The Ship Less Travelled
Episode 1-15Why Book With Us and Not "Them"
🇬🇧
Lorraine McCowatt
Bespoke Cruise Holidays
United Kingdom
🇨🇦
Dave Wentworth
Destination Whatever
Canada / USA
This episode touches on a subject that matters rather more than it might first appear. The travel industry has changed considerably in recent years — and not always in ways that benefit the traveller. Those offering to arrange holidays now range from seasoned professionals with years of specialist experience to individuals treating it as an occasional sideline. The distinction, when it comes to a significant trip, is a meaningful one.
Whom would you trust with your travel arrangements? Someone for whom this is a genuine specialism — with investment in training, product knowledge, and first-hand experience of the voyages they recommend? Or someone whose availability and accountability when things go awry is rather less certain?
We explore the warning signs to look for, the questions worth asking when choosing a specialist, and why working with an experienced professional makes a tangible difference — particularly when considerable time, money, and anticipation are at stake.
It is also, as we discuss, a matter of genuine care. A specialist who knows the cruise lines, has sailed the itineraries, and understands what their clients actually want is not simply processing a booking — they are shaping an experience.
It is of course perfectly possible to arrange things independently — just as one can, in theory, cut one's own hair, handle one's own conveyancing, or represent oneself in legal matters. But when it truly matters, most of us prefer to leave it to someone who knows precisely what they are doing.
If you value honest counsel, informed guidance, and someone who will still be there if something goes wrong — you are in the right place.
