Hawaii, the Caribbean, Italy, Alaska. You see the Instagram posts, the Pinterest boards, magazine articles or ads and start dreaming about THE vacation. You may think it's a dream forever but here are some simple ways to make your dream vacation affordable.
PLAN EARLY
By planning your vacation early, you can take advantage of early saver discounts or fares. Many suppliers will offer lower pricing or fares when you book it far in advance. You will also have a better chance of getting your preferred type of hotel room or cruise stateroom, as opposed to waiting until the last minute, getting whatever is left.
Planning early allows you to either make payments along the way or save up the balance to apply before the final payment is due. The extra time before your trip may afford you the chance to upgrade to a nicer room category, a more luxurious resort, or the amazing excursion you've had your eye on.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Planning your dream vacation can be a significant investment and while you're not required to purchase insurance, it's definitely to your benefit, should something happen before or during your travels. Most insurance policies are quite reasonable compared to how much coverage they provide. Just a few of the things you may be covered for are flight delays, lost luggage, missed connections, illness or injury, or 
emergency transportation. If you end up having to pay out of pocket for any of these things, you can get reimbursed for some of your expenses, where you'd be out of luck without insurance.
You can purchase insurance from some suppliers or from separate insurance companies. If you purchase travel insurance from some providers, they will actually reduce the amount of the deposit. Something to keep in mind, is that most insurance companies will only cover pre-existing conditions if the policy is purchased within 14 days of your initial booking deposit for your travel package.
TRAVEL AGENT
Having a travel agent research various suppliers and promotions can save you not only money but a lot of time. While there are hundreds of potential suppliers, your travel agent will be trained in which company provides the itinerary and service to their customers. Travel agents also have personal relationships with representatives from various companies, who can be points of contact, should any issues arise during our clients travels.
Many travel agencies are affiliates of a travel network that provide additional promotions or perks to clients. This could include special rates for select travel dates, extra spending cash in form of resort or cruise on board credits, or other extras. Often these extra perks will give you much more value for you money than booking with a discount online travel agency or booking direct.
IF YOU RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN...
While you may find a deal online, you really have to compare apples to apples when purchasing travel packages. Many online travel agencies will offer the lowest category and a bare bones itinerary. Make sure all hidden fees, taxes, and expenses (such as transfers, tours, etc.) are included in the total. I may seem like a great price at the beginning but by the time you calculate all your costs, you may end up paying more than expected.
If you would like help planning your dream vacation, please contact us and we'll discuss your vision and expectations, to set up an itinerary for you. There is currently no additional costs for our planning services, from what you would pay by booking direct but you get the benefit of someone helping you every step of the way.