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Welcome to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint! I’m a former Spanish teacher turned travel advisor, passionate about curating unforgettable experiences. My expertise lies in European adventures (with a special love for Spain), cruising, and all-inclusive Caribbean getaways. I specialize in creating tailored trips for families, multi-generational groups, and teachers—whether they’re traveling solo, with colleagues, or leading student groups.
In this podcast, we celebrate the joy of travel, uncover hidden gems, share practical tips and tricks, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Each episode features inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from all walks of life as they share their unique travel stories, lessons, and favorite destinations. Whether you're planning your next getaway or simply love to dream about the possibilities, this is your place to explore the world from wherever you are.
Let’s embark on this journey together! 🌍✈️
Luxury travel isn't just about five -star hotels. It's about elevating your journey with the right partnerships. Today, we're pulling back the curtain on what truly makes a trip seamless, also memorable and worth every penny. And we're doing it with someone who lives in the world of curated, high -end travel experiences. Hi, everyone. I'm Sheryl, host of Sheryl's Travel Blueprint, and I'm here today with Francisco Reyo from Classic Vacations. So, hi Francisco, thank you so much for joining us. Can you tell us a little bit about what you do and your background in travel? Yes, of course. Well, Cheryl, first of all, thank you for this invitation. You know, I've been seeing some videos and some of the clips that you've been able to put out over the last couple of weeks and it's just a really great opportunity to be here, talk to your platform, talk to your audience and and just give them some really nice insights in travel because, you know, December's here, travel season's coming up, Thanksgiving just passed, Christmas is coming up, so everyone wants to go travel somewhere, especially to get away from the cold weather. So a little bit about myself. I've actually been in this travel industry for seven years. I started back in 2019 working with travel advisors. And since then, I haven't been able, I haven't left the industry. And that's something that I really enjoy, whether it's on trade shows, doing sales calls, or even events in fam trips in destination. I've always been able to work with travel advisors. I used to work on the hotel side at a company called Charisma Hotels and Resorts. I was with them for almost five years and now with Classic Vacations at Tour Operator side, which now we are able to really sell the entire world. So you go from a group of hotels to now selling the entire world. It's an amazing opportunity. And now with Classic in a few days, I'm actually coming up towards my, you know, two year anniversary. So it's great. Congratulations. Yes. Thank you. A fun fact. about myself. I used to be a Disney cast member. So that was my first experience in travel. I was able to go to a Disney cast members college, uh, college program in Orlando. Uh, when I was on my third year of college, I worked at the art of animation. I did that for three months and that's where you really embrace service and what, you know, what the client goes to, to being those parks, to being those hotels, you know, it really takes a lot from a family to be in there. And that's where you really value what clients do to get there. And it challenges you to give you best service as well. Oh, that's amazing. I did not know that. That's I think we could probably do a whole episode just talking about that. Oh, yes. And, you know, this is one of those companies that, you know, they're always opening new parks and new attractions. And it's always you know, it's always more things to do. And since I was a cast member there every year, I tend to come back to Disney. But it's funny because we always me and my wife always come back to it. And what we do is, I'm a big Dolphins fan too, so NFL fans out there hearing this, I'm a big Miami Dolphins fan. And so what we do, the first year that we did it, we actually went to a Dolphins game first and then we went to Disney. But the funny thing was, you know, my wife was super stressed because the Dolphins were not playing well. At some point they won, which was good, which is like, we're not doing Dolphins first. We're doing Disney first and then we'll finish off watching your Dolphins and just don't care about the outcome. I don't want you to stress it this way. Definitely. Definitely. The right move. This idea has worked out since then. I cannot complain. Very cool. So let's talk a little bit about Classic Vacations. And I know that it's one of the suppliers that I look to for inspiration, pretty much. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Yes. So Classic is a true operator company. So what we do is we were able to partner with travel advisors across the U . S. and Canada to offer them packages that they can use to offer to their clients. So that could be a flight, hotel, travel protection, tours, transportation. So we're basically your one -stop shop. Now, one of the things that makes us unique is that we strictly work with travel advisors. As a tour operator company, we really have over 250 plus staff members that are just there for travel advisors. And one of the best things of working with Classic 2 is The time we've been in business has been over 48 successful years and we started once as Classic Hawaii back in the day and then we've been able to continue to expand across different markets and nowadays we're actually offering over 100 different destinations. So if you're a client listening in and looking for that next experience When Cheryl partners with us, we're going to be able to offer you your dream vacation. You know, we've seen it over the last couple of years. A lot of bucket list vacations are coming to reality, whether it's Europe, whether it's Africa, Asia. the Pacific as well. There's so many opportunities and we live in a world that it's so easy to take a flight, take a 10 hour flight, 12 hour flight, get to your destination. There's so much connectivity and that's what we do well, giving you the best hotels, the best transportation companies, the best flight options, because what we carry are always going to be four, four and a half and five star hotels across those 100 different destinations. So when you're working with us, you're really getting quality in what you're, you know, especially if you as a client have invested so much money and time on that yearly vacation, you're going to be matched to your ideal hotel when you work with us. Wonderful. Okay, so during this episode today, we're going to be talking about insider trends, destinations that are gaining traction, what makes your itineraries different at classic vacations, and how travelers can elevate their next vacation with expert planning. So that's what we're going to talk about today. So what excites you the most about working with travel advisors? You know, with travel advisors, I think the most exciting part is that you're always learning from travel advisors. Like, I remember when I used to work on the hotel side, I used to only sell, it was around 23 different hotels that we were selling. But when you're talking to a travel advisor, the knowledge that all of you carry from different hotels, different destinations, it challenges you to continue to learn about those destinations that you have not gone there. And, you know, that's one of the most exciting parts, always learning from travel advisors and always the eagerness and the, you know, the opportunities to always travel around the world. I have never met a travel advisor that's only been to one hotel or one destination. It's always hundreds of destinations, hundreds of hotels around the world, different fan trip opportunities. So really working with someone full of knowledge of the destinations that they're selling you You know, I'm not going to lie. being in this industry for seven years, I've had travel advisors actually plan my vacations, you know, give me suggested itineraries because even though I And a fun fact about me, I actually live in Mexico, so I live in Cancun, so I'm very close to the hotels and I know a lot of the hotels. It's always so great to hear from a different point of view, from someone that's been to different hotels, been to different destinations. So that's one of the most exciting parts of my job. It's just knowing, okay, you're working with someone that they're always looking to learn more about the destination, about trends. And, you know, there's never an easy day in the life of a travel advisor either. And that's also really great to know because there's never a comfort zone. There's always finding the best for the clients, always fighting for clients, you know, always doing fam trips. So always working with people that inspire you to be better. It's a blessing to work with travel advisors. Well, that's great to hear. And I love, you know, I've called, you know, I've called in sometimes and talked to your salespeople and when I'm planning an itinerary and it's, oh, it's really great. It's very... it's just I guess because we have one thing that we have in common is that we just love travel and then it is just it when you listen to like I'm thinking if I were listening to this conversation from the outside I think that these people were planning their own trip because there's just so much excitement and um I don't know just when you when you're when you're talking about all these great places that you want to plan for your for your clients it's just you know it's just I don't even know how to describe it. You know as a travel advisor too It's like you're not only selling a vacation, you're going back in time, remembering that experience. that you're now telling your client that they should do. And when you have the capability of going back into your memories, into your past trips, it gives you such a beautiful way of not just closing a sale for a client, you're really looking for what they best fit, you know, what they're looking for. OK, and I'm going to switch gears just a little bit and ask you about what makes classic vacation stand out. For example, do you have is there a mission or a philosophy that you go by? Yes. You know, one of the things, especially in our market, is there is not a lot of tour operators left out there that strictly work with travel advisors. So our mission or vision is always to empower the travel advisor to help them grow their business. to help them deliver the best vacations for their clients. And that's why all of our staff that it's in there from the reservation teams, which the reservation teams can give you suggested itineraries. They can walk you through different destinations. They can really look for what's best for your client when you're calling in and trying to get some advice from someone. You have a lot of marketing content as well available for you to go out there and send, you know, emails to your clients, high quality videos and pictures of hotels. So a lot of the things that we do is to benefit the travel advisor to have a successful business. And not a lot of companies can say that. And what we put in front of our sales, in front of our team members, is always a travel advisor. And putting a travel advisor in the best situation to deliver the perfect vacation to your client, which is what we want. We want to have our number one client be happy because if our number one client is happy, then we know your number one client, which is anyone out there looking for a vacation, is having a great time enjoying it. And we as travel advisors really appreciate that. That makes our lives a lot easier for sure. So I know, and you kind of alluded to this, those are kind of some of the things that makes it kind of magical, like the local relationships with the advisors, with, you know, the people on the ground that are making all of these things happen, on the ground support, and, you know, the itineraries, and it just, you know, I just think, Those are the things that make the magic happen, just having all of the tools available. One of the things too, in over my two years here in the company, I've been blessed enough to travel to a lot of different hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean, and maybe a lot of people find the same experience, but what I've been finding is when you go to these hotels, People recognize, I'm putting the company aside, people recognize that this was a booking done through Classic Vacations. And one of the things that really stands out with us, it's the years in business. Again, 48 successful years that we've been able to work with travel advisors, working on those client vacations. When a client goes to a hotel, And it's booked through Classic Vacations. The hotel knows the importance of what they need to do to make that stay extra special. You know, one of the things that we always see with Classic is there's going to be an amenity at some point or maybe a note. I mean, If you out there want to work on a honeymoon or even an engagement vacation, you know, talk to Cheryl and Cheryl will talk to us so we can get her in contact with a hotel because there's always that line of communication that we're always telling the hotel about our clients. Why? Because these are the small touches that make the difference. I actually had my first year anniversary back in January of this year. I booked it through Classic with an advisor that helped me. We stayed at Impression Moshe for three nights. Beautiful hotel. and I remember we got into the room and there was a cake that said happy anniversary and you know to me it was like oh wow like those special touches and of course my wife was like literally about to cry of the excitement of what's gonna happen throughout the vacation and little things throughout the entire vacation came together and and that's the power of working with a travel advisor too is when a travel advisor partners with a great company there's always going to be that communication and there's always going to be that I want to look out and make sure that the hotel or the partner knows about your special celebration. So, you know, that's that's one of the big parts of when you work in Classic, just the relationships and the partnerships with a lot of these hotels that are going to be hosting you. Yeah, and that's that magic that I was just talking about. That's why travel advisors love partnering with Classic and just those special touches. Those are really important. And I know that, just like what you were saying, I've experienced little amenities when I've gone on trips. And when people recognize things, it might not seem like a lot, but it really does make a difference. I remember it was my birthday and I didn't I wasn't expecting anything, but I got back to the hotel and, you know, and it was just had this birthday surprise. And I was like, wow, that is that is so special, you know. But, you know, Cheryl, one of the things, too, is, you know, the client, the client has invested so much money, time, you know, even permission from word to out of the office for five, six days. Those little touches really helps them also, you know, helps the client feel welcome, feel like they're in a very family orientated hotel. And the best part is they're going to come back to you and they want to want to plan your next vacation just because of those magical moments. Because I think that that tells them that, you know, they're being seen. They see you. They recognize you. They think they're thinking about you. And, you know, who could ask for more? Those are important things. So why don't we talk a little bit about trending destinations? I like that subject. Yeah, I do, too. I love it. So what are some destinations that are currently rising in popularity? You know, I feel like it hasn't been too long ago. but it feels like it's been too long ago that italy is that hottest place in europe everyone wants to go to italy and and if you look back at it this this trend started like a year and a half ago it hasn't been that long but everyone is going to italy and and you know it's a very romantic country a lot of different cities that are very romantic but there's a lot of places in europe that cannot be left behind you know greece mykonos is one of the most beautiful places i've seen you also had spain which is up and coming portugal as well so europe is always a hot destination Now one of the things that we've also seen in the market is Hawaii. Again with us, since the company is actually from Hawaii, well that's where the company was started when we were launched in the market, there's a lot of people that go to Hawaii and one of the nice things of going to Hawaii too is that you don't need a passport. you know if you're in the US you just go to Hawaii it's another It's another state in the U .S. S. And with Hawaii, too, you can do multi -island. There's a lot of people that rent a car and they're going from island to island and just going to different hotels. And then, of course, you have Mexico, the Caribbean. You know, if you're looking for that destination wedding for that social group, you know, one of the one of the big types of groups that we have seen, especially this last year and a half, has been pickleball groups. You know, it's it's funny to see how pickable has gotten so popular in the U . S. and a lot of these hotels they used to have tennis courts and they always were empty because it's always 90 degrees here in Cancun but now they're putting pickable courts and you see people playing in the middle of 90 degree weather getting competitive it's just an amazing trend so Mexico and Caribbean for all inclusives are a great, you know, are a great market. And then one of the hottest destinations that we actually just launched last year was Africa. We've seen a lot of trends into people going to safaris in Africa. So, you know, there's a little bit of everything. And what I always tell people is even though maybe this year you're going to Europe, you really wanted to go to Africa. You know, don't, don't put it out there as something impossible. Go in there with a mindset, enjoy the destination that you went to, and then just start your financial plans. Start saving up for that vacation. You know, put down a deposit of maybe a trip that it's coming in towards a year and a half out and start putting money together and get that dream vacation going. Absolutely. You know, another thing that people have been talking about is, you know, especially with the whole issue with cities that are overwhelmed with tourists and now people are looking for these second city destinations. I think of Barcelona when I think of cities that are oversaturated with travelers and people not being able to get necessarily as authentic of a vacation that they want. Can you think of any under the radar destinations that might be of interest to people? Yes. I mean, it's going to depend on what the client is looking for. So, for example, the Caribbean. There is a lot of islands. For example, I was just in Aruba two weeks ago. We had our national sales meeting there and I've never been to Aruba. Little did I know that I was going to fall in love with it. Why, you know, I'm used to seeing beach areas and everything. So there's a lot of these islands that have some really wonderful four, four and a half and five star hotels. There's Aruba, there's St. Lucia as well, Curacao. So there's a lot of these destinations that they're not necessarily on top of mind of the client, but those are destinations that exist. For example, if you go to Mexico, yes, Cancun, Riviera Maya might seem saturated, but everything is very well spread out. that you don't have to worry about bumping into people versus going to like a Barcelona, which is, you know, a city where it's concentrated, everything in the center. There's a lot of, you know, activities in Europe and maybe with Classic, we don't really, we don't really sell it. Well, we actually have some cruises available with Scenic, but there's a lot of cruise opportunities that I've seen, you know, clients do because they're not just necessarily going to one city. they're going to different countries throughout this cruise that gives them the opportunity to stop at different ports, maybe buy a tour when they get to a port. So to avoid that, you know, know, that worry feeling of going to a city that might be oversaturated, maybe think of a cruise, you know, with tours involved. Yeah, for sure. And I know some of the things that travelers are really, I don't know if trending is the right word, but things that travelers appreciate now more than in the past is experiences over Just, you know, checking where's opposite. Yes. Yeah. But, you know, talking about experiences and you mentioned a great point. Hotels are now offering tons of experiences on their actual hotel stay. Because a lot of times you touched on a great point before, it's just a hotel stay. Here's a list of activities. Here's a pool. Here's a beach. That's it. Now hotels are going for experiences, whether it's live music, whether it's rum tastings in Jamaica, whether it's cookie classes in Mexico. There's a lot of opportunities to just get to know the culture, you know, Mexican nights, Dominican Republic nights, or even in Europe. Maybe the hotel already has a lot of history and a lot of culture. just because of the hotel but there's a lot of tours available i know as a company we partner with a tour company called project expedition and they offer worldwide tours And the list of tours that are there are just fascinating because these are tours that I didn't even know they existed, but they really give the opportunity of the client to leave the hotel, especially in Europe, this applies a lot, to go do a tour and get to explore the city instead of going on your own and just trying to figure out what to do next. So, you know, experiences, it is a thing. And with experiences as well, the market is adapting. The hotels are adapting because they want the client to stay in their hotel. So what do they do? They're investing a lot of money on entertainment. They're investing a lot of moment in those special moments that could happen at the hotel. And that makes us all winners because we all benefit from them, you know, trying to... Especially because you're recommending the hotel. Yes, indeed. And another thing that I see, I think is a trend, but I hope it's just it's going to be have some longevity is sustainability. That's been a big, a big topic lately as well. Do you have a do you have you noticed? Yes, no. And one of the cool things with sustainability that I that I know a lot of hotels is they have their own solar panels. And that's something that I know from my past job where I worked at. We had some hotels that we actually used solar energy, the sun energy to actually warm up the water from the spot. So there was a lot of that experience. And I see a lot of hotels continue to adapt that. You know, if you think about it, too, a lot of these hotels, they have a roof and they're always empty. So now they're starting to put a lot of these solar panels. You know, one of the things that I saw in my past job, too, we had a hotel that we actually had a turtle program. So basically, this was actually an experience with guests. If they wanted to be a part of it, they were helping the turtles making it to the ocean. Because a big problem, too, is that if the turtle doesn't have the human help there, you know, 90 percent of those turtles that have just been born, they're not going to make it to the ocean and continue to reproduce themselves. So. There's a lot of sustainability and you know, if I'm a client, I challenge you to go to their website and find out more information of what they do. items are being done. You know, simple things like plastic versus, you know, paper. You know, there's a lot of things that you're going to be able to see that hotels are doing, because if everyone makes an effort, we can make a difference. Absolutely, absolutely. So it sounds like you probably have lots of stories about experiences that clients or travelers rave about with classic vacations. Can you think of any in particular? So there's a lot of them and one of the things that you know, that we do as a company, and this goes back to tons of great feedback I've seen, I've heard from advisors, is that when you book a five -star hotel for any client out there, you know, it could be anywhere in the world, What we do is we're going to be sending an automatic email to the hotel in which we're copying the travel advisor to the hotel, letting them know that the guests are VIP. And of course, everyone is VIP. But here is us, the tour operator, your biggest partner, sending that email to the hotel. And then we copy you. Why? Because by copying you, you're able to really let them know extra details that they need to know. You know, we ask them to extend extra amenities and just making them aware of that reservation. But then the travel advisor goes in and says, you know, not only are they VIP, they're also celebrating their 25th anniversary. These are things that you combine that action that we do for, again, for anyone that is going above and beyond for their vacation. And the result is amazing. You know, one of the things that we see hotels is they're very involved, too. I've seen guests just going, showing up to the main lobby and then you have the general manager and the staff members there. And they're just, you know, greeting the guests, hugging them, making them feel welcome. So that happens across the different hotels that we have in different destinations. And there's nothing but great feedback. And the way that I know that it's been successful is that I see the same clients booking with the same travel advisor six months later, seven months later, because they we're enjoying an amazing experience so whether it's anniversaries and what I tell you is if you're a client out there it's never too late to celebrate something find an excuse to celebrate whether it's life whether it's maybe your birthday maybe you weren't able to travel on your actual birthday you were off by two or three weeks celebrate your birthday again you've earned it you know let your travel advisor know because we'll make sure to deliver the message to the hotel and you know the the results are just endless and And again, if anyone is looking for that perfect location and then you find it and then you add it to the service, there's nowhere where you shouldn't be other than that hotel. Excellent advice. Excellent advice. Well, before we jump into the next question, if you're enjoying this episode, make sure to subscribe to Cheryl's Travel Blueprint so you never miss insider tips, expert interviews and destination deep dives that will help you travel smarter. So hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening. So why don't we talk a little bit about the advisor supplier partnership, okay? And why it matters to use a travel advisor instead of booking online, because I know a lot of people say, why do I need a travel advisor? I can just go online. What do you say to that? You know, it's going back into why I work with travel advisors. When you're working with a travel advisor, they're not just looking to a sale, which is what you're going to get online. You're going to go online and whatever you search, you're going to close it. The travel advisor is going to bring in their expertise, their vision, their recommendations. You're having someone that is going to find the best for you and your family based on where they have gone, the hotels that they visited based on their partnerships as well with their suppliers and hoteliers. But it doesn't end there. And that's what a lot of, you know, what one of the things that I always stress when you're working with a travel advisor, when you're booking online, it just ends when you pay for a booking and that's it. You pay for it. That's your vacation and you're going to travel and that's it. That's the last thing you're going to hear from the online platform that you book you with. When you're working with a travel advisor, the experience is from the moment that you contact your travel advisor all the way until after you conclude your travel. Why? Because you never know what's going to happen. A travel advisor is always going to be looking out for you, whether it is on trends, whether it is on airline delays, or maybe your flight was canceled. You're going to have your travel advisor that is going to help you through those changes, through those hard times, which right now I'm knocking on wood. You never go through those. whenever there's because no one likes to think about issues or cancellations but these are things that could happen and when you're working with a travel advisor when you're booking a vacation with them it also includes your satisfaction throughout the entire service and the service doesn't end by just closing a sale it ends until you come back from that trip and you're home and of course you're giving that five -star review to your travel advisor so That's what I always tell people. And I can recommend you tons of travel advisors. I'll recommend you right now to reach out to Cheryl. She'll make sure to give you your best quotes. your best vacation. But remember, Cheryl is always going to look out for you throughout the entire process and no one does that. Just a really great qualified travel advisor. Well, thank you. And, you know, and I think that's the best part of this job is the relationships that you form with people. You get to know what people, you have to get to know them in order to be able to recommend things to them. And so, you know, it's just about relationships and making people happy and sharing the gift of travel with people. It's just, I don't know what it is about it, but it's just, even though I'm not the one taking the trips, I still It just makes me happy just thinking about all of these places and, you know, thinking about the fun that those people are going to have and and the stories that they're going to be able to tell when they come back. So and like you said, just being their advocate is so important. And and that's that's something that they can't get from an online booking. And, you know, with so many and with so many flight delays and so many, you know, hotels out there, like even if you go online and you search a destination or a city, 200, 300 hotels might pop up and it's like, where do I start? You know, for me, what's important is the beach. It's a swim up bar, maybe by the pool or that they have nine entertainment. Why bother investing time in researching, in going through the websites when you can hire a travel advisor that based on what you're looking for, they're going to think about 10 hotels on top of mine based on their experience of what best fits you. Absolutely. And that's another thing about partnering with Classic Vacations because they can help travel advisors create those seamless, stress -free journeys. And it's so nice because they can help us as travel advisors. You guys help us when we're looking for inspiration, we can look to you as well. Like if it's a place that I don't know, I know that I can talk to you and get more information if it just happens to be a place that I'm not familiar with. And one of the things that makes us unique too is that The people that are helping the travel advisor book the client's vacations, they're qualified to sell the destinations that you're looking for. You know, we have Hawaii specialists, Europe specialists, Africa specialists. So we want to partner up with travel advisors based on what the travel advisor heard from their client that's important for their vacation. to make sure that we're delivering that perfect hotel or even that perfect tour. Because that's also another thing, experiences. We're not talking about a hotel. We're also talking about, okay, I also want to leave the hotel and do something cultural. I want to go out there and play golf or I want to go out there and I want to do a tour. So it's not just booking a hotel, it's literally booking an entire vacation for a client. And there's a lot of components to that. Yeah, and I think you mentioned before you were talking about partnering with different people to provide those excursions and you talked about the hotels that are now starting to offer experiences as well. So those are all, you know, those are all tools in the toolkit that help us, you know, help us make them have a great vacation. So why don't we talk a little bit about planning tips and what travelers should know. Do you have advice for travelers when they're in the process of thinking about their next vacation? I'm very visual. I love visual. So, you know, I'm one that I'm open. going, you know, to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and just searching their trending destinations or best beaches. If I see something visual, I fall in love with it. And there's a lot of content out there from blogs. There's podcasts like this one that you, but you need to match everything together to come into one conclusion. Why? Because yes you might have a nice beautiful beach on the video that you saw but maybe you go to a podcast or you go to a blog and maybe there's not a good review on that hotel. So what I recommend everyone in the audience is first look for that visual because that's where your luck is going to start and once you have a hotel in mind or so you know start investigating about that hotel. Now Putting the package together, don't do that. Work with Cheryl, work with a travel advisor to do all of that for you. Don't even take a look at pricing. You have a travel advisor that can give you even their advice. Maybe you come in and you know, one of the things that I recommend clients do is come in and prepare to talk to a travel advisor. Why? Because you want to learn from the travel advisor to see if maybe what you're thinking of, it's a good idea, or maybe it's not, because maybe it's not, that is not good, but there's a better option out there. And that is where you come into place, learning a little bit about the destinations, researching about podcasts, reviews, and then talk to your travel advisor to make sure that you're getting that vacation right. Words of wisdom. Do you think there's a disconnect or a difference between what people think luxury travel is versus what it actually means? I feel like there is kind of a disconnect. And I'll tell you why. So luxury, of course, can be determined with five star hotels, you know, bucket list destinations. But what I've seen over the last year, you know, strong amenities and, you know, history on the hotel. But what I've seen over the last year is that luxury is subject to perception. Maybe for someone, luxury is Just having a swim up suite overview of the beautiful ocean of the beach and for a client that could be luxury. And I feel like it's our obligation to not tell a client that's not luxury, but to make sure that we're delivering what luxury is for them. So that really, really helps set the standard, especially over this last year, because there's a lot of concepts of luxury, but I feel like. whatever luxury is for you and if that's going to make you happy and if that is going to take you outside of your stress outside of your routine and really enjoy a vacation move forward with what luxury is for you because there's tons of different types of luxury and i think the perfect example it's like when you go to a cruise you go to a cruise and it's formal dinner and then you see people on shorts or a polo but you know for them maybe you know that's how they want to be and that's for them what's luxury is because maybe they're in a suit every day going to work So, you know, it's always so subject to perception. But if what your term of luxury is going to help you relax and enjoy whatever you're enjoying with your family and your vacation, that should be luxury. You shouldn't be told what luxury is. Absolutely. And I think that goes back to what we were talking about before with relationships, knowing what your clients want that can help them them, help you give them that, you know, whatever their idea of luxury is. Not your idea, but theirs. So going back, yeah, just going back to knowing what they want and having a relationship with them so you can be able to be able to do that for them. So I was going to ask, oh, what do you think is the best time for a client to book a vacation? Ooh, that's a good one. So I feel like the best time is when you, and I do this all the time in my personal life. Whenever I'm motivated, whenever I feel like I need to get out of my routine or maybe get out of my comfort zone at work, whenever I see an amazing image that makes me wanna, or a video that makes me wanna jump off my seat and say I wanna be there, that is where normally I'm putting a deposit. for my next vacation. Maybe that's not the best advice. Maybe I'll tell you planning your vacation ahead of time is the best advice, but I'm an emotional person when it comes to vacation and selling. So I tell you, if your gut tells you, call your travel advisor and book that vacation. Because a lot of times, remember, especially if you do it six months ahead or seven months ahead you don't have to pay in full at the time of reservation you know you can put down a deposit and then once you have your deposit down you have something to work with to start saving up for that vacation so now if you want to look at the other side you know if you plan ahead you know a year and a half up to even sometimes two years you're probably going to get a really good deal So make sure that, you know, you're also planning ahead to get good, good deals. You know, there's no perfect timing. And, you know, especially if you want to save a little bit more money, try to travel outside of the high seasons. You know, for example, summer is a high season for families. Why? Because kids are out from school. Christmas, it's, you know, very high demand because everyone is leaving. Thanksgiving as well, too. So if you can look outside of that, you could probably find a better deal. But again, if you feel like it's time to travel and you have maybe vacation days at work and you see this really inspiring video, then go for it. I love that answer. It's that whatever is the right time for you is the right time, right? Yes. Okay. And I think it's also important just to be flexible with if you can, to be flexible with your dates and to be flexible, maybe even with the cities that you're thinking about visiting, you know, like, like we were talking about earlier, you know, if you have a certain city that you want to go to, there's cities that are similar, like if it's a oversaturated, you know, there's, there's alternatives to those kinds of cities. And that's why it's always good to have that travel advisor relationship, because they can, they'll be in your corner, they can do that research for you. Yes, be open to suggestions, too. Be open to suggestions. Yes, indeed. Absolutely. OK, so I have I guess we call it we sometimes call it the rapid fire round. I have a few questions for you. All right. What's your favorite destination for food? Oh, you know, I don't I don't like to be biased. I love Mexico. If I go to Mexico City, I can eat breakfast like amazing breakfast and maybe 20 different types of breakfast. You have tacos, you have Mexican food, and then you also have access to international food. So a price. with Mexico City. That might sound boring, but that's where I had the best food ever. Oh, whatever is, you know, if it's good, that's not boring. Can you think of a hotel that surprised you? I'm going to have to go. I was in St. Lucia, I think like two or three months ago, and I stayed in the Windjammer. landings and one of the things that blew my mind is that the actual we stayed in a villa and basically it's a high -rise villa so it's in a mountain so every time that we open like the balcony of the villa the view is just it's an amazing view from literally the middle of the mountain you're seeing all the landscape the beach area high rises All the catamarans in there. So that really, really blew my mind, especially with St. Lucia having so many pythons, which are mind -blowing just seeing there. And I live in Cancun where everything is flat, like the ocean and the beach is flat. There's no mountains and everything. So that was really eye -opening. And I've been to other destinations, but that one, just staying there and just opening the balcony every day and seeing that view from the high rise, it's amazing. Beautiful. OK, what was your most memorable travel moment? Oh, you know, maybe my wife's not hearing me, but I have to go when I got engaged. Well, that was probably my favorite vacation and my most memorable moment. And she was also a cast member at Disney. That's where we kind of met. And we actually got engaged at Disney. Yeah, you guessed it. Wow. So we got to meet Chad Epcot and we, during that trip, we did four nights at Disney for four parks and two nights at Universal for two parks. So you can imagine how tired we finished after that. For sure. Oh, well, that's unforgettable for sure. What's one underrated destination you wished more people would ask about? Oh, that's definitely Tahiti or Fiji. I just haven't been there, but I've seen so much promotional and so much talk when I talk to travel advisors about it. And just thinking about those overwater bungalows. That's just the perfect romantic experience that anyone needs to go to, and especially the crystal clear water too. So those two destinations, they're great opportunities if you can go. Wow. I just feel like getting on a plane right now. Don't tell me that because I'll book my vacation at... Oh, seriously, I'm, I'm due for a vacation. So, so I am, I am looking at some options right now. Jesus. So, um, So basically, I guess, in closing, do you have any final words of travel wisdom for us? I recommend everyone to challenge yourself to travel around the world. There's so many incredible destinations, so many cultures to learn from, so many cuisines to try. There's tons of opportunities and the connectivity is there. You know, take a look at where you currently live. There's international airports. You can take a plane and just take a direct flight anywhere you want to. There's so much connectivity, challenge yourself to get to know around the world. That's what I'm going to be doing over the last five, 10 years. Just travel, get to know the world because there's so many different experiences out there. And it's also good as well to come back home and even brag about those experiences and share with your friends. ones, with your friends, how easy it is to get there. So always do that. Make sure that you have an opportunity to travel around the world with or without your family. And always have a travel advisor help you organize a vacation, because even though there's so much access online with, you know, on Google, TikTok or, you know, social media, You always need that person to guide you because it could be overwhelming. There's a lot of hotels out there. There's a lot of tours out there. There's a lot of options out there. Let a travel advisor guide you through the process because you're not just paying for a vacation. You're paying for an experience and a service that the travel advisor is providing you. OK. Beautiful words of wisdom. I thank you so much. Thank you for your expertise and your partnership with with my travel agency, and I'm looking forward to spending more time getting to know you and working together. Yes, of course. I look forward to it. Everyone have an amazing day. And thank you, Cheryl, for this invitation to come to your podcast or video. I appreciate you coming. And I want to say to the audience that's listening, thank you for tuning in. And if today's conversation inspired you to elevate your next vacation with a curated, stress -free experience, connect with me at Nostalgic Travel. I'd love to help you plan something extraordinary. And don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves to travel.