation as personally and seriously when you call with some complications during your trip. But a travel agent earns your referrals by giving you a great experience all the way through, and so they will continue to give you that personal support even while you are away. They’re not just a cog in a big machine.
It makes traveling easy
Planning a trip can be stressful. There are so many options and details to think about. While you are hard at work in the office, you can have your travel agent working hard for you so that you can maintain productivity and peace of mind. Plus, it feels good to tell someone else what to do for once. You be the boss! A lot of time is wasted by waiting on hold and talking to automated systems while trying to book different parts of your trip. Let your agent do this for you!
Casey Coven is a travel agent and owner of the local Cruise Planners franchise. She’s more than amazing cruises. She would love to help make your honeymoon effortless and memorable. Learn more about what Casey does at www.411totravel.com, or contact her today at 443-852-1330.