It’s a Sale! It’s a Deal. It’s on Miles! – Seabourn, Crystal, Silversea, Oceania? It Doesn’t Matter! You Need a Travel Agent!!!!

Thank you again for being so informative and quick in our responses.  I confess I have not always perceived the value of a travel agent but you have been very different.

I posted it on the Goldring Travel Facebook page.

• And then some of my other clients from Australia and the United States “liked” it.  
• And then another European client sent me an email from the Seabourn Sojourn thanking me for sending birthday wishes (and letting me know about the booking she made onboard).
• And then another American client emailed from the Seabourn Quest thanking me for talking her out of cancelling her Antarctic cruise not even half way through writing:

Fantastic cruise. Across the Drake in one fast smooth day, so an early day of zodiac landings. This is the most impossibly gorgeous, fabulous and mysterious place. THANK YOU for not letting me cancel. 

• And then another Australian client sent me a “dirty joke”.

Then there was an issue:  Seabourn’s Thomas Keller menu is a huge success, but is not yet fully implemented (Not to worry:  It is just about there!) so with the demands of the new menu, some of the other menu items seem not up to standards (and, let’s face it they aren’t up to Thomas Keller’s standards which is why they are going away!).  Within minutes of getting this email I was in communication with the top Seabourn executives, has it circulated and arrangements made for my client to be contacted.

On a recent Silversea Expedition cruise one of my clients booked a premium suite and used Silversea’s business class air.  The only problem is that on that particular day there was no business class on the plane Silversea had space on…and nothing was said until long after final payment was made.  Over two dozen phone calls (including directly to the airline) and even more emails I found/created a solution.  My client, while upset by it, had to do nothing to do because I handled it all and the expedition cruise went off without a hitch.

On an upcoming Oceania cruise (as I previously wrote about), the cruise fare dropped over $2,000 after my clients had made final payment.  Oceania was, shall we say, less than cooperative and my clients were not happy.  In the end, I was able to get my client’s a future cruise credit for the full amount, keep the good relationship between Oceania and my clients (eliminating the “I’ll never cruise on them again” option) and, of course, pretty much assure they will be booking another Oceania cruise.

Then there are the “I am going to do it all by myself!” and “I am going to use miles” issues.  This happens with airfare, hotels, etc. 

• I have a wonderful, well traveled, client that decided to book his first class air by himself (actually using some sort of consolidator).   The result:  I was re-booking his airfare the night before his disembarkation because he accidentally booked a roundtrip ticket rather than one departing from his port of disembarkation!
• I have another wonderful, well traveled, client that decided to use miles to book a pre-cruise hotel I recommended.  She booked the right hotel…but did it as her post-cruise hotel! Fortunately, she was able to still get a room when she arrived to a very confused front desk staff.  (The staff at that hotel are wonderful…as is the hotel!)

Of course, there are so many folks that jump on the phrase “SALE” when, when really analyzed, there really isn’t much of a sale.  (You did start to read this article because it said “Sale”, right?) More importantly, the issues of “value”, “total cost” and “logistics” are lost.  It takes a truly knowledgeable and dedicated travel agent (travel consultant, travel professional…or whatever it is that you want to call me) to sort things out for you…in far less time, and usually with far more accuracy, than you could do on your own.  I mean I am a “highly trained professional!” 

Whether you are looking for a great travel “value”, assistance in creating a wonderful honeymoon, a voice of reason when an immediate crisis clouds reason, an advocate or just a really experienced and knowledgeable travel advisor, think of Goldring Travel.

And if you want a travel agent that is available as, is happening just now, clients are traveling on land through India, Vietnam and Cambodia, cruising through Asia, South America, Antarctica and the Caribbean and planning honeymoons and summer vacations, Goldring Travel is your answer. Whether office phone, mobile phone, email, Skype or even satellite phone, Eric Goldring is always available.