Travel agents have heard it all - from beautiful stories of seeing destinations for the first time and romantic wedding proposals to horror stories of vacations going horribly wrong. They have also been on the receiving end of some very odd requests.
About a year ago, Greg Antonelle, managing director of MickeyTravels, LLC booked a vacation to Disney's Aulani in Hawaii for a family of six. It was right before the holidays and the family was very excited to surprise their kids. Antonelle didn't think it would be like this.
"After booking, the Mom requested that I come to their house dressed as Mickey Mouse to surprise their kids," said Antonelle. "Seriously. They lived in Chicago and I'm in New Jersey. I told her that she could likely rent a costume and have someone they knew wear it to surprise the kids. She figured for the amount they were spending on the cruise that I would be willing to do that. I still get a chuckle out of that!"
Bernadette Murphy remembers one client who wanted to cruise from New York to Alaska. "Now, that's not odd when you assume the client will fly from New York to a departure port, but this client was adamant that they would not fly and must sail to Alaska from New York," said Murphy from Murphy Cruises.
[READMORE]READ MORE: The 20 Craziest Requests Travel Agents Received This Year[/READMORE]
As a Romance Travel Specialist, Judith White always advises couples to plan their honeymoon six to nine months in advance, since waitingtoo close to the wedding date sometimes presents availability challenges, increased rates and the inability to make payment arrangements. One couple, however, didn't quite understand that.
"I received a request for a complimentary planning call and when I spoke with the bride, she was planning a honeymoon for departureShe had no passport, her budget was $1,200 and she was very excited about the Sandals commercials she saw on television."
White said the client was really sweet and she hated to break the news to her that they couldn't design a honeymoon based on the things she shared with White. "It is what makes me really want to educate the bridal community about proper planning," she said.
When it comes to odd requests, Samarah Meil said it never ceases to amaze her how many of her clients are ignorant on geography.
"They ask me how far the drive is to Hawaii, and they want to know if they can they cruise to Las Vegas, and am I really sure they do not need a passport for Puerto Rico and Hawaii?" said Meil of Amarillo Travel Network. "A few times I wondered if they were joking with me, but I realize they were serious. It's a fine line to be professional and see myself as a person that can educate them and that is why they need a travel professional and not to just laugh."
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