How to Shop WITH a Travel Advisor - Your personal shopper!
- Aug 1
- 4 min read
Have you ever walked into one of those enormous warehouse stores and thought, Good grief. Where do I even start?
Racks upon racks. Shelves upon shelves. Boxes stacked halfway to heaven.
If you walk in knowing exactly what you need, you're golden. Grab it and head for the checkout.
Of course, somehow you also come home with three things that weren't on the list and later wonder, Why did I buy this?
Travel shopping can be a little like that too.
There are cruises, resorts, hotels, tours, packages, promotions, cabin categories, room categories, excursions, transfers, insurance options and enough “special offers” to make your eyes cross.
Before long, you can find yourself looking at things you never wanted in the first place simply because they popped up in front of you. Wait. Why am I looking at a seven-night yoga retreat in Costa Rica? I don't even do yoga.
That's where I come in. Think of me as your personal travel shopper.
You tell me what you're looking for, what you absolutely DON'T want, what you'd love to have, and approximately what you'd like to spend. Then I start digging through the shelves.
And sometimes there is a LOT of digging.
A cruise that looks like a bargain may be an inside cabin when you really wanted a balcony. That wonderful resort price may not include airfare or transportation from the airport. One package may include something another charges extra for. And sometimes the least expensive option really is the best choice for you. Sometimes it isn't.
That's why I don't want to know only where you want to go. I want to know how you want to travel.
Are you the person who wants to be busy from breakfast until bedtime, or is your idea of a perfect vacation a lounge chair, a book and someone occasionally appearing with a cold drink?
Do you want nightlife? Quiet? History? Beaches? Good food? Activities for the kids? Adults only?
Do you want the least expensive cabin because you're only going to sleep there anyway?
Or are you already picturing yourself drinking coffee on your balcony in your pajamas?
Those things matter.
Please Tell Me When You Don't Like Something
This may be one of the hardest things for someone who has never worked with a travel advisor before.
I send you a quote.
You look at it.
And... you don't like it.
Now what?
Tell me!
You are not going to hurt my feelings.
“I don't like that resort.”
“Those rooms look too small.”
“I really wanted a balcony.”
“My husband will never wear long pants to dinner.”
“That costs WHAT?!”
All useful information.
In fact, sometimes telling me what you don't like is just as helpful as telling me what you do like. Every no helps me narrow down the choices and get closer to your yes.
You don't have to accept the first thing I send simply because I spent time putting it together. We're shopping together.
“But I Found This Online...”
GOOD!
Send it to me. Seriously.
If you find a cruise, resort, tour or vacation package online that looks perfect, send me the information before you book it.
I can take a look and see whether I have access to the same offer or something comparable through one of my travel suppliers.
I can also help you figure out whether we're actually comparing the same thing.
Because travel pricing can be a little sneaky. One price may include taxes and fees while another doesn't. One may include a checked bag, transfer or other perk. One cruise fare may be for an inside cabin while the pretty picture beside it is showing a balcony suite. And that giant flashing SALE! may have terms attached to it that aren't nearly as exciting once we read the fine print.
Sometimes you really did find a great deal. Wonderful! I am not offended that Google got there first.
The goal is not for me to “win.”
The goal is for you to get the right trip at the right value.
You Don't Have to Do My Homework Before You Call Me
This one is important. Please don't think you need to spend three weeks researching your vacation before you're “ready” to contact a travel advisor. You can come to me with: “We want to take an Alaska cruise next summer.”
Great.
Or:
“We have a week in October, about this much money, and we want to go somewhere with a beach.”
Also great.
Or even:
“We need a vacation. HELP.”
I can work with that.
The more information you give me, the better I can narrow things down. But you don't have to arrive knowing the ship, sailing date, cabin number and what you're ordering for dinner on Tuesday night. That's part of what I'm here for.
So How Do We Start?
Start with my Start Planning form and tell me what you know. Dates. Number of travelers. Approximate budget. Where you're thinking about going. What kind of room or cabin you'd like.
Anything that's especially important to you.
And then tell me the other stuff too. Celebrating an anniversary? Tell me. Traveling with someone who can't walk long distances? Definitely tell me. Absolutely must have a balcony? Tell me. Hate flying? Tell me that too.
The more I understand about your trip, the less time we spend wandering up and down those enormous travel aisles looking at things you were never going to buy anyway.
Because that's really the advantage of shopping WITH a travel advisor.
You don't have to search every shelf. You just need someone who knows where to look.
And hopefully, when you get home from this shopping trip, you won't find yourself wondering how you ended up on a seven-night yoga retreat where the all-you-can-eat buffet was only greens, the strongest drink on the menu was kombucha, and by Day Three you had discovered muscles you didn't know you had.
Including one apparently connected to your little toe.
As you bite into your hamburger and contemplate your life choices, you may find yourself thinking...
I didn't need that trip!