I’ve enjoyed speaking with you about your travels and booking trip(s) for you for over 11 years!
Multi-City Travel Italy
I want to tell you about a shift I’ve made in my travel business, I’m specializing in complex multi-city travel trips. I have over 11 years of experience and absolutely LOVE helping busy people custom design bucket-list trips – especially multi-city trips. This includes busy people who have tried online and got too overwhelmed, or don’t have time to even START looking online.
I have extensive knowledge and experience in helping you select the perfect destinations and planning the perfect multi-city itineraries from Italy to the Greek Islands, to Hawaii. Thinking Hawaii is really a “multi-island” experience but here’s a sample itinerary:
Multi-City Travel Hawaii
PLUS I’ll save you LOTS of time and hassles (and even potentially $) while ensuring you have an incredible trip. My Clients receive ONE-STOP SHOPPING for: air, car rentals, hotels, cruises, tours, travel insurance, shore excursions, etc.
Imagine: you are going on a custom planned vacation without the stress of researching/booking/tracking every little detail!
Are you planning on taking any big trips in the next year or two? It’s never too early to start planning your big trip. If so, I’d like to offer you a complimentary “Dream Trip Design Session” to see if it makes sense to work together!
I love handling many or all of the logistical details of a multi-city trip for my busy clients, and I can do it for you. Why wait?
Looking for an Authentic Polynesian Cultural Experience in Hawaii?
Polynesian Cultural Center – real client after a “pass the stick game” Polynesian Cultural Experience Hawaii
The Polynesian Cultural Center represents an incredible authentic Polynesian cultural experience in Hawaii. The Center is located in the Northern Part of Oahu, the “Waikiki Island.”
And yes, it has a Luau! While there are many luaus in Hawaii (especially on Oahu and Maui), the Polynesian Cultural Center is different. Read on for why I recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Luau.
I normally bundle this into a package via one of my wholesalers to have everything on one itinerary/one invoice. A visit to the Center normally includes the Luau with a choice of seating/dinner experiences. For even more control, I can now offer to book exact seats offered within each tier of your Luau “experience” by working directly with the Center.
Want to drive there in a rental car? Have a shuttle pick you up at your hotel? Whatever you prefer.
Lately, I’ve been taking my clients closer to my on-the-ground tour operators. This option of working directly with the Polynesian Cultural Center is an example of how you can have even more precise control over your authentic vacation experiences.
A little more about the “Center:” Explore the Island Nations of Polynesia including:
Tonga
Tahiti
Hawaii
Samoa
Aotearoa
Fiji
via interactive exhibits. Some exhibits include: canoe paddling in a native-style outrigger canoe, Samoan cooking, Moia statues, etc. Each village offers shows, presentations giving you more insight into their cultures.
Authentic Polynesian Cultural Experience in Hawaii – The Luau
There are a lot of places in Hawaii to enjoy a Luau – especially on Oahu and Maui. At the Polynesian Cultural Center you’ll enjoy a dinner buffet and then experience the show: HA: BREATH OF LIFE.
You’ll start with your Luau dinner at your choice of three different service levels:
ALI’I LUAU BUFFET: dine in lush surrounding under a covered area
PRIME DINING BUFFET: dine in the grand dining hall with an upgraded menu
ISLAND BUFFET:Polynesian-inspired, Asian and American cuisine served in the grand Gateway Restaurant
As time goes by, I build up more experience with my own network of international contacts at the actual tour suppliers and hotels to give you precisely the experience you want.
Ha: Breath of Life Show
The evening show has a large number of performers, special effects, animation, and surround sound. You’ll experience Polynesian dance and music!
Experience the show in three levels of seating:
Ambassador
Luau
General
As always I’ll explain your options and help you select the best option for you!
Want to see my last post: how I can take you closer to the action in Norway? Click here
And, Click to learn more about how to plan a better multi-city trip.
Interested in how I stopped a 767 from taking off?
Please read on! This story started back in November of 2014. I’ll start with a quick question? Do you like the idea of someone monitoring your flights in anticipation of any problems?
The Hawaii Trip to Disney Aulani
A new client asked me about planning a sweet 16 trip to the Disney Aulani resort in Oahu, Hawaii. She invited friends and family to the party
By Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commonsat the resort and already selected flights on United Airlines. The first flight was from Newark to San Francisco; while the second flight was from San Francisco to Honolulu. From there, I arranged for multiple car rentals to take them to the resort.
This trip involved an immense amount of planning for all parties. The mother of the guest of honor extensively planned out details of an onsite party with wonderful Disney accoutrement. I advised my travel guests on the various types of accommodations both at the Disney Aulani resort and the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Villas onsite.
The flight situation in Newark
Everyone arrived bright and early at Newark International airport anticipating a long travel day! It’s a long road to Hawaii from the East Coast of the US! The pilot noticed an issue with the brakes and had to pull back to the gate. Eventually, everyone had to leave the plane and wait for hours. My crew of 21 anxious travelers re-boarded the plane and then were further delayed by paperwork as the pilot had to sign-off on the repairs. Then the plane was refueled. At last they were off – bound for San Francisco and then Hawaii by night.
I use flight aware to track my clients’ flights. I carefully watched their estimated landing time in San Francisco (SFO) and the next flight’s take-off time. Do you know when you get that sinking feeling that things are not going to work out?
Anticipating the race to get to San Francisco (SFO) for the next flight
As I watched flight aware to track both flights, I was losing confidence that my 21 people could make the next flight. I called both Untied Vacations and United Air Lines looking for help! Not knowing what to do after speaking with a United Vacations Rep. I called United Airlines directly and asked if it was possible to delay the take-off of the next flight. A representative at United said he’d call SFO airport management. The rep, came back and said they could hold the flight for 30 minutes. Adding that on to the already slight delay for the next flight to Hawaii was just enough time for my clients to board the next flight. I felt like a rock star super hero as one of my people let me know that they made it on the next flight! My clients were keeping in touch with me via cell phones, emails and Facebook. Hooray, look at what I’ve accomplished!!! But my celebration was premature.
The flight situation in San Francisco
B767 By FcoRiveros2000 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Everyone made it on board hoping their luggage was with them too! This plane was a Boeing 767 loaded with lots of personal entertainment gear and a lot more fun technology than the plane for the flight across the US. Bear in mind that no one had really had a meal since very early in the day. My main contact let me know that they had to go back to the gate due to another strange sound (second time in one day for this group). After arriving back at the gate the pilot thought they could take off again – maybe. Some passengers onboard became irate and there was some degree of screaming and crying. Finally, all passenger had to leave the plane and wait at the gate hoping they could once again be en-route to Hawaii that night.
What to do after the flight is cancelled
It was just past 6:30 pm California time when my buddy called me from the gate to tell me the flight was cancelled. The on-line flight tracker showed the flight as over the Pacific Ocean from the first time it pushed back from the gate. Now what? There was a 767 full of passengers angry that they were not going to Hawaii and many of them not making it to the Disney Aulani Resort for their first night in Paradise!
My clients were commanded to wait in line to rebook their flights/pick-up meal vouchers/receive hotel and transfer accommodations. I had already looked at other airlines with flights out that night but it was getting later and United Airlines had re-booked all of my guests for a flight early the next morning.
TIP: if an airline cancels your flight, you have the right to demand that they put you on another carrier’s flights. They are NOT going to tell you this and it may not work but I want you to know you can always ask…Or ASK me!
AND, the luggage never made it on to the original plane from SFO to Hawaii. Again, all of the flights were re-booked for the next morning on the same flight. I started pulling up everyone’s United reservations and reviewing their seat assignments to share with the group.
The line for hotels lasted for hours with only 4 reps. to take care of all of the logistics for the night. Some of my clients elected to sleep in the United Terminal to avoid the stress of catching to shuttles and checking into a hotel at who knows what time!
The next day
Photo courtesy of Michelle Kraft Cook
The flight from SFO to Honolulu went off early the next morning with little delays transporting my guests to beautiful Hawaii. The Disney Aulani resort was waiting for them.
While the car rentals were supposed to have been on hold for 24 hours after the first flight was supposed to land, at least one of my clients had issues picking up their car.
To top it off, a client could not find his license after landing in Honolulu. With no license, I advised him to switch over the car rental to his wife, BUT how was he supposed to board the flight home? Turns out that that is a story in and of itself. (He actually found his license but after much effort I can tell you how to board a plane IF you lose your ID.) The DMV assured me that there was no way they could get a replacement license to Hawaii in time for his return trip home.
FINALLY, all of my clients eventually got to Aulani and their rooms were waiting for them!
Trip Insurance as a remedy
Now that everyone has returned from Hawaii, I still have 21 clients who lost their first night at Disney Aulani Resort and also multiple car rentals which lost one night of use. As everyone had trip protection insurance, I initiated claims for their trips after they returned home. Now, they all need is proof from United Airlines that the flight was cancelled in order to file their claims…I’m waiting for that to come in.
Hear comments from my clients before they left Hawaii:
What can planning your vacation with Daydream Excursions give you that you can’t get from Google and the Internet?
Intelligent buying decisions.
Google or “the Internet” is great for ideas, but planning with a real Travel Professional provides:
1) Sense of the flood of travel information for you to select the RIGHT travel products to create your optimal vacation experience. Is that travel promo on the Internet what you really want? Will the Internet tell you if it’s the right trip for you? A “good deal” on a horrible vacation is NOT a good deal at all.
Travel Ad
2) All of the components that make up your entire vacation experience (booking a cruise, tour, or resort is merely the beginning of the process). For instance, if you’re going to Rome, will the Internet tell you how to visit the Vatican without waiting in a three-mile line? Perhaps, but Daydream Excursions makes it EASY for you by taking care of all those behind-the-scenes details. I strive to understand what kind of experience you’d like to enjoy on your trip and then make it happen for you.
STORY ONE: Someone told me that he is booking his own trip to Atlantis, Paradise Island, for under $2,000 for the entire trip. Really? Try eating in Atlantis with OR without a meal plan and see what happens to my frequently-mentioned, “total cost to come home!”
3) A single point of contact, travel concierge, or “vacation guardian” across ALL of your trip elements. Who are you going to contact with ALL of your questions or last minute changes?? ME! Is the Internet running your vacation through a series of quality checks and making sure that everything is OK before you leave?
STORY TWO: A honeymoon couple traveling to Hawaii for an Island-hopping custom honeymoon wanted to do a shark cage dive off of the North Coast of Oahu. Right before departure, the tour operator informed me it was best to change the time to decrease the chance of the tour being canceled due to rough seas. I was able to advise my clients one day prior to leaving and make the changes with their approval- and they did not miss their dive!
4) Time for you to evaluate your options in an interactive and relaxed manner. Online, you are presented with “click to buy now!” When working with Daydream Excursions, you can book individual travel elements when YOU are ready. (If any travel components need to get booked right away, I’ll courteously let you know.) Are you asked to pay the full cost upfront for a vacation that may be months away? I can usually just take a reasonable deposit on your trip. (No high pressure sales tactics here!)
DON’T click now! I’d love to have a conversation with you first…
