As travel agents, we take care of your arrangements and watch over them. On a daily basis, we get updates from various vacation destinations. This enables us to negotiate the best prices, even after you have put down a deposit. It is our responsibility to make sure you get the most affordable package. This specialized treatment isn’t available if you plan your honeymoon over the Internet, and aren’t backed by an insured agency.
WW: That has to be something unique to you. I don’t know many travel agents who do this.
Helen: Thank you. I would like to take credit, but I can’t. Those of us who have survived in the travel business are careful about what we do. We want to make sure you get the best service.
WW: What should couples know before coming to you?
Chris: The bride and groom should sit and have a honeymoon discussion session so they can talk about their expectations. They need to talk about their wants and needs as their ideas may be completely different. This conversation is especially important for the grooms who are planning a surprise honeymoon. They need to know what kind of honeymoon their bride is looking forward to. It could be a bit of a disappointment if she wants to relax and he plans for an adventurous week.
WW: Have you ever had a couple fight over a honeymoon destination?
Chris: Not a fight, but an exchange of words. Part of the reason I think is because they didn’t have that discussion to really know what the two of them were looking for. Once they come to an agreement, we can help them plan.
WW: A couple should set a budget before picking their honeymoon, right? What’s a good ballpark figure?
Helen: Not $400.
WW: No, I didn’t mean it like that, even though some people do low-ball it. They see these ads in the paper for a 3 day/2 night trip and …
Helen: And, what they see is a base price. They don’t read the fine print with all the added prices. They wonder why we can’t offer them the same deal. The reality is that there was never a trip for $395!
WW: What if someone came in with about $3000 - $3500? Is that doable?
Chris: Yes, that’s reasonable. That could get you a week in the Caribbean at an all-inclusive resort.
WW: All-inclusive is so wonderful because you’ve already shelled out all this money, and it is nice just to be able to go on vacation and not have to worry about anything. You always see all-inclusive beaches, but are there any all-inclusive mountain get-a-ways?
Helen: No, but Costa Rica is developing some all-inclusive programs. Costa Rica is a fun and a great destination because there are many things to do, but we have to talk to the couple to find out what they are looking for. Email is a wonderful source to communicate with us rather than calling up to talk about various destinations. You can’t work out all these details over the Internet, and I can’t see what you’re feeling.
WW: One mistake I think couples make is that they go off the advice of other people and then don’t go to the professional first. They may say, “I want to go on a cruise,” but may have never been on a cruise before, and a cruise may not be the perfect setting for their honeymoon. Do you recommend a cruise if they have never been on one?
Chris: What we like to do is explain what a cruise offers versus an all-inclusive. A cruise is not all-inclusive. That is a misnomer because many people think it is. A cruise is semi-inclusive; it doesn’t include alcohol and there is tipping. Therefore, there are allowances you have to make. However, if cruising is what you want, there are some beautiful balcony cabins.
WW: One other advantage people don’t know is that if they book their cruise with a travel specialist, a couple can arrange to have a dinner table to themselves instead of being placed with a bunch of people they don’t know. If they book it online, they wouldn’t have that option.
WW: Should the couple talk to their relatives about when to take their honeymoon?
Helen: More and more we are recommending, “Don’t go the day after the wedding!” You’re too tired; you’ll hate each other.
WW: Especially in the early morning. You’re trying to make a flight at six o’clock in the morning after your wedding…it’s horrible.
Helen: Those families came a long way to see you for this occasion, and you should try to fit in as much time with them as possible.
WW: I think what is happening, typically, is that the couple is planning their wedding, and they are frustrated with their families, sick of the whole process and very irritated, and thinking, “When it is time for the honeymoon I’ve got to hurry up and get away. I don’t want to be around these people.” However, the opposite happens.
Helen: You’re exactly right. I was ready to be done with the whole wedding and reception thing, but I was physically the last person to leave my reception. It was so much fun, and you realize that these people are all there for you. They love you, and you are going to want to spend time with them. And, you’re going to want to go to that brunch with them the next day.
WW:How about honeymooning with children?
Helen: There are resorts that have family programs. We are seeing more destination weddings being planned for second marriages with children.
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