Nish Verma believes there is one New Year resolution we all can keep – to plan and book a vacation. A Travel Advisor at Cruise Planners, an independently owned and operated franchise, his role is to provide peace of mind and ensure his customers have the trip of a lifetime. Planning a vacation can be tedious, especially if you are unsure of where to go. Traveling abroad? Itching to take that tropical cruise? Should you bring the little ones? There are hundreds of details that go into every trip. Nish guides his customers through the entire travel planning process, without booking fees or a commission.
Berkeley Heights-based Nish was born in New Delhi, India. After he graduated from Coastal Carolina University, he worked in finance and technology for over 15 years before deciding to follow his heart. About 11 years ago, one of his managers had asked what he wanted to do most in life? His response was, “travel.” No prefix or suffix.
“I still remember it left him perplexed with a loss of words, but I knew it then and there that I wanted to do something with ‘travel,” he says. “And here I am, working in the travel industry, helping people create memories.”
His main goal is to put the fun back into the vacation process, from planning, organizing, booking, and ensuring its hassle and stress-free to the customer. “My typical day starts with reviewing the latest deals and offers that our affiliates, cruise lines, all-inclusive resorts, hotels, and tour operators send us directly,” he explains. “I maintain a weekly travel deals email distribution list for all who have signed-up to get a first glance at these offers. I am also active on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) and regularly post new promotions.”
A home-based Travel Advisor, you can find Nish out in the local community, at café’s or restaurants, meeting with people who have questions about travel or are interested in customizing their trips. For any customer, new or returning, he conducts initial consultations to better understand their individual travel requirements for example, does anyone have any allergies or special needs? What are you looking to do on this vacation?.
He had one customer who recently came back from a 7-day Alaska cruise with his wife and two children, and he was texting Nish throughout the trip on which ports they stopped at and what they did.
“I had booked excursions for them at various ports the ship docked at, so they didn’t have to worry about it and I also took care of food allergies on the ship that his wife was suffering from,” he mentions. “My job doesn’t just end with booking. The client is kept informed every step of the way to ensure things are in order and if there are any last-minute questions or changes. I provide travel tips, location details or shore details (if they are going on a cruise), and great places to eat, and so on.
Nish is not just any other run-of-the-mill travel agent; he runs a personalized service that he takes pride in providing.
“I want to learn your interests and lifestyles, as well as your dispositions,” he says, “In your happiness lies my happiness!” He encourages people to contact him with any travel needs, questions, promotions, or the latest trends.
He is also planning to host a summer cruise to the Caribbean and is reaching out to the local community to join in the fun ride.