Travelers in Venice, Italy, include, from left, Karen Menges, Fred Peterson, Darcy Conner, David Conner, Carlyn Herring, Tonya Player and Ralph Herring. DARCY CONNER<\/p>\n
According to Pine Island Cruise Planners, Cruise Land and Sea franchise owner Darcy Conner, folks who have yet to use any paid time off benefits can call her and she can help maximize anything which needs to be utilized by the end of the year. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe holiday sailings are coming up, so any last-minute hotels for holiday trips can now be booked directly from my website,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n
The same rates apply and you are protected, she said. In fact, she highly recommends using a travel agent to protect yourself when making any plans to travel. Deception can be as easy as using a website that looks trust worthy and although it looks just like a booking platform, Conner said it may not be.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very deceptive. That\u2019s how they get your money \u2014 they get you to put your credit card in there and then you gave your banking information away and you don\u2019t have a booking,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n
This is more common than people may suspect, she said, as she gets calls often from folks saying they\u2019ve received an email from a cruise line which turns out to be a scam. This is why Conner said she always tells her clients to send her the email first so he can be certain they are not being conned. This kind of personalization and professionalism is what she said her clients can expect when booking a trip with her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t charge a fee when you\u2019re working with me. I have owned my own agency for over 12 years \u2014 this is my own franchise. I\u2019ve traveled to places all over the world, like Italy, Alaska, South America and South Africa. For many of these destinations, I\u2019m an expert already,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n
Overall, she said, something worth knowing before you begin to plan a trip with her is that, as a client, she works for you, so that is where her journey with her clients begins. <\/p>\n
\u201cI work for my clients to make sure they\u2019re getting what they should get, at the best possible price. I can help maximize dates and pick something around whatever budget they have,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n
There is a Pine Island Travel Club now, she said. Coming up on Sept. 24, she explained, there will be a meeting with a representative from Windstar Cruises. She took a Windstar Cruise just last month and said it was amazing<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just us, in ports no one else really goes to. We were walking around these little towns \u2014 it was something special and so great,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n
Cruise Land and Sea\u00a0is at\u00a010191 Stringfellow Road, St. James City,. For information, call the office at\u00a0(954) 530-2494 or email\u00a0darcyconner@cruiseplanners.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n