Carrie Hays · LuxRally Travel
Travel advisor FAQs.
Clear answers before you book.
Learn how I work, what I can help arrange, how I’m compensated, and what to expect before and during your trip.
Whether you need a single hotel stay or a trip for several generations, you can start with the details you already know.
Getting started
What can I ask you to plan?
Can you book just a hotel, or do I need a full itinerary?
Yes. I can help with a single hotel stay as well as a complete itinerary. Send the property, dates, number of travelers, and room preferences if you already know what you want. I can compare the available rate, benefits, and terms before you book.
What kinds of trips do you specialize in?
My strongest specialties are multigenerational trips, luxury hotels with attentive personal service, luxury cruises, and yacht vacations. I also help with villas, group travel, and itineraries that combine several destinations. See what the planning process includes.
Do I need to know my destination before contacting you?
No. A date range, who is going, a comfortable budget range, and the kind of experience you want are enough to start the conversation. Share any ideas you are considering, even if they are very different.
What information should I send first?
Include your possible dates, number of travelers and children’s ages, departure cities, destination ideas, and budget range. Let me know about essential room arrangements, mobility or dietary needs, and any special occasion. You can add more detail as we plan.
Do you work with clients outside Kentucky?
Yes. I am based in Lexington, Kentucky, and work with clients nationwide. We can plan by phone, email, and shared documents.
How early should I contact you?
Reach out when you have a rough travel window. More time is helpful for school breaks, milestone trips, several households, or specific suites and connecting rooms. If the trip is soon, still ask; I can review what is available for your dates.
Fees & booking
How do fees, prices, and booking work?
Do you charge planning or booking fees?
No. I never charge planning or booking fees. I am compensated by travel suppliers after travel.
Does that mean the trip costs nothing extra?
There is no added planning or booking fee from me. Your trip still has its own costs, such as accommodations, transportation, activities, taxes, and any applicable supplier fees. I help you review what is included and what you would pay separately.
Will you always find a lower price than I can find online?
A lower price is not guaranteed. Sometimes an option offers a lower rate; sometimes its value comes from included benefits, more suitable terms, or a better room configuration. I compare the overall fit and value for the specific stay or sailing.
Can you compare an offer I found online?
Yes. Send the property or sailing, dates, room or cabin category, price, and terms. The comparison is most useful when we are looking at the same arrangements, inclusions, and cancellation conditions.
Will you book anything before I approve it?
I coordinate the arrangements you approve. We review the selected options, pricing, payment deadlines, and applicable booking terms before you commit.
Can you help with a reservation I already made?
Tell me the supplier, when you booked, and how the reservation was made. Whether I can assist with or take over an existing booking depends on that supplier’s rules and the reservation terms. Please check with me before canceling or changing anything.
Hotels & cruises
What should I know about hotels and cruises?
What hotel benefits can you help me access?
Eligible preferred partner bookings may include breakfast, a property credit, upgrade consideration, and other benefits. The details vary by hotel, rate, program, and availability. I explain the benefits that apply to the option you are considering. Explore hotel benefits and preferred partners.
Are upgrades, early check-in, or connecting rooms guaranteed?
Only when the provider specifically confirms them. Many upgrades and early check-in requests depend on availability. Connecting rooms can also be either confirmed or requested, depending on the property and booking. I help clarify the status before you rely on a particular arrangement.
Can I use a hotel loyalty number?
Tell me which hotel programs you use. Loyalty eligibility and benefits depend on the hotel, rate, and booking method, so I can help check the conditions for the stay rather than assume every booking earns points or status benefits.
Do you help choose the cruise line and cabin?
Yes. I compare the line, ship, itinerary, cabin or suite, inclusions, and travel pace. We can also look at pre- or post-cruise hotel stays, transfers, and shore experiences. Explore luxury cruise planning.
Can you help with yacht vacations?
Yes. Yacht vacations are one of my specialties. We discuss the experience you want on the water, the destinations, the atmosphere on board, and the options that fit your trip. Explore yacht and small-ship travel.
Families & flights
How do you coordinate travelers with different needs?
Can you plan a trip for several generations or households?
Yes. I help coordinate different departure cities, budgets, room or cabin needs, and interests. For a booked Greece cruise for 18 travelers, I built a cost comparison covering flights, three nights in Athens, transfers, cabins, proposed port excursions, and travel insurance options for six family groups. See the family planning example.
Can different households choose different budgets or room categories?
Yes. We can compare different rooms or cabins within the same trip, depending on availability. Clear costs help each household make its decisions while keeping the shared plans coordinated.
Can family groups pay separately?
Yes. I can arrange for separate households to pay individually for a shared trip. Let me know which travelers belong to each household so I can coordinate their payments and explain the relevant deposits and deadlines.
Do you book flights on their own?
I generally book flights as part of a larger trip. I’m also happy to help you find the best flight options for your itinerary, and you can book them yourself if you prefer, including with points. My preference is to use points for flights rather than hotels, while comparing the value of the specific redemption.
Can you plan around mobility or dietary needs?
Share those needs at the beginning so they shape the options we consider. I can raise specific questions with the providers, including accessible room features, walking distances, transportation, and dietary arrangements. The relevant provider needs to confirm the arrangements.
Support & your advisor
What happens before and during travel?
How do I reach you for urgent help during a trip?
All of my clients have my cell number and can reach me during evenings and weekends. If I am unavailable while you are traveling, I have a backup contact for travel support.
What happens if a supplier changes or cancels something?
Contact me with the details so I can help communicate with the provider and work through the available options. Refunds, replacements, change charges, and other remedies depend on the supplier’s terms and availability.
Do you help with travel insurance options?
I can include travel insurance options and pricing in the planning discussion. Coverage, exclusions, eligibility, and claims decisions depend on the policy and insurer. Review the policy documents and direct coverage-specific questions to the insurance provider before purchasing.
What is your relationship with LuxRally Travel?
I am a travel advisor with LuxRally Travel and joined the agency in 2024. You work directly with me, supported by the agency’s supplier relationships and advisor resources. Read about my background and LuxRally affiliation.
How do you keep your property knowledge current?
I use direct supplier conversations, LuxRally’s dated property reports and photographs from its network of more than 300 advisors, and vendor information sessions three to four times a week. Those sessions include property managers and destination specialists. These resources help me assess current options for your trip.
Let’s talk about your trip
Have a question about your own plans?
Send your possible dates, who is traveling, destination ideas, and a comfortable budget range. Include any hotel, sailing, or offer you would like me to review.
No planning or booking fees · Based in Lexington, Kentucky · Serving clients nationwide
