BREVARD COUNTY — Travel trends among residents have lately included visiting locations across the United States and cruising out of the ports of Florida.
If you’re debating where to take your next trip, Odyssey Travel can help. Advisors have the most up-to-date information on travel requirements and can help you book the perfect private getaway.
Odyssey Travel has been in business since 1985 and has an office at 5525 Parada Drive, Suite 102 in Viera and two other offices located in Ormond Beach and Jacksonville.
Right now, destinations in the United States, such as the National Parks, Alaska, Las Vegas and the Florida Keys are popular places to visit.
“We’re part of the exclusive Virtuoso network that includes select travel agencies, luxury hotels, cruise lines, as well as private tour companies around the world,” said John Upchurch, president and CEO of Odyssey Travel.
He added, “We have a collaborate travel planning process with the client to determine the vacation they are seeking and work with them giving them options for hotels in a particular location or a cruise line that fits their style. Further, if they are looking for a private tour or a transfer from the airport to their hotel, we can arrange that service.
“In addition,” he added, “our private tour companies can provide no line access to many tourist attractions like the Colosseum in Rome and other locations in over 70 countries around the world.”
One aspect that separates Odyssey Travel from everyone else, Mr. Upchurch said, is the group travel packages that start with transportation from Viera by motorcoach to the airport or port and every aspect in between before returning to Viera.
Odyssey Travel has several upcoming presentations that will discuss upcoming trips to Opryland & Thanksgiving on the American Queen, scenic Ireland, Alaska by land, Albuquerque Balloon Festival, trains of the west and many more.
The upcoming presentations are at Pizza Gallery at The Avenue Viera on Feb. 26 at 11:30 a.m. and then at Duran Country Club on March 12 at 2 p.m. RSVP is required to Stefan at (321) 594-0392
If planning your own trip is what excites you most, an advisor can VIP you at the hotel or help you get the legwork done without lifting a finger – or waiting on hold with the airline-cruise line- for hours.
Mr. Upchurch said advisors have no problem working with people who plan their own trips but need the agency to save valuable time by getting quotes and having advisors booking the trip for them.
Another aspect of traveling that Odyssey Travel specializes in, and has the ability to add extra amenities to, is cruising.
“While we are here to help with cruise ships leaving out of Port Canaveral like Royal Caribbean and NCL, we specialize in a lot of small ship expedition cruising all around the world,” Mr. Upchurch said. “The Sea of Cortez, the Mediterranean Sea, Alaska, Iceland, and a lot of trips have to do with the Arctic and Antarctica.”
Other cruises, like Silversea or Regent are ships offering smaller capacity on board, while other larger ships like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity or Princess have more entertainment onboard and cater more to a family with kids of all ages.
Depending on what you like, Mr. Upchurch said there are all kinds of opportunities out there for people to travel.
“I believe that cruising is safer than going to the grocery store, certainly small-ship cruising,” Mr. Upchurch said.
From his personal experience, Mr. Upchurch shared how his own trip had gone.
“Every person on the ship had to be fully vaccinated, everybody had to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of boarding, and everybody had to take an antigen test and receive a negative result before they could board the ship,” he said.
Most ships are even requiring masking in common areas on board and are sailing at 70% capacity for social distancing purposes.
Whether you’re thinking of traveling in the near future or want to get a head start on a 2023 vacation, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Travel Advisor today.
Call (321) 301-4041 or visit www.odysseytravel.com for more information.
