As a ""seasoned"" corporate incentive trip and meeting planner, I took pride in ""sniffing out"" awesome hotel and airfare deals and getting ""more for my money.""
I signed-up for all of the web-based travel services and believed, for awhile, that I was on top of my game.
I met Diana at Cruise Holidays in Austin, by chance, through work. At the time, I had spent MONTHS working the web-based travel sites I had become reliant upon as a result of my career, looking for a ski package I could afford for my family of seven.
Just before booking, and after thinking I had found a ""heck of a deal,"" I smugly asked Diana what she could come up with as far as a family ski package to Steamboat.
Thinking I was a travel planning guru, and that Diana only knew her stuff when it came to cruises, I did not expect it when she came back with a package that was $1,000 less than the best deal I had come up with after months of searching, and planning.
After receiving her proposal, I closed my personal file, and asked her to ""book it!""
Our condo was incredible - updated, clean, awesome views, ideally located, and it even had ""heavenly"" beds that had us sleeping like babies. (My kids ""whooped"" when we walked in the door!)
After arranging the condo of our dreams, Diana advised us that she was also able to find us a ""steal"" on ski and lift tickets. She wasn't kidding.
Once booked, she stayed in touch providing all of the unexpected services like ""keeping me on task"" with making this ""dream vacation"" happen for my family, even sending me notes in the days prior to our departure, asking me if we were getting excited about our ski vacation in Steamboat.
In the midst of a busy day at the office, her notes made waiting out those last days before our trip, that much more fun.
All of our travel documents arrived on time and the trip turned out to be even more enjoyable than we could have ever imagined thanks to the ""Diana Touch.""
Upon return from that fabulous vacation, she wanted to know if she had met our every expectation, and she wanted a picture of the family for the photo collage of happy clients she has in her office.
Approximately one year later, I have discontinued my subscriptions to the web-based travel services and am now working with Diana at Cruise Holidays in Austin on a corporate incentive trip that my company is awarding to the winners of a sales contest this fall.
In this economy, my sales contest budget presented some challenges. Knowing she ""specializes"" in cruises, I contacted Diana with my dilemma. The package she presented was so on target, my company elected to offer a grand prize cruise not just to the top sales rep, but to any sales rep who hits the target by the end of the contest. What's more? I know that I have saved hours of time by going to Diana for travel advice.
If anyone thinks the Internet tools now available to travel planners make them a ""travel agent,"" I respectfully suggest that they leave the planning ""to the pros.""
PS - Diana is a ""maniac"" when it comes to sniffing out deals on cruises but, trust me, cruises are not her only specialty when it comes to SMART travel planning!
Pros: Bird-dogs ""deals""
Cons: ""Cruise"" in name does not do justice to services offered...
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