Frequently Asked Questions
Who we are, What we do, and Why Luxury Travel
Who is
Next Vacation
Travel Agency?
We are a boutique travel company providing private client travel services to families, couples, and groups who are looking for a specially curated travel experience, designed specifically with their needs and goals in mind. Next Vacation Travel Agency offers unparalleled personalized service while providing expert advice and exclusive access.
We are confident that no matter how you currently handle your travel arrangements, we can do it more efficiently, have greater access to getting what you want, and be the advocate you need along the way. We strive to give you back the luxury of time so you can live well and travel exquisitely.
Who are your typical clients?
You are a selective traveler, a busy professional, a cultural explorer – you are simply an individual who has a passion for amazing travel experiences. You are a person who invests in yourself and your experiences and understands the value of having a professional resource for things that matter. You are someone who understands that your free time is extremely valuable. Travel for you is a chance to enjoy, relax, discover, rejuvenate or escape. Your travel experiences are ones that you treasure and want to be memorable.
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What Is Luxury Travel
Luxury travel is subjective and constantly evolving as people’s vacation tastes shift. It can be characterized by the following, defined as:
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Authentic experiences that enhance travelers’ lives, such as taking part in a cultural tradition with locals.
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An itinerary tailored precisely to the needs and wants of the traveler.
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Discovering a developing or rarely-visited destination.
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Exceptional value for the price, which could include extras such as credits and airport transfers.
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Products and services that provide a superior experience, including first-class or business-class air travel, five-star hotels, luxury cruises on upscale lines, and exclusive-use travel such as private jets, yachts and villas.
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Luxury is whatever you define it to be. Everyone’s perception of luxury is different for each individual. Our goal is to give you the luxury vacation you desire.
Why use a Travel Advisor?
TIME. Because travel advisors are experts in planning and booking vacations, they can create a wonderful itinerary for you in a more time-efficient way than you could on your own. That’s especially true for complex trips involving groups, multiple stops and several travel providers. People feel that doing their own planning is empowering, and that giving it up will diminish their experience. Our clients decide the level of involvement that’s right for them, and this may even vary from trip to trip. If you enjoy research and planning, you’ll have a professional partner. If you prefer having your advisor handle all the details, they can do that, too. Either way, you’ll enjoy quality, customized service.
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KNOWLEDGE. The internet has information but how do you decipher what is good in general and good for you. A great advisor can validate your own research, and offer insightful recommendations to tailor each trip to your preferences, interests, and budget. The experience and expertise of a travel advisor ensures that clients will have a unmatched travel experience designed to meet their specific needs. They provide ideas you can’t find anywhere else as well as VIP access to special experiences that aren’t readily available. We travel the world scouting and discovering to develop knowledge of specific destinations, specialties and skill.
VALUE. A travel advisor has access to the same (and often better) pricing than available online, and can secure VIP benefits, amenities, access, and extras that you can’t get on your own. “Price is what you pay; value is what you get.”-Warren Buffet. Our clients rely on us as an advisor to make travel planning more efficient and enjoyable, to save time and money, and to lend expertise that makes a world of difference. We work on your behalf before, during, and after every trip. That’s peace of mind you can bank on.
PEACE OF MIND. Like a valued investment manager, Virtuoso travel advisors are entrusted with managing the most precious of assets – a client’s leisure time. Working with an expert who knows a client’s preferences and the best options for the desired vacation eliminates risk and results in exceptional experiences. The advisor is the client’s partner in planning and booking these treasured travel experiences. Clients can rely on their travel advisor before, during, and after every trip.
Travel Planning
What kind of travel can we help with?
We are a full service, complete resource for all your travel planning needs. We approach each trip – whether it’s a short weekend away, a honeymoon in the Caribbean, or family vacation to Europe – as a chance to introduce you to destinations and experiences that are tailored to your personal taste. Our travel expertise includes, but are not limited to: family, romance, long weekend, adventure, once-in-a-lifetime, honeymoons, celebrations, multi-generational, cruising and more.
What is a typical budget?
I'm used to planning on my own, how can you
help?
Hotels & Resorts
What is the benefit of booking hotels through you?
Booking hotels through us, through our preferred providers, it ensures that you are not just treated as another guests, but as a VIP. Our special partnerships and personal relationships with hotels and general managers around the globe allow us to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients that they simply can't receive on their own.
With us you aren't reaching a call center like you might with AmEx. You are working with a specialist who can ensure your travel needs and personal preferences are delivered to the property. Our special amenities are generally much better than companies like AmEx, and also include room upgrades, daily breakfast, welcome treats, and hotel credits (usually ~ $100 or more) at applicable properties.
Additionally, our relationships with hotel owners and general managers result in you being treated like a VIP, added amenities and special room availability not accessible to the general public.
We definitely aren't a fit for everyone. If using online booking platforms is your joy, and combing the internet for hours gets you going, then we are likely not a fit for you. However, as demonstrated by the recent pandemic, these online sites left many travelers stranded and financially out-of-pocket.
Just as you’d go to a financial advisor for expert guidance on making the most of your money, we recommend you partner with a travel advisor to make the most of your vacation time and budget. Building this kind of relationship, where an advisor knows your preferences inside and out, and can work with you to design your ideal vacation, isn’t possible over the internet.
We look at travel as an experience that enhances your life, not a commodity to be bought at the lowest price. The value an advisor brings to that travel experience cannot be replicated online. That includes customizing a trip to your tastes, offering exclusive complimentary value-added amenities, and advocating for you should any issues arise along the way.
Every trip we design is unique and curated to our client's interest to provide the best experience. Therefore, budgets vary greatly. We are here to work with you to maximize the best return on your investment. We will discuss an itinerary and budget range that best fits your exact travel style and closely consult and advise you on the best options. Pricing can also vary depending on time of year, availability and destination.
We specialize in high-end travel and Vacation Packages. We work with many five-star hotels & resorts as well as equivalent boutique properties, and villas / home rentals, as well as list of 4-star properties that meet exceptional standards that we recommend based on destination and client interest. With our Vacation Packages, they are geared more towards out money-conscious clients. Vacation packages are great for saving money, but still experiencing 4- & 5-star properties, but you do lose out on the extra benefits and amenities offered in out upgraded services.
Does it cost more money to book through you?
A common myth is that booking a hotel through a travel company is more expensive. This is because many online rates do not include taxes or city fees or require pre-payment and have strict cancellations terms. Additionally, some booking websites such as Expedia, Orbitz, etc., buy blocks of rooms from hotels, often the least desirable rooms, and do not offer any VIP amenities, which is why their rates may appear lower. This is primarily the case for domestic properties.
We always strive to offer the best rate with valuable-added benefits that can be valued from $500-$1000 in complimentary perks (When booking with Preferred Partner Hotels & Resorts, and some Vacation Packages).
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Historically, we save our clients on average of $200-$300 per full package booking. Though this is not guaranteed, the savings (even after Non-Refundable Research and Planning Fees) can range from$25 and up. One client, even after her Research Fee, saved $800 on their hotel booking alone!
What if I can't find availability?
If we are unable to secure a reservation, or find availability at your preferred hotel, we will advocate on your behalf to prioritize you on the waitlist or access to inventory which may not be shown to general public. Dedicated Travel Advisors will research alternative, comparable hotel options or propose other destinations.
Fees & Cancellation Policy
Statement of Fees and Transparency
Next Vacation Travel Agency is a luxury travel firm, thus with any other professional service we charge fees for our expertise and time. We believe in quality over quantity and remain fully transparent when it comes to your travel investment. Our clients are our top priority and thus we deliver unbiased and personalized travel advice, which is based on your travel needs and interests - and not influenced by any nominal commissions we may receive for a booking.
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We understand that one size does NOT fit all for travel and leisure. Therefore, we have designed our services to allow you the flexibility in choosing what works best for your personal travel needs.
Reasons we have fees
1. It covers the hours of research & planning that a tailor-made trip entails. As each itinerary is crafted especially for you, there is a substantial amount of work involved upfront.
2. We provide a specialized service and personal on-going support throughout the process and during travel. We believe in collaborative consulting for the best experience.
3. Our valuable industry relationships and in-depth knowledge will ultimately benefit you on your travels – through local destination knowledge, confidence in the services we book you, and VIP treatment throughout.
4. You get access to our exclusive networks and hotel partnerships which provide you with tangible amenities like upgrades, complimentary meals, spa credits & hotel credit
5. We Care! You are not just a number or another client to us, if you consider travel as an investment in your leisure time and life then you will find tremendous value in working with our professional services.
Cancellation Policy
CANCELLATION & CHANGE POLICY
We make every effort to ensure your travel experience is exquisite. We leverage an extensive network of partner, affiliate and personal relationships to achieve this for you and provide invaluable access. Significant time and effort goes into designing and managing custom trips, however we understand that circumstances change and the current pandemic travel climate can be unpredictable - thus it may become necessary for you to cancel your travel plans. As such, we highly recommend protecting your trip investment with a recommended insurance policy. You may be able to add any travel service fees to your claim for potential reimbursement. All cancellations must be in writing.
At the time of booking your Travel Advisor will advise you of the cancellation policy of your hotel and/or program. If a cancellation policy has not been provided to you, you are to assume the booking is non-refundable. Cancellation policies vary and are implemented by the supplier. Please verify with your Travel Advisor if you have any questions on their cancellation policy. While you may feel some circumstances warrant leniency on cancellation penalties by suppliers, it is not for Next Vacation Travel Agency to make this decision, therefore we always recommend travel insurance for this reason.
All travel services provided by Next Vacation Travel Agency are subject to the following cancellation policy fees unless otherwise noted:
Hotel, Resort & Villa Cancellations / Changes
$35 per confirmed room cancelled. For villa rentals fee applies to total number of rooms.
Custom Trip Design, Cruise, Tour and Air/Land Packages
$45 per confirmed traveler when deposit only.
$75 per confirmed traveler when paid in full.
Cancellation / Change fees for our services cover for any potential loss of revenue due and may be waived at the discretion of our team based on circumstances.
All service fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Our cancellation fees are independent of any fees imposed by supplier or operators for cancellation.
All clients must agree to this policy via our Client Services Agreement prior to services being rendered.
