How to Choose a Travel Agent in Palm Beach (From One Who Lives Here)

May 14

Choosing the right Palm Beach travel agent comes down to four checks: are they Virtuoso (or in another comparable luxury network), do they specialize in the kind of trip you're actually planning, will they Zoom with you before booking, and how transparent are they about fees? The answers tell you whether you're hiring a real expert or a transactional booker.

Hi — I'm Krista Nannery, a Virtuoso travel advisor based in Palm Beach, Florida. I'll give you the criteria I'd use even if I weren't one — and I'll be specific about how I personally meet (or don't meet) each point, so you can use this as a real evaluation framework.

Check 1 — Are they Virtuoso?

Virtuoso is the strongest luxury travel network in the world. Membership is invitation-only and based on production volume, ethics, and client service. As a Virtuoso advisor, I have access to amenity programs at the world's leading hotels — Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Marriott STARS & Luminous, Rosewood Elite, the Hilton for Luxury program, Belmond Bellini Club, the Aman Liaison program — that are not available to non-network advisors.

Other comparable networks include Signature Travel Network and Ensemble. If your prospective advisor isn't part of one of these, ask why. There may be a good reason. There may not.

Check 2 — Do they have experience relevant to your travel plans?

There are many travel advisors who have only been to Rome because a cruise ship stopped there once. Most agents sell a combo of middle-market cruises and all-inclusive resorts. I am not one of these agents.

My specialties, for context: complex multi-country itineraries (Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Egypt, France) and luxury cruises (especially European river cruises with AmaWaterways and Uniworld, and the luxury ocean lines like Four Seasons Yacht, Regent, Silversea, and Seabourn). I do not specialize in budget all-inclusives or large group packaged tours. If that's what you need, I'll refer you to someone who does.

Honest specialty signals to look for in any advisor:

• They post recaps of trips they've personally taken to the destinations they sell

• They can name specific hotels, not just "a great five-star property"

• They can articulate the differences between similar products (Viking vs. AmaWaterways, Regent vs. Silversea, Tuscany vs. Umbria)

• They have published client testimonials on Virtuoso.com

Check 3 — Will they Zoom with you before booking?

This is the cleanest test. I require a 30-minute Zoom consultation before I take on any new client, no exceptions. The conversation isn't about formality — it's about alignment. I work with a small roster of clients at a time so I can give every itinerary full attention, which means we both need to know we're a fit before we start.

On a good consultation call, the advisor should ask:

• Where you've already been and what you've loved

• How you actually like to travel — pace, group size, energy level

• What "luxury" means to you (it's different for every client)

• What's the occasion or context — milestone, family, just-needed-it

• Realistic budget and what's flexible vs. fixed

If the conversation is mostly the advisor talking about themselves, that's a flag.

Check 4 — Are they transparent about fees?

In 2026, most experienced luxury advisors charge a planning fee for custom itineraries. This is normal and a sign you're hiring a professional, not a free booking service. What you want to hear:

• The fee disclosed in writing before any work begins

• Clarity on what the fee covers and what it doesn't

• Cruise bookings typically have no planning fee

My fee structure works exactly this way. I disclose it on the consultation call, in writing, before any planning work begins. Cruise-only bookings are at no planning fee.

Red flags when choosing a Palm Beach travel agent

• They take your information but won't get on a video call

• They can't tell you which luxury hotel networks they're affiliated with—if they are not a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, in particular, that’s a bad sign

• They sell every type of travel product to every type of traveler

• Their website is a generic template with no personal voice or recent trip reports

• They quote you a price without asking real questions about your travel style

• When you ask if they’ll provide 24/7 support during a trip, they evade the question

Why work with a Palm Beach-based advisor specifically

Three practical reasons I'd give you even if I weren't one:

• Time zone overlap. Most affluent Palm Beach travelers head to Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, or the UAE. A Palm Beach advisor is awake when you're mid-trip in those time zones — not five hours behind you in California.

• Local market knowledge. Palm Beach Island, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Wellington, Manalapan — these are different markets with different travel rhythms. Snowbird timing, school calendars, social schedules — as a local advisor, I understand all of this.

• Face-to-face when you want it. Most planning is done over Zoom, but if you ever want to meet in person, that's available with a local advisor in a way it isn't with one across the country.

A note on how I got here

I moved to West Palm Beach in 2019 to be closer to my elderly mom, who had Parkinson's disease. The move kickstarted my career as a Palm Beach travel agent. Before that, I spent over 11 years living and working in London, England, and 20 years in the investment management industry. My MBA is from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and my undergrad is from the University of Notre Dame.

I mention this because the analytical background matters. Travel planning is a series of small, compounding decisions. The Booth MBA training shows up in how I think about itinerary design, how I evaluate cruise options, and why my clients tend to be people who appreciate when I can show them the math behind a recommendation.

Ready to see if we're a fit?

Book a complimentary 30-minute Zoom consultation. The call is no-pressure — its purpose is mutual fit, not a sales pitch. If we're not the right match for your trip, I'll tell you that directly and, where I can, point you toward someone who is.

About Krista

I'm a Virtuoso travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. I attended the University of Notre Dame for undergrad and have my MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Before building my travel business, I spent 20 years in the investment management industry and over a decade living and working in London, England. I've personally traveled to 80+ countries and now design thoughtful, highly customized trips for travelers who value expertise, access, and a seamless experience.

Book a complimentary 30-minute vacation consultation here.

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