Who Is Mosaic Shores Travel and What Can I Do For You?

Now that you’ve found your way to Mosaic Shores Travel, you may be wondering who I am, how I work, and what working with a travel advisor actually looks like.

Your Local Travel Advisor, Near or Far

Mosaic Shores Travel is an Iowa travel agency based in the Des Moines area, but I work with clients throughout the United States. Most of my clients are right here in Iowa, but I’ve also worked with travelers in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Connecticut, and a couple of other states, as well.

I’ve intentionally built Mosaic Shores Travel around a client list that allows me to be personally involved in each trip I plan. I’m not looking to plan hundreds of vacations a year. I’d rather have the time to really get to know my clients, be involved in the details, and give each trip the attention it deserves.

Think of me as your local travel advisor next door.

What Working With Me Looks Like

Most of my clients come to me with a destination or trip idea in mind. You don’t need to have every detail figured out — that’s where I come in.

We’ll talk about what’s important to you, what you’re hoping to experience, and how you like to travel. From there, I’ll help shape the trip.

Communication is an important part of the entire process. From our first conversation through the planning and final details, we’ll stay in touch, exchange information, and make decisions together. I want to understand what you’re looking for and make sure the trip continues to reflect what matters to you as the planning comes together.

I work primarily in the 4- and 5-star travel range, including luxury and upscale resorts, hotels, and villas, cruises, and experiences. My focus is on quality, finding the right fit, and helping my clients get the most from the money they’re investing in their vacation.

I research the options and make recommendations based on what I know about the destination and what I’ve learned about you.

Sometimes two properties may look very similar online but offer very different experiences. Sometimes the most expensive option isn’t the best choice. And sometimes spending a little more in one area of a trip can make a big difference.

My job is to help make choices that make sense for your trip.

I’ve Learned That One Trip Often Leads to Another

Sometimes a client comes to me for one vacation, and that’s it. And that’s perfectly fine.

But often, one trip becomes the beginning of an ongoing relationship.

I had a couple come to me to plan their honeymoon to Greece, only to later refer me to their grandparents. The grandparents planned a family trip to New York City with their adult children and spouses. One of those couples eventually planned their own trip to the Cayman Islands with me, and now another generation of the family has come full circle — the grandson is working with me to plan his honeymoon.

Another couple originally came to me to plan a trip to Oahu, Hawaii with their adult children. Since then, I’ve helped them plan three more trips just for the two of them. Now, we’re working toward another family trip.

There’s another couple whose first trip with me was a celebration after they finished taking the BAR exams. A year later, they came back to plan a trip to Ireland with other adult family members. Now, I’m helping them plan their honeymoon to Southeast Asia.

These relationships are a big part of why I love what I do.

With every trip, I learn more about my clients — what kinds of hotels they enjoy, how they like to spend their days, the pace they prefer, and the experiences that really appeal to them.

So, when they come back to plan their next trip, we aren’t starting from scratch.

A Little About My Experience and Training

There’s a lot that goes into being a good travel advisor beyond knowing how to make a reservation.

I’m a VTA — Verified Travel Advisor — through ASTA, the American Society of Travel Advisors. The VTA designation reflects professional education and training within the travel industry, and continuing education is an important part of how I stay current.

Mosaic Shores Travel is also an independent affiliate of Gifted Travel Network, giving me access to a strong network of travel professionals, suppliers, education, resources, and industry relationships.

Through Gifted Travel Network, I also have access to Virtuoso, one of the travel industry’s leading networks of luxury travel advisors and preferred travel partners.

For my clients, these relationships can provide access to preferred partner programs, special amenities and benefits at participating properties, and additional experts who know their destinations and properties well.

It’s another layer of resources and expertise I can bring to the planning process.

What Types of Travel Do I Specialize In?

Mosaic Shores Travel specializes in planning travel for adults to destinations around the world.

This includes:

• Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways
• Empty Nester and Retiree Travel
• Women’s Travel
• Adult Family and Friend Trips
• Custom Trips
• Cruises
• Bucket List Vacations

Whether you’re celebrating a honeymoon, planning a long-awaited getaway, traveling with family or friends, or finally checking a destination off your list, I want the trip to feel like it was made for you — from the places you stay to the experiences you choose and the way the days come together.

So, What Can I Do for You?

This is really the heart of what I do.

You bring me the destination or trip idea. I help turn it into an actual vacation.

That might mean finding the right hotel in the right location, building a multi-country itinerary, arranging private transportation, finding authentic experiences, or figuring out how the pieces should all fit together.

I handle the research, reservations, logistics, and details that go into making a trip work.

And because I’m getting to know you throughout the process, I’m not simply putting together an itinerary that looks good on paper. I’m looking for the pieces that fit you.

The goal is to take the planning off your plate while giving you confidence in the choices I make along the way.

You get to look forward to the trip.

I get to take care of the details that help make it happen.

And Then There’s the Next Trip

For me, it’s so rewarding when a client comes home from a trip, has a great experience, and comes back and says, “Okay…this is where we want to go next.”

And when they refer a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker to me, that means even more.

Those referrals are built on trust. They tell me that a client felt taken care of and trusted me enough to recommend me to someone they care about.

That’s the kind of business I want to continue to build.

One based on getting to know the people I work with, helping them travel well, and hopefully being the person they think of when they’re ready to plan the next one.

That’s Mosaic Shores Travel.

Personalized travel planning for adults who want to see more of the world — with someone in their corner to help put it all together.