Benefits of Working With a Travel Advisor: How I Design Your Vacation From Start to Finish

Sep 30

6 min read

By Lori Crittenden, Owner of Saltwater Travel Company

Your vacation time is valuable. Planning it shouldn’t require weeks of research, dozens of browser tabs, and evenings spent figuring out how to get from one place to the next.

I’m Lori Crittenden, owner of Saltwater Travel Company, a boutique travel agency based in Lincoln, California. I help busy professionals, couples, and groups plan custom European vacations, ocean and river cruises, all-inclusive getaways, and shared adventures.

My role as your local travel advisor is to turn your ideas into a thoughtfully coordinated trip—with experienced recommendations, personal attention, and clear next steps.

If you’ve wondered what a travel advisor actually does, here’s how we’ll work together.

First, We Talk About What You Want

You don’t need to arrive with a destination selected or an itinerary mapped out. You can start with something as simple as:

“We have two weeks and want to explore Europe, but we don’t want to figure out all the transportation.”

Or:

“We want an adults-only resort for our anniversary, with great food and time to relax.”

Our first conversation helps me understand your travel dates, budget, interests, preferred pace, and who’s coming along. We’ll discuss what you’ve enjoyed on previous trips and what you’d like to do differently.

Details matter. A walkable hotel location, a quiet room, fewer early mornings, or time for a leisurely dinner can shape the entire experience. The more openly you share your preferences, the better I can tailor your plans.

Then, We Get Your Booking Information Organized

Once you’re ready to move forward, I begin client onboarding.

This involves gathering the personal information needed for reservations and adding your travel dates to my client calendar. We also identify any preferences or considerations that need attention during planning.

For a group, this stage helps establish who is traveling, which experiences everyone wants to share, and where individual arrangements may be needed.

You’ll receive an email outlining the next steps so you understand how we’ll move forward.

I Research the Options and Connect the Details

This is where I take the research off your calendar.

I evaluate suitable accommodations, transportation, and experiences, then bring them together into a personalized proposal. Depending on your trip, I also coordinate with travel suppliers and develop a custom itinerary.

The planning goes beyond choosing individual bookings. Those bookings need to work together.

For a European vacation, that might mean selecting a hotel convenient to your activities, deciding how many nights each destination needs, and comparing rail travel with a private transfer.

For an all-inclusive getaway, it means matching the resort to your priorities—whether that’s dining, atmosphere, beach access, room style, or spa facilities.

For a cruise, I help you consider the ship, itinerary, cabin category, and airfare & hotel arrangements before and after sailing.

You receive recommendations based on your preferences, with pricing for your review.

You Review the Proposal Before We Book

Once your proposal is ready, you’ll have an opportunity to review the itinerary and request adjustments.

Perhaps you’d prefer more downtime, another night in one city, a different hotel, or an additional experience. Your feedback helps me refine the plans.

I’ll also explain the practical tradeoffs. Adding another destination, for example, may mean another travel day and less time to enjoy the places already on your itinerary.

This is a collaborative process: you share what matters to you, and I use my experience to help make it work.

I Handle Reservations and Explain the Next Steps

After you approve the proposed plans, I begin the booking process.

I explain deposits, remaining-payment deadlines, necessary travel documents, and other relevant details. Payment schedules follow the requirements of the hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, and other suppliers involved.

A trip with several components may have multiple deadlines. I help you understand those schedules and the terms attached to your reservations.

What Will You Receive?

The exact materials depend on your vacation, but my planning process includes:

A personalized travel proposal or itinerary with pricing.
An opportunity to review the plans and request adjustments.
Confirmation details for reservations booked through me.
Deposit and remaining-payment information.
Guidance on the travel documents relevant to your itinerary.
A travel insurance quote based on your plans.
Electronic travel documents, generally provided by email or through supplier links and portals.

If you prefer printed documents, let me know. Where possible, I can provide hard copies.

The purpose is straightforward: you should understand what’s booked, what happens next, and where to find your travel information.

Concierge Planning Makes the Trip More Personal

If you'd like to add-on our Concerige Service, some of the most meaningful parts of a vacation happen beyond the hotel room or cruise cabin.

Depending on your itinerary and availability, I can help coordinate:

Dining reservations.
Spa appointments.
Private tours and local experiences.
Airport transfers and transportation.
Arrangements for anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebrations.

Tell me which details matter most. We can consider them while building the itinerary, giving them a place in your plans instead of leaving everything until arrival.

Fees for Concierge Services are normally 10-15% of the total cost of your custom trip.

What Types of Travel Do I Plan?

Custom European Vacations

I create itineraries around your interests, pace, and priorities, bringing accommodations, transportation, and experiences together. European Christmas markets are a particular specialty.

Ocean and River Cruises

I help you choose a cruise experience that suits your travel style and coordinate the surrounding arrangements, including appropriate hotel stays and transfers.

All-Inclusive Getaways

For couples and friends looking for an easier escape, I help compare resort options and select accommodations that fit the experience you want.

Private Groups and Hosted Adventures

Whether you’re celebrating with friends or organizing a trip around a shared interest, I coordinate the group’s travel arrangements. You can also explore Saltwater Travel Company’s hosted trips.

What Does That Look Like in Practice?

Here are a few illustrative examples of the planning questions I help solve.

A multi-stop European vacation: You want food experiences, sightseeing, and time by the water. I help determine a sensible route, choose accommodations, and connect each stop with suitable transportation.

An anniversary resort getaway: You want an adults-only atmosphere, enjoyable dining, and a spa. I research options around those priorities and help you understand the differences.

A trip with friends: Some travelers want scheduled activities while others prefer flexibility. We can build shared experiences into the itinerary and leave room for independent time.

Personalized planning means making decisions that fit the people taking the trip.

How Much Does It Cost to Work With Me?

Saltwater Travel Company does not charge a travel planning fee.

Your proposal outlines the pricing for your travel arrangements so you can review the costs before booking.

Deposit amounts and final-payment deadlines are set by the travel suppliers involved. I explain those schedules and any applicable booking, change, or cancellation terms before you commit.

If you'd like to add-on the Concierge Services, the cost is typically between 10-15% of the total custom trip cost.

How Long Does the Planning Process Take?

The timeline depends on your departure date, the complexity of your itinerary, and supplier availability.

A resort getaway involves different research than a multi-country European vacation or a group trip with several travelers. Typically it would take about one week for reosrts and cruises and about 2-4 weeks for custom Euopean travel and group trips. We’ll discuss the next steps and timing for your particular plans.

Contact me when you’re ready to begin shaping the trip. Starting with a conversation gives us time to identify your priorities and understand which arrangements need attention first.

How Will We Communicate?

Email is the primary way we keep planning details organized. I also use phone calls and text messages when appropriate.

After our initial contact, I’ll email you the next steps and guide you through the decisions needed as your trip develops.

I prioritize assistance for clients who are actively traveling. During your vacation, keep the contact information and supplier details provided with your documents accessible.

Why Work With Saltwater Travel Company?

I bring five years of professional travel advising experience and 15 years running my own wedding planning business. That background taught me how to coordinate complicated logistics, communicate clearly, and pay attention to the details that make an experience feel personal.

You get an advisor who takes the time to understand your priorities and connect the pieces of your vacation.

For busy professionals, that means fewer evenings spent researching. For couples, it means plans shaped around how you want to spend time together. For groups, it means someone experienced coordinating the arrangements.