About Us

We are Global Travel Destinations, an affiliate of Direct Travel, Members of Virtuoso -- Specialists in the Art of Travel. We know the world and the world knows Virtuoso. The more active your imagination, the more you need a Virtuoso travel specialist - from archeological digs to kayaking, from countryside walks to wildlife safaris, we know the world and all the ways for you to discover it.

Frequently Asked Questions about Global Travel Destinations: Who is Global Travel Destinations? Celebrating over 19 years in the travel consulting business, Global Travel Destinations is a unique, independent "boutique" travel consulting firm. Through our association with our host agency, Direct Travel, and our travel network, Virtuoso, we stand ready to assist you with travels near or far, the ultimate in adventure, or the ultimate in luxury. While we are a full service company, we specialize in several areas of the world. By far, our favorite, and most visited region, is the South Pacific. We specialize in travel to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti. We also love cruising - and can help you select from the many cruises offered worldwide. Among cruise destinations, we specialize in the Galapagos, Asia and the Mediterranean regions. We have cruised with most of the major cruise lines, among our favorite are Celebrity, Azamara, Crystal, Regent, Viking River Cruises and Royal Caribbean. What websites to you operate? We operate websites which reflect our specialized training and passion for certain regions or cruise companies. We have extensive knowledge of all of our destinations such as the South Pacific and the Galapagos Islands, and have sailed on many of the ships owned by our favorite cruise lines, Celebrity, Azamara, Crystal, Regent, Viking River Cruises and Royal Caribbean. Our websites reflect this unique knowledge and experience: www.celebritycruisedestinations.com, www.azamaracruisedestinations.com, www.crystalcruisedestinations.com, and several others. I thought travel agents went away with the Internet? In today's Internet-savvy world, many people choose to take control of their travel plans. And we've all heard the horror stories - undisclosed travel times, the luxury hotel suite that was anything but luxury or the lackluster tour guide. Some travelers like the risk and "adventure" of do-it-yourself traveling. But, the more discerning traveler knows to let a travel specialist do what they do best. A travel specialist is your advocate; someone who is accountable for the time and money you are investing. Your travel specialist works for you, not for hotels, cruise lines or airlines. As a proud member of Virtuoso, North America's most respected network of travel agents, we can offer increased value over other travel agencies, and unparalleled choices that you won't find anywhere else. Did you know... Even Terrell Jones, former Travelocity.com President and CEO, uses a Virtuoso travel specialist to plan his vacations. Is there anything I should buy over the Internet? While we represent and can ticket on nearly every airline in the world, we would be the first to admit that we struggle to add value to simple, domestic air purchases. So yes - if you are comfortable with an airline website or one of the Internet booking engines - by all means, book your airfare via the Internet. However, if you need to travel a bit further from home, to an international destination for example, we're happy to help and in some cases may save you a substantial amount of money through our airline and Virtuoso connections. And then, when you start adding hotels or cruises into your travel plans - call us. We'll make sure that all of the pieces fit together, that you receive the best value and special amenities when available just for booking through us. And we'll be here while you travel providing added value, extra protection and that "just in case" resource back home. Are you Virtuoso? No, we're a proud member of Virtuoso. Virtuoso is a multi-billion dollar network of travel providers from around the world. The network includes both travel specialists, such as ourselves, as well as travel operators. Membership is exclusive, by invitation only. Travel specialists include some of the the most well respected agencies in the world - travel operators include the best cruise lines, hotels, resorts, spas, lodges, villas, airlines, private jet companies as well as service providers such as travel insurance and luggage handlers. What benefits does your membership in Virtuoso provide to me? You benefit in many ways. When sailing with our cruise partners, you'll enjoy Virtuoso-only fares, complimentary onboard cocktail parties as well as half- or full-day private excursions that are not available to the general public. In hotels, resorts and spas you'll enjoy exclusive amenities such as space available upgrades, daily breakfast and access to club or other VIP facilities. With our airline partners, you'll receive negotiated fares for lowest prices, the best available seat assignments, and in some cases private lounge access and airport transfers. What do these benefits cost me? Nothing! These benefits are provided to you when you book your travel with Global Travel Destinations. We can assist you in many ways. From pre- or post-cruise hotel stays, to negotiated airfares to get you to your vacation destination, we can help. We can custom design a complete vacation experience using our more than 1000 travel partners from across the globe. We have on-the-ground connections in more than 70 countries that can design anything from a private tour, to exclusive site access. These "on-sites" know their cities and countries best - providing insider knowledge of where to go, what to see and how to get there. What cruise companies are members of Virtuoso? Over 30 cruise companies are members of Virtuoso. Representing the luxury lines are Regent, Silversea, SeaDream and Seabourn. The specialty lines include Azamara, Disney, Viking River Cruises, Cruise West and Oceania. Larger ships are represented by Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Princess and NCL. These are just a sample of the cruise lines that are members of Virtuoso. What hotels and resorts are members of Virtuoso? There are over 700 properties that make up the Virtuoso portfolio of hotels, resorts, spas, lodges and villas. Among these is the historical Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Canada, the magnificent Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the luxurious Voyages Longitude 131 at Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia and the prestigious St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado. What tour companies are members of Virtuoso? Abercrombie & Kent, Epic Private Journeys, Trafalgar Tours, Backroads and Tauck World Discovery are just a few of the many tour and vacation companies that are available to you through our Virtuoso network. What is Virtuoso Voyages? Virtuoso cruise customers enjoy special savings and are treated as VIPs from the moment they embark. Choose from more than 500 yearly Virtuoso Voyages departures aboard the world's top cruise lines and enjoy exclusive cocktail receptions, special tours and advantageous pricing. To ensure that your cruise experience is outstanding, each Virtuoso Voyages sailing includes an onboard Virtuoso host who takes care of your exclusive amenities and activities. How can I become a Virtuoso Voyages Member? Simply reserve a Virtuoso Voyages sailing with us, your Virtuoso travel specialist. Membership is complimentary. Haven't I heard of Virtuoso on NBC's The TODAY Show? Yes, you may have. For the past several years Virtuoso travel specialists have partnered with NBC and The TODAY Show to design travel experiences - weddings, honeymoons as well as a travel "make-over" for a family that had suffered an unfortunate cruise mishap. What is Virtuoso Travel Week? Virtuoso Travel Week is Virtuoso's annual week-long conference where travel specialists meet travel providers from around the world. Recognized industry-wide as the best networking opportunity in luxury travel, Virtuoso hosts an astounding 260,000 individual meetings between the network's elite travel advisors and its world-renowned providers. With a roster of attendees that read like the "who's who" of luxury travel, Virtuoso Travel Week provides participants with both a vision for the future and the opportunity to establish and strengthen the relationships that enhance and enable the world's most extraordinary travel experiences. Global Travel Destinations participates in this annual conference or the Virtuoso International Symposium that is held at an international destination each year. Who is Virgin Galactic, and what is Virtuoso's relationship? Virgin Galactic is a company established by Richard Branson's Virgin Group to undertake the challenge of developing space tourism for everybody. It will own and operate privately built spaceships, modeled on the history-making SpaceShipOne craft. In 2006 Virgin Galactic announced the appointment of Virtuoso as their exclusive retail travel group in North America, promoting commercial space tourism to the North American market. A select group of Virtuoso's travel specialists will go through a comprehensive training program with Virgin Galactic to become "Accredited Space Agents", making them among the first travel consultants in the world endorsed to reserve seats on Virgin Galactic spaceflights.