Online booking engines are transactional. An experienced advisor is relational and strategic. I steer clients toward the right ship, hotel, or itinerary the first time, surface options that don’t appear in a search engine’s first ten results, place every booking with a vetted supplier, and stay engaged before and during travel if anything needs attention.

There’s also a quieter point worth making. Most cruise, tour, and resort fares already include an advisor commission in the published price — whether a client uses an advisor or not. The question isn’t whether to pay for one. It’s who you want using that portion of the fare on your behalf.

For more details visit my Why Use a Travel Advisor page.

Yes — most trips do. The fee compensates me for the research, itinerary design, supplier coordination, and ongoing support that go into a well-built trip. It also frees me to recommend what genuinely fits each client rather than whichever supplier pays the strongest commission. The fee is quoted in writing during our first consultation, before any planning work begins.

Depending on the trip, planning fees may include:

• Destination research and recommendations
• Custom itinerary design
• Hotel, cruise, tour, and resort selection
• Activity and excursion guidance
• Travel logistics coordination
• Ongoing support before and during travel

Fees vary with trip complexity and are quoted in writing before planning begins. They are separate from the cost of the trip itself. Simpler bookings — a straightforward cruise, for example — may not require a planning fee at all.

Start by sending me a trip inquiry. We’ll then schedule a complimentary consultation call to talk through where you’re going, who’s traveling, your timing, and the kind of experience you have in mind — before any planning begins.

Lead times that work well in this practice:

• Most trips: 6–12 months ahead
• Peak season, Europe, Alaska, river and ocean cruises, and group travel: 9–12+ months
• African safaris, expedition cruises, holiday-week travel, and large family trips: 12–18 months

Last-minute travel is possible, but the further out we start, the wider the field of cabins, suites, lodges, and guides actually available.

If a trip falls outside my expertise or my vetted supplier network, I’ll say so and point you to a better fit. The categories I generally don’t take on:

• Short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, and similar)
• Standalone airfare not paired with a larger trip
• Destination weddings
• Disney parks and Disney cruises — these go to Melissa Ragazzi on my team, who specializes in them

Most of my clients are couples planning honeymoons or milestone trips, retired and nearly-retired travelers with time for longer immersive journeys, and families building multi-generational trips around an anniversary, a birthday, or a holiday. The common thread is that they would rather work with someone who knows the suppliers, the ships, and the destinations than figure it out alone.

Yes — group travel is a meaningful share of this practice. I design and manage trips for families, organizations, churches, and hosted departures, from the initial concept through every traveler’s return home.

See the Group Travel page for more.

Yes, when flights are part of a larger trip I’m building and a planning fee is paid.  If you’d rather book your own air with loyalty points, I’m happy to recommend the right routing and timing so the rest of the itinerary works.

Most cruise, tour, and resort bookings are priced as packages by the supplier rather than itemized line by line. Where line-item detail is available — flights and pre/post hotel nights, for example — I’ll include it. I’m always happy to walk through exactly what’s covered in your total.

Yes. The proposal is the starting point of a conversation, not the finish line. Adjustments, upgrades, and alternate options are part of the process — we shape the trip together until it’s the one you want.

As a travel advisor I can’t apply for visas or complete destination-specific entry requirements on your behalf — those have to come from you. I will tell you what’s required for the destinations on your itinerary and point you to the official resources for getting it done.

Yes — strongly. Travel protection covers the things every traveler eventually encounters: a cancellation that’s not your fault, a medical issue away from home, a missed connection that cascades, a supplier delay. For any trip with significant non-refundable deposits, international travel, or travelers over 65, I consider it essential. I’ll review options with you before booking.

Final documents arrive 10–21 days before departure and include a digital itinerary you can pull up from your phone in transit. About 21 days out, I’ll schedule a pre-departure call with you to walk through the documents, confirm the day-one logistics, and answer any last questions before you go.

Cancellation policies vary by supplier — sometimes meaningfully. As soon as you let me know, I’ll walk you through the relevant deadlines, the supplier’s penalty structure, and whether travel insurance applies. Trey Tracy Travel also charges its own cancellation fee when a fully-booked trip is canceled, which is disclosed in the planning-fee agreement and listed on our agency invoices.