Gettin' hitched with nowhere to go

January 7, 2009 3:31 PM

Can anyone recommend a travel agent in Columbus, OH to help us plan our honeymoon? Do we need one? Where should we go?

My fiance and I are marrying in late July. We need to get the ball rolling on our honeymoon, but don't know where to go. We're seasoned travelers, having been all over the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe. I've never gone through a travel agent before, mostly because I can navigate the tubes and find a good deal, but this time we're looking for something a little more exotic... and of all the vacations I ever take, I want this one to go smoothly, and without complication.

So:
-Is it worthwhile to use a travel agent? Is it more or less expensive? How much better is it than going through expedia or similar?
-Where should we go on our honeymoon? We want something somewhat tropical, where we can spend time outside. We'd love to go on a zip line in a rain forest, snorkel, see a volcano, etc, but also some stress-free beach time. So far, we're thinking Costa Rica, Belize, Hawaii, or Fiji. Where else should we look?
-Know of a good travel agent in Columbus, OH or vicinity?

posted by JuiceBoxHero to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

In general, I haven't found travel agents to be super-helpful. At least in my cruise travels, many tend to be at best order-takers, or worse - people who lead you astray because they think they know more than they do.

That said, I am a fan of Virtuoso-network travel agents. It's basically an added certification. They tend to be a cut above, so they may be helpful in thinking through your options and finding the best value.

Virtuoso's website, unfortunately, isn't very consumer-oriented, but if you call them at 1-866-401-7974 they can help you find a travel agent in your area.

As for destinations ... if I'm not going on a cruise, or backpacking, I *love* Hawaii. Beautiful surroundings, great snorkeling, and really friendly, comfortable, and safe. I'm not someone who shies away from 3rd world travel, but it's really nice to be in a place that has a "normal" economy rather than a huge disparity between the resort and the local surroundings.
posted by CruiseSavvy at 3:46 PM on January 7

What is it, exactly, that a travel agent will provide that will keep things running smoothly? I'm not being snarky here -- I'm really curious.

In my experience, the stuff that can really ruin a trip -- flight delays, namely -- are completely out of the hands of a travel agent. Sure, if your flight does get delayed, they might be the first person you call... but you, too, can call the airline and arrange to be put on another flight. I'm not sure a travel agent has much more of an advantage than you do.

If you're looking for stress free, go for a packaged, possibly all-inclusive, resort like this place in the Dominican Republic. Getting there (as in, the actual travel part) is your biggest worry, and like I said earlier, an agent isn't going to keep the snow from grounding your plane. Anyway, a place like this offers everything you need within the borders of its complex. And anything you wish to do outside can be arranged by concierge, no doubt. Meals and alcohol are included in the price of your stay.

There's nothing special about this place, I don't think -- I've never personally been -- but I'm sure there are thousands more like it. Pick your destination and look around for a resort like this; the key to a smooth, worry-free trip is to reduce as many potential variables as possible -- this is exactly what an all-inclusive resort does. Be careful, though; those variables are what makes travel fun. :D
posted by nitsuj at 3:53 PM on January 7

I'm a tour operator, not a travel agent - travel agents often come to us to book trips for their clients. We work on a lot of private, custom trips, including honeymoons, for clients. People work with us because we know remote, unusual destinations inside and out (in my case, I specialize in South America) and can create and navigate itineraries that are unlikely to be found elsewhere and cater to special interests.

If you are thinking of going to just one place (say, for example, an all-inclusive hotel) and doing a package tour, you DON'T NEED a travel agent or someone like me. Do your research online, pick the package tour, and book it directly. To clarify, a package tour would be something that included just about everything - airfare, hotels, meals, activities, etc.

If you are looking to do something really different, then yeah, go to a travel agent or a tour operator like me. I've done honeymoons for people to the Galapagos, Peru, Chile - heck, all over the world, but they are honeymooners that don't want a packaged tour. They want something just for them, catering to their specific interests. I will charge you more to do something like that, because I have the expertise and you are paying for my time to do the work.

As for where to go, there are so many factors that affect your choice and mainly, they are BUDGET(I've got honeymooners who spend $5,000 each, and some who spend half that much) and time frame (2 weeks in Costa Rica gives you lots of time in-country since it's a lot closer, vs. Fiji, which will take you at least 2 to 3 days of travel to get there each way).

Good luck.
posted by HeyAllie at 5:10 PM on January 7

Thanks for the good tips so far. We'd like to avoid spending more than $5,000 total. Thanks for pointing out the time of travel for Fiji. I knew it was long, but with the international date line, that does shave some time off of our trip.

Would involving a travel agent help us mitigate a potential hurricane or other "act of god"?
I've heard summer is the "rainy season" in central america. How rainy is that? Enough to travel elsewhere instead?
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 6:00 PM on January 7

Question 1: If you are thinking of going to just one place (say, for example, an all-inclusive hotel) and doing a package tour, you DON'T NEED a travel agent or someone like me. Do your research online, pick the package tour, and book it directly

Except that depending on the package, a travel agent might have access to offers that you couldn't get online. For my honeymoon three years ago, I spent HOURS combing the web for the best price I thought we could pull it off for. I was disappointed, so I decided to visit the travel agency down the street. The agent saved us 450 bucks (combined) on airfare, 120 on car rental and got us better location for hotel than I was set to settle for. I was shocked. But I'm confident that if those prices had been available to the public, I would have found them.

You're not committed when you see a travel agent. Have something in mind, see she what he or she can do. If it's cheaper or the same through them, book with them. You might even bring in a printout of what you CAN do. If they can match it, you've got an agent behind you and you've given her/him a commission. If not, you can excuse yourself and it's obvious why you did.

Question 2: I'm no expert, but I think to might want mainland Central America, like Costa Rica or Belize where you can be on the coast and travel to inland adventure stuff. If you do consult an agent, they can help you.

Question 3: I can't help you there.
posted by Willy Wombat at 10:26 PM on January 7

We visited a travel agent today. We looked at St. Lucia, Belize and Costa Rica and ruled out Fiji and Hawaii. Based on what we discussed, it seems she would be most useful if we wanted to plan a more complicated trip. I'm not convinced she would be much help if we went to Sandals or another similar all-inclusive style resort.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 12:24 PM on January 8

For anyone who finds this post in the future, our first trip to the travel agent didn't really work out. Our second trip was much better. We used Grandview Travel and are going to an All-Inclusive resort in Costa Rica called Paradisus Playa Conchal. We can't wait!
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 4:42 PM on March 29