Travel Agency FAQs

Cruises (Ocean and River)

Hotels/Resorts

All-Inclusive Packages

Guided and Self-Guided Land Tours

Golf Trips

Singles Cruises

Rail Vacations (US and Europe)

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

Group Travel (sports teams, church retreats, group cruises)

Overseas Religious Group Tours

Rental Cars

Trip Insurance (even if we didn't book the trip!)

Flights

Sporting Event Tickets (professional and collegiate)

Broadway Shows

Theme Park Passes

City Passes & Attractions

Shore Excursions

Day Trip Ideas & Tickets

Expedited Passport/Visa Assistance

Long term Airport Parking & Airport Transfers

That depends! With the age of the internet, most people believe they are well equipped to handle their own bookings, and that may be true. However, the amount of information available can be overwhelming... this is where the specialization of an agent comes in handy. We have specials, education and insider tips that aren't accessible to the public. Between the 76,000 Worldwide agents in our organization, chances are if we here at Luxury and Adventure Travels haven't personally booked a trip similar to yours, we have fellow agents who have! Also, if you book through a common online search engine, your trip may have to be paid for immediately, whereas through an agent, we may be able to arrange a payment plan through a variety of vendors.

Many people do not realize that even though they are personally doing the research and booking their own trip, they are not avoiding paying a commission. Commissions are built into every online trip - whether it is through an online agency such as Expedia or directly from a supplier like Marriott or Carnival, the commissions are merely going back to the website or travel vendor they purchased their trip through. So if they spend 10 hours researching their next cruise (assume their time is worth $10/hour), they have "cost" themselves $100 to do something we can do for free! 

If you book your own vacations, you are PAYING for the services of an agent, but NOT getting the benefits!  

The short answer is "No", so long as the cruise leaves and returns to a US port. However, we highly recommend all travelers leaving US soil obtain a passport in case of emergencies. If someone in your party were to have a medical emergency and require a stay in another country or if your excursion were to run late and the ship leaves a foreign port without you, you will require a passport to regain reentry to the US.

If you require assistance in obtaining a passport, we are able to help.

10 years. It is important to check your expiration date prior to leaving for your vacation. Even though your documents are valid 10 years from the date of issue, they must still be valid at least 6 months past the return date of your trip. 

Helpful hints: Passports can be obtained at many Post Offices and Courthouses:

*Call ahead and make an appointment

*Bring a photocopy of your driver's license as well as your actual license (or bring change to make a photocopy there)

*Your original birth certificate or an officially sealed copy (they will keep this to send in with your application then it will be mailed back to you)

*Check or cash for the amount of the passport and photo (typically between $110-160, varies by state and location)

*Allow up to 8 weeks for your passport to arrive. If you need expedited service, we had a Passport/Visa partner that may be able to assist you

TSA PreCheck is a program that allows you to skip the long TSA lines at participating airports, eliminates the need to remove your shoes, laptops and 3-1-1 liquids from your carry on. To participate, simply apply  online and then report to a local IdentoGo station for a quick background check. Even though most stations accept walk-ins, I highly recommend scheduling an appointment during your online application process. The cost is $85 and the benefits are valid for 5 years. If you are a frequent flyer, this is a great program to look into. 

This is not a comprehensive list, but it's a great start to getting an accurate quote:

Names and Date of Birth for all travelers

Dates of Travel

Destination(s)

Type of travel (hotel, flights, cruise, rental car, excursions, theme park tickets, city passes...)

Membership Numbers (AAA, frequent flyer, hotel rewards, etc.)

Active Military, Fire, Law Enforcement or EMT

Budget