The Real Reason Your Best Clients Stay

Signals & Moves

Cruise Line Leaves 300+ Behind in Hawaii

After tsunami warnings hit Hawaii, Norwegian’s Pride of America left port in Hilo two hours early, stranding over 300 passengers, including some on the cruise line’s own shore excursions. Many were directed to emergency shelters.

Cruise lines follow deep-water evacuation protocols during tsunami threats. They won’t wait, even for organized groups. This caught travelers and advisors off guard.

Tell your cruise clients to always carry essentials when disembarking, stay opted into alerts, and understand what to do if the ship departs early. For independent excursions, have a plan B, or expect consequences. NYT (Paywall)

Uganda’s Wildlife Lodges Get the Luxury Treatment

A new roundup highlights Uganda’s top five luxury lodges for wildlife lovers: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Baker’s Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, and Mount Gahinga Lodge. Each offers high-end comfort in the heart of gorilla, chimpanzee, or safari country.

Uganda has long been a bucket-list stop for gorilla trekking, and now it’s becoming a destination for full-spectrum luxury. Think private plunge pools, fireside cocktails, and views of elephants from your veranda.

Clients who’ve “done” Kenya and Tanzania? This is the next-level, low-crowd alternative. Curate across Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, and Murchison Falls for maximum range and bragging rights. A LUXURY TRAVEL BLOG

SWISS Introduces “Senses” Cabin for Airbus A350

SWISS (link) has unveiled SWISS Senses, its new long-haul cabin concept debuting on Airbus A350-900s in 2025. Expect neutral color palettes, privacy doors in Business and First, wood-look finishes, and adjustable lighting and heating panels for a more personalized, calming experience.

This isn’t a tech flex, it’s a mood strategy. SWISS is leaning into tactile luxury and emotional design, signaling a shift from efficiency to feeling.

Flying to Europe? This gives advisors a fresh way to frame SWISS as the refined choice for clients who care more about serenity than champagne selfies. LTA

Oceania’s Allura Sets New Small-Ship Standard

Oceania Cruises has revealed its newest ship, Allura, a 1,200-passenger small ship designed to deliver fine dining, quiet luxury, and design-forward interiors without over-the-top flash. Think Aquamar Spa terrace, an all-new Crêperie, and more suites than ever before.

Allura stays firmly in Oceania’s lane: elevated culinary focus, no waterslides, no gimmicks, just calm, cultured travel. T+L calls it “a floating boutique hotel with a culinary PhD.”

Perfect for clients aging out of mega-ship chaos but not yet ready for expedition or ultra-luxury. Position Allura as the upgrade for travelers who want more taste and less noise. T+L

From The Editor’s Desk (My Laptop)

What Makes a Travel Advisor Irreplaceable

The other night, I found myself at one of those dinner parties where the conversation is quiet, but the net worth isn’t.

I was seated next to a retired finance executive in his late 70s. Sharp. Reserved. The kind of person who doesn’t need to prove anything anymore.

While others asked him about inflation and interest rates, I kept to myself. Until he turned and asked,

“And you, what do you do?”

I smiled.

“I help people invest their money in the best experiences the world has to offer, and walk away with memories instead of spreadsheets.”

He nodded and moved on. No follow-up. No polite small talk.

But an hour later, he found me again.

“You’re in travel, right?”
“Yes.”
“I never take a single trip without my advisor. She’s been with me for over 30 years.”

I smiled.

We talk so much about how to get clients.
But in luxury travel, the real question is:
What makes someone stay?

Not for one trip. Not for a season.
For three decades.

In a world flooded with booking engines, travel apps, and AI-generated itineraries, this man, someone with unlimited resources, remained loyal to one person.

Her name is Esther.

I asked him why.

He didn’t hesitate...

These Are the 5 Reasons Why he’ll Never Leave his Advisor.

1. “She knows me better than I know myself.”
Pillows. Flight times. Climate preferences. Moods. She doesn’t ask anymore. She already knows.

2. “She tells me the truth.”
If something’s not up to standard, she says so. No hype. No fluff. Just clarity.

3. “She makes things happen.”
Rooms that don’t exist suddenly open. Restaurants that don’t take bookings suddenly do. “Sometimes,” he said, “I think she calls in favors before I even ask.”

4. “She solves problems before I know they exist.”
Flight rerouted. Luggage gone. Transfer canceled. By the time he finds out, she’s already fixed it.

5. “She respects my time.”
No spreadsheets. No overwhelm. Just two perfect options, curated and delivered with confidence.

Then he leaned in and said the line that stuck with me:

“People like me aren’t loyal to brands. We’re loyal to people. Esther is irreplaceable.”

What does that mean?

We can’t out-Google the internet. And we don’t need to.

Because what this man described isn’t a travel advisor.
It’s a relationship built on context, trust, and time.

Real luxury isn’t found in filters or pricing tools.
It’s found in:

• Knowing what to eliminate

• Anticipating what’s unsaid

• Delivering the right thing the first time

Your edge is not in information.

It’s in judgment.

So, we should ask ourselves.

Who are we irreplaceable to?
Why?

If you know the answer, you won’t need to worry about what comes next.

Because for clients like this, there is never a question of clicking “Book Now.”

For this guy, there was only one call to make.

And it was to Esther.

The Marketing Corner

How to build the kind of loyalty that lasts years, even decades.

The truth? You don’t need a 30-year history with a client. You just need a system that helps you remember what matters, personalize without guessing, and stay relevant at the right time.

Probably you have a much better system, but here’s the simple framework I use:

1. Ask better questions upfront.
I ask things like:
“What always ruins a trip for you?”
“What did you love most about your last vacation?”
The answers go straight to their profiles.

You can use a tool like Typeform (affiliate) for this.

2. Tag everything in my CRM.
I use tags for preferences like firm pillows, early flights, no humidity, etc.
That way, I don’t have to remember; my system does it for me.

I recommend you use a tool like Notion or HubSpot.

3. Stay top of mind with no pressure.
Once a quarter, I send a quick check-in:
“Thought of you when I saw this new Maldives opening.”
No push. Just relevance.

4. Make pre-travel feel personal.
I send a short note before departure:
“Here’s how I’d spend the first afternoon in Florence, jetlag-friendly and no lines.”

5. Always debrief.
After the trip, I ask what worked, what didn’t, and what they would want next. Then I update everything.

It’s not complicated. It’s just consistent.

And over time, that’s what turns a good client into a loyal one.