Trip Planning from the (Very) Start
In 2020, Carl and Nick were thrilled to begin planning their honeymoon in Fiji! They organized the whole trip themselves and couldn’t have been more ready to take the vacation of their dreams!
And then COVID-19 came to crash the party, causing world wide lock downs and with that, significant travel limitations. They were forced to postpone their reservation a year from the original date.
All seemed well until their next roadblock: Just about 3 weeks before their wedding, Fiji closed its borders to foreigners for the remainder of 2021. In an instant, the trip they had been waiting for was canceled!
A black cloud loomed over Nick and Carl. At this point, they didn’t think they’d get the chance to take a honeymoon right away. Waiting another year didn’t suffice either.
The two were stressed enough to begin with – between wedding planning and working full-time jobs, by the time they started to research other places on the planet to go to, they barely had any more free time to look into it further. It seemed impossible to plan an entire vacation in only 3 weeks.
Soon after receiving the news, Nick shared their struggle with a friend who previously worked with D’Amico Travel to plan a honeymoon in Hawaii. He wasn’t sure if we could help, but mentioned that the agency was wonderful, made everything so easy, and took care of everything.
A little hesitant, Nick and Carl weren’t too crazy about the idea since they never used a travel agent before. They immediately thought, “How much is this going to cost us?”
They researched D’Amico Travel online, sent a summarized email of their situation, and got a response that same day.
“Could you by chance help us in this last-minute planning? “How much is it going to cost me?” Nick asked.
Heather responded immediately, “OMG, I think we can do this. Tell me what you want, don’t want, etc. And don’t worry, our services are free. We’re compensated by the resorts where we book you.”
The couple liked what they heard, but they were still skeptical, “Is this some kind of weird scam? How could it be so easy? We should have just used a travel agent in the first place!”
A brand new honeymoon came together for Nick and Carl in about 8 days. They were in disbelief…things were actually working out.
Honeymoon in the Maldives: Carl and Nick recap their experience
“Ah, the Maldives, an ideal honeymoon destination to fall in love all over again!”
It began with a speed boat from the resort that picked us up at the airport which we thought was so cool. Then we headed toward the middle of the Indian Ocean and eventually to this tiny little island. There, 6 staff members greeted us at the boat dock, clapping and drumming for us along the way.
It felt like the island was our own, as though we had hosts to take care of everything we needed…and we practically did.
Our concierge took care of everything: dinners, spa reservations, and anything else we needed in our villa. We loved the staff members! They were so kind, even the restaurant anticipated our arrival. They’d come out and greet us by saying, “We’ve been expecting you. How are you?” Followed by, “How was your dinner last night?” It was so cool, so relaxing, and we felt completely spoiled.
The Maldives were beautiful, the place almost felt and looked fake.
Everything was so perfect. White sand, perfectly green palm trees, a private pool overlooking the water, a full deck on our villa, and stairs that led you into the ocean – it looked like calendar pictures you’d see or default wallpapers on a computer.
What we especially loved is that the experience was unique, unlike other resorts where noise levels are high and so many people surround you… this was nothing like that, it was peaceful and exactly what we needed. The largest group we ever came in contact with was about 12 people max.
COVID-19 Safety
Precautions for COVID-19 were exactly as we’d hoped. It was very safe, everything was open air. The hotel lobby maintained an indoor/outdoor concept and the restaurants were the same – always outdoors or with breezes flowing indoors. And all the staff members were always masked.
We can confidently say that this was a safe place to have a vacation. D’Amico Travel kept us updated on all protocols, and we were fully informed of any new rules.
The Food
There were 5 restaurants, and all of the food was wonderful. The first night we went for dinner was wonderful. Our only regret was forgetting to order dessert. We made up for that quickly and we ordered it every night after that! The cuisine was incredible; excellent appetizers, exotic mains – and an incredibly wide variety of options.
Our breakfast routine was what we looked forward to most. Breakfast was right on the patio at the shore, where we watched the waves crash as we ate. The mornings usually began with a holistic energy shot of fruit juice with protein and the largest breakfast menu we’ve ever seen at a restaurant.
We tried all sorts of things like Maldivian curry, salmon, sashimi, fruit and smoothie bowls. We typically ordered 3 or 4 different items due to the variety. A plus of an all-inclusive trip!
What advice would you give to someone planning a honeymoon right now?
Take the trip you’re least likely to do again or later in life. Go big or go home. Wedding planning is already so hectic, it’s worth it to have a magical trip lined up. We are so glad we were able to make this fantasy trip happen.
How did D’Amico Travel go above and beyond to make your honeymoon special?
They did everything they could to save our trip. Mandee gave me 24/7 access to her to discuss any questions or concerns. She exceeded my expectations while assisting me. The staff were extremely attentive and responsive even during off-work hours, and they recognized the problem we were in and they knew how to solve it.
We told them what we wanted, and they literally took care of the rest. We could not have asked for more.
Anything else you want to add about your experience?
We still can’t quite believe it all worked out. We’ll totally use D’Amico Travel again and again!
I’ve always heard of travel agents, but I never reached out to one because I assumed they were only for big group trips, etc. or charged an extra fee. By the end of our trip, all our heistations were gone. The only question left was why have we not used a travel agent before?!
Using D’Amico Travel made the process so much easier. If you’re on the fence about having help planning your next trip, don’t be intimidated at all! D’Amico Travel makes honeymooning new and improved! Definitely try it out.
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