Who are we?
Ours is a story that could have been a tragedy, but instead has a happy ending. As a corporation, we have only been around since 2011, but our travel industry experience goes decades deep. My name is Diane Blair Hickey and I am President of World Cruises & Travel a full-service travel agency.
In 2010, my husband David, the principle for 20 years of World Wide Cruises, got cancer. What was supposed to be one of the “easy, curable” cancers, turned into something much more serious and he was not able to work for the better part of a year.
We used this time of tumult as an opportunity to create sweeping changes. The first thing we decided was to create a new company, World Cruises and Travel, whose name reflected an emphasis on all travel, not just cruises. We stopped promoting tour and cruise companies that had wobbly or shifting, ethical boundaries. We got rid of our large consortium, with a highly recognizable name, but was also hard to work with. It had an aloof attitude towards its members which caused the traveler’s experience to suffer. We partnered with a new consortium, Ensemble Travel Group, which designs unique consumer vacation products delivering extraordinary vacation experiences that travelers can rarely get on their own. We got rid of employees who were more interested in making a sales commission than in the client’s needs.
We recognized that people are naturally more comfortable with what they know, and it might be challenging to create habits that would align to our new way of doing business. So we created 11 core values that adhere to every decision we make. These values have become our road map to stay on the course we have set.
We have become an exclusive club, where the entrance fee for all members is integrity, honor and compassion. Relationships develop beyond a mere transaction so that everyone’s best interests are served, and everybody wins.
Our mission…
…is to bringing exceptional travel opportunities to our clients with a level of skill and personal service that is outstanding. Inspiring journeys are not only an outward exploration, but an inward one as well. The most valuable souvenir anyone can bring home is an experience that touches us at our core, and gives us a new perspective of our own life
Relationships!
Everyone in the company works in collaboration so our clients get a better value, a better planning experience and a vacation that is far from ordinary.
When our phone rings, it is not answered by an auto-attendant; a real person answers it. We re-fare cruises and tours if you qualify for a lower price; we assist with visas, airfare, and more – so you get a better travel and pre-travel experience.
The sheer number of travel choices available can be overwhelming. We have the expertise and longstanding relationships with cruise and tour vendors to know who is good, who is not, and how to solve a problem if one should arise.
Exceptional value!
Because of our longstanding relationships with the travel industry’s leading cruise and tour vendors, our pricing is competitive with the online companies. Additionally, as a member of Ensemble Travel, an exclusive consortium, we can provide our clients with extra perks such as onboard credits, complimentary private shore tours, upgrades, early check-in and more so you can be confident with your choices. You deserve it!
The best journeys answer questions you didn’t even think to ask. Let us help you make your next vacation a true journey…find out what makes us different.
www.WorldCruisesandTravel.com
Outside sales team: Outside sales team: Bonnie, Emila, Helene, Shabanna Patricia, Sue, Lucille
World Cruises & Travel 