Travel agents are paid by commission from travel suppliers — cruise lines, resorts, tour companies, and Disney — not by the traveler. The commission is built into the price of the trip whether an agent books it or not. That's why I can say, plainly: I do not charge any additional or service fees when you book through me.
Where does the commission actually come from?
When you book a cruise, a resort stay, or a vacation package, the supplier has already set aside a percentage of that price as a commission for the travel seller. If you book through me, the supplier pays that commission to me after you travel. If you book direct on the supplier's website, the price is the same — the supplier simply keeps the whole amount.
Read that again, because it's the part people don't believe at first: the commission exists either way. Booking direct doesn't make your vacation cheaper. It just means nobody is working for you on it.
So do you pay more by using an agent?
No. You pay the supplier's price — the same one you'd see yourself — and I'm compensated by the supplier out of that price. What changes isn't your cost; it's what you get for it: a planner who matches you to the right ship, resort, or room instead of leaving you to guess; someone tracking your booking and its deadlines; and a real person to call when a flight cancels or plans change.
It's fair to note that some agencies do charge planning or consultation fees — that's a business choice each agency makes, and it's worth asking any agent up front. My answer has never changed: booking through me is free. Always has been, always will be.
Doesn't commission bias what you recommend?
It's a fair question, so here's my honest answer: my business runs on repeat clients and referrals, and you don't get either by steering someone into the wrong vacation. I book Disney, Universal, more than fifteen cruise lines, Sandals and Beaches, destination weddings, groups, and special-needs travel — the range exists precisely so the trip can fit you, not a quota. I listen to your wants, needs, dreams, and budget first, and the recommendation comes from that.
The arrangement is genuinely one of the better deals in travel: the supplier funds the service, and you get an experienced planner in your corner at the exact price you'd have paid anyway. If you've been booking everything yourself because you assumed help costs extra — it doesn't. Try me on your next trip and see.