Senior Life Discovery

Announcer (00:00)

Announcer (00:00.151)
Hey, everyone. It’s time to unlock the secrets. You’ve worked hard, you’ve saved, and you finally have the time. So why are you still stressing over travel logistics?

From rails to sails in Switzerland to hidden deals on small luxury ships. Debbie Banta is the secret weapon for seniors who want five star experiences without the five star headache. If you’re ready to see the world without the stress, this episode is your boarding pass. So here’s Donna to open the doors with Debbie.

Donna Stancel (00:02)

Hi everyone, this is Donna Stancel with Senior Life Discovery and we are welcoming today Debbie Banta from Travel Together LLC who organizes cruise trips for seniors, correct?

Debbie Banta (00:19)

Correct. Well, not only cruise trips, all kinds of trips.

Donna Stancel (00:20)

Okay. Well, anyway, welcome, Debbie. I’m glad to have you here today. And the first thing I’d like to do is ask you to tell the viewers a little about your background and how you got started helping people with group travel.

Debbie Banta (00:37)

Thank you so much for having me, Donna. Actually, I have a pretty long history of travel. used to, many, many years ago, fresh out of college, which was quite a while ago, I used to work on a cruise ship. That was my first entree into working into the travel and tourism industry. And then I pursued a career in education and educational leadership.

did a lot of group travel with students. And when I left my career in education, I worked as a director of engagement at a museum. And I coordinated a lot of different, a variety of different types of activities for our members. And I thought, you know, with my demographic, they had

you know, the interest in cultural enrichment and they love to travel and, you know, the social aspect of it all. So I thought, why don’t we organize some group travel through the museum? And that was so, so successful. I’ve had over probably at least 10, 12 trips through the museum and outside of the museum. And then, you know,

hundreds of people have traveled with me so far. So I decided to ⁓ really branch out and pursue travel as a full-time focus, both as a career and as a personal passion. So it’s really been a wonderful transition for me.

Donna Stancel (02:16)

So how long have you been in business now?

Debbie Banta (02:19)

Well, I’ve been doing the group travel for probably about six, you know, over six years, but full time on my own. It’s been about a year and a half that I’ve incorporated my own independent agency.

Donna Stancel (02:35)

Okay, but you have a lot of experience I can tell. So are you primarily working with seniors these days?

Debbie Banta (02:38)

Yes, yes.

Well, I work with a variety of people. Some friends of mine who were in their early 40s were invited to, and I told them about a trip I was putting together. And it was funny, I said to them, I says, the majority of people that are gonna be in the group are probably gonna be 60s on up. So I said, can…

Donna Stancel (03:07)

you

Debbie Banta (03:07)

travel and sign up with us and get the benefits of group travel. I said, but feel free to just go off and this is your vacation for you to, you know, focus and do whatever it is you want to do independently on your own. Well, they just had such a great time with the whole group. They hung out with us the whole time and it was a trip. We went to Italy actually. And when we came back,

They had a big lemon cello party at their house and invited everybody in the group. And that’s really one of the things that I find most gratifying through the whole experience is that people really seem to bond and connect and new friendships are forged. And ⁓ travel is really a wonderful vehicle to get to know people.

and really share wonderful experiences. And it really is a great foundation to make lasting friendships. I always frequently invite my travelers, we get together and we’ll do things just randomly, even locally to get together and just have fun together.

Donna Stancel (04:24)

So how do you go about planning your trips or finding trips that people would be interested in?

Debbie Banta (04:29)

Well, it’s a variety of different ways. People will either come to me and say, you know, this is, want to go to Portugal or I want to take a Christmas market cruise or I want to go through Provence or, you know, go through a trip through the Great Lakes. Right now I’m putting together a group cruise that goes through all five Great Lakes. So when people tell me their interest,

I am pretty familiar with all the different travel providers, all the different cruise companies, tour providers. And I’m very familiar with those that really provide a great quality product. We want this experience to be seamless for people. Most of us have…

worked very hard our whole life and we’ve saved and now we have some time, we have the resources that we have this wonderful gift to be able to have this opportunity to travel. So I wanna make sure people really get the most value for that. So I’m gonna be looking around, I have a lot of contacts in the industry.

Just yesterday, as a matter of fact, had somebody from a major company contact me and say, you know, we’ve got some openings coming up on the, I love to do the small ship cruises, the luxury cruises, and we’ve got some great deals coming up. So this morning I got on my, you know, I got on my computer and sent out an email blast to my followers and,

let them know these opportunities are out there and I’m already starting to get some responses. So it just sort of, you know, kind of, it just evolves really. So.

Donna Stancel (06:21)

wow.

So are these trips generally river cruises or other types of cruises are a mix?

Debbie Banta (06:33)

Yes, it’s a whole variety of things. I just put together a trip for a group of ladies. It’s a train trip through Switzerland. It’s actually called Rails and Sails. And they take the high-speed trains throughout the spectacular scenery of Switzerland. And then in each location, they will get on, it’s like a day cruise.

Donna Stancel (06:34)

Hahaha!

Debbie Banta (07:00)

and they will tour all the fabulous, beautiful lakes throughout Switzerland and then they’ll stay in hotels. So that’s one option. I do land tours, I’ve trips to Iceland, I’ve got cruises through the US, I’ve got another trip planned for Mount Rushmore.

So it just, it really is a variety of offerings, whatever people are interested in. you know, I also have a group of artists that I’m putting together what I call a plein air cruise. It really is a, I’m one of the smaller luxury ships that goes to all these beautiful ports of call like.

know, Valletta in Malta and the Amalfi Coast all along, you know, Pompeii. And they’re going to bring their easels and at every port, they’re going to sit and do their plein air painting. And while they’re painting, their travel partner doesn’t have to like kind of sit around and watch them paint. They’re going to be off going and doing and

going on the excursions and experiencing with the rest of the group, you know, a really nice opportunity to visit these places. So everybody’s happy. Mm-hmm.

Donna Stancel (08:23)

That sounds amazing.

So can you plan custom trips for groups?

Debbie Banta (08:31)

⁓ absolutely. I do it all the time. I’m working now with a group, a choral group actually, there’s about 100 members in this choral group and there’s a core group of them that really enjoy traveling. So I put together, they’re doing a trip, a river cruise ⁓ on the Rhine coming up in June. And then,

Donna Stancel (08:56)

nice.

Debbie Banta (08:57)

they’re gonna customize their trip by, at the different ports, they are gonna be going to different choral concerts and things that are available in Austria and Germany, you know, that’s pertinent to their interests. So, you know, we could do a wine focus, a culinary focus, but really, especially with the small ship and the river cruises.

The cuisine is king. mean, they just do a fabulous job in the presentation and the menu selection. they always do really cater to offering the local specialties of whatever region you’re in.

Donna Stancel (09:41)

So nice.

So how many people do you need to comprise a group trip or any kind of a custom trip?

Debbie Banta (09:50)

You know, it just, really depends. I’ve got a group with two couples going on a beautiful Portuguese cruise. I can design anything for whatever you want. I won’t necessarily be accompanying the group on all the tours. I will on some of the larger ones, but there’s really no minimum. There’s no minimum.

Donna Stancel (10:15)

that’s really cool. So are these trips that you put together, are they all inclusive on cost? What about flight travel to wherever the destination is? How does that work?

Debbie Banta (10:16)

Mm-hmm.

Well, and that’s

where having the support of a travel advisor to help you find these cruises, it depends what the different companies, they’ll have different promotional specials that go on. Like for example, if you book far enough in advance, they’ll include your airfare.

I’ve got a beautiful luxury cruise coming up for like October of 27. Well, if you book within the next couple of months, you’ll have your airfare included. So it just, it depends on the different carriers and the different promotions that they have going. But I really do try to seek out those travel.

Donna Stancel (10:48)

nice.

Thanks.

Debbie Banta (11:12)

accommodations that are going to provide you with the most value for your money.

Donna Stancel (11:17)

I see. So

can you describe in general the type of vessel that these groups travel in?

Debbie Banta (11:25)

Well, again, could book you on any size if you want to take a cruise, I can book you on any size ship that you want. The mega ships, it’s not my personal preference, but some people enjoy that. But I really love the smaller ships that have about 100 to 150 passengers.

Donna Stancel (11:42)

don’t mind either.

Debbie Banta (11:54)

The personalized service is amazing. They are there to meet you at the airport. They transport you to the ship. There’s no stress. That’s what I love about these, you know, arrangements. And some of the ships, even though they’re smaller, they offer

Donna Stancel (11:54)

Okay.

So.

Debbie Banta (12:19)

every amenity that you can imagine. You know, they have all, you know, the spas, have, and what I like about these smaller cruises is most of them are all inclusive, where all your cocktails, all your, you know, all your tours, all your gratuities, all your port charges, everything is included.

Donna Stancel (12:33)

Great.

Debbie Banta (12:43)

The only thing you might have to pay extra for is if you decide to have any kind of a service done at the spa. But otherwise, you know when you get off that ship, you’re not going to have a bill. Like if you go on some of the more budget oriented cruises, they have a great come on price, you know, but then once you get on there, you’re paying 16, $18.

Donna Stancel (13:04)

Yeah.

Debbie Banta (13:08)

a cocktail and you know, every excursion is very expensive. And before you know it, you’ve more than doubled the cost of your, you know, your experience and it’s, it’s not on part of what you might have on one of the other ships. So that’s why it kind of helps to have a professional to assist you and guide you on what’s going to be the best.

Donna Stancel (13:11)

Go.

Debbie Banta (13:35)

overall value for your experience.

Donna Stancel (13:39)

Yes, I can understand how you’re going for the smaller ships and that sort of thing and because I was on a cruise last March and there was 4,500 people on that boat and I swear you were just everybody was walking over each other constantly. So what you’re describing sounds wonderful.

Debbie Banta (13:54)

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, it is. And it’s so fun too, because on the smaller ships, especially the European trips, they cater to a worldwide base of travelers. So you have the opportunity to sit and mingle and meet people from all over the world, know, lots of Australians, people from, you know, throughout Europe, South America.

We made some wonderful friends from all over the world and we still keep in touch with each other. So it really is a great opportunity.

Donna Stancel (14:33)

So on some of these cruises that you’re talking about that are smaller cruises, can you describe in general what their cabins look like, what their dining experiences are like and sort of thing?

Debbie Banta (14:44)

⁓

again, even the smallest cabins are very, very comfortable. And I try to steer people toward those companies that have the newer ships, the, you know, the really the most.

really the most comfortable amenities. The cabins are usually much larger than what you will find on a standard, you know, much larger cruise ship. On the river cruises, for example, all the ships are limited to a certain width because they have to be able to pass through

the locks on different rivers. So a ship can only be so wide, okay? But you also have to be aware of the design of the ship. Some of the ships have deeper hulls than others, and those with the deeper hulls, sometimes when the rivers are running low, that’s a problem. So because they can’t navigate in the lower, in the lower,

Donna Stancel (15:29)

I want to

We’re done?

Hmm

Debbie Banta (15:55)

water levels. So you have to find some of the newer ships that are kind of better designed to be able to sail through all different kinds of conditions. And as I had mentioned before, given that the width of the vessels has to be limited to be able to fit through the locks, they have so cleverly designed these

cabins to give you such a spacious feel. For example, rather than have a balcony that hangs off the side of the ship, you know, they don’t want to take space out of the cabin itself. So they give you, they maximize the width of your cabin. And it’s almost like a faux balcony where you have two beautiful chairs and a table inside your room.

Donna Stancel (16:23)

Hmm.

Cool.

Debbie Banta (16:48)

Okay, but then you press a button and there’s a giant like eight foot wide plate glass window that slides down. You know, you’re just at the touch of a button. So you have open air, you’re sitting there. It’s like you’re on a balcony and you have a beautiful breeze in your room, but yet you have a very spacious feeling to your to your stateroom. So

They really are clever in maximizing the spaces. They have beautiful bathrooms, ample storage space, closets, and mini bars in all the rooms, and chairs. It’s very comfortable.

Donna Stancel (17:16)

Wonderful.

And what about the dining experiences?

Debbie Banta (17:35)

Well, I just really enjoy, that’s really the highlight of the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner usually are always provided on these ships and they have the breakfasts are a beautiful, they have a buffet with an array of everything you could possibly want. And then they have, you can,

order off a menu if you want, you know, an eggs, eggs or omelets or something cooked to order, or they also have a beautiful, you know, amazing baked goods and all kinds of, you know, treats and fruits and cereals, everything you can imagine. And they appeal to a broad range of…

Donna Stancel (18:06)

How nice.

Debbie Banta (18:21)

cuisines where they, you the European palate might have, you know, they like, you know, certain, you know, salmons and different types of fish and things for breakfast, which is not one of my favorites, but it’s out there for if you want to try something, you know, if you want to be adventurous and everybody that has tries everything says it’s all wonderful. And then typically during the day,

Donna Stancel (18:38)

Yeah, me neither. ⁓

Debbie Banta (18:50)

you will have your breakfast and then they include a tour at each port with a local guide and the tour groups are usually contained to 15 or fewer people and they have very, very knowledgeable English speaking guides and they give you these audio devices where

you put your little earplugs in. So if you want to wander off, you could still hear what the guide is saying, but kind of just explore on your own a little bit. And usually that takes place in the morning. So you get a general overview of the port city that you’re visiting and you’ve seen the highlights.

Donna Stancel (19:21)

you

Debbie Banta (19:38)

Typically you can go back to the ship and they offer a full buffet lunch plus menu items that you could order, made to order. Beautiful lunches with all your wines, all your beer, everything included. A dessert bar that forget counting calories, because that’s not gonna happen. Yeah, that’s it, you’re on vacation.

Donna Stancel (19:59)

Forget your waistline.

Debbie Banta (20:03)

depending on the itinerary, most often they try to leave the afternoon open so that people have the flexibility if there’s a particular site that they really want to go back and visit or a museum or if they want to shop or if they want to stay on the ship and take a nap. I mean, it’s however you want to spend the day and they do.

You can go off on your own or they do have the, sometimes have optional tours if you wanted to see something in addition to that. And then at night in the evening, usually they’ll have what they call a port talk, which is like a cocktail hour. They have a beautiful lounge with just like a giant living room in the. ⁓

Donna Stancel (20:51)

Mm.

Debbie Banta (20:52)

on the ship where they have all comfortable seating and you beautiful bar area and the the cruise director and the the staff will come out and they usually have you know complimentary cocktails and they’ll talk about what you’re going to see the next day and what you need to do to be prepared for that in anticipation of what’s to come.

And then people sit and relax, mingle, and you get up and you go into dinner and you have, the dining rooms are lovely. They’re beautifully appointed, very elegantly decorated. And you’ve got just the most unbelievable service. You can sit wherever you want. You don’t have to sit in assigned seats or anything like that. And many times,

People are very welcoming, very friendly. They have tables for two, they have tables for four, they have tables for 10. Wherever you’re most comfortable, you have the option to, if you want some quiet time with your travel mate, that’s fine. But if you like to sit, mingle, and chat, it’s really fun to sit and…

and get to know people, as you say, from not only from your community, but from all over the world. And then after dinner, they have some kind of entertainment on board, which is, you know, it’s not a Broadway show, but what it might be, you know, a smaller musical ensemble vocalist, they’ll have comedians, they’ll have.

Donna Stancel (22:21)

you

Debbie Banta (22:29)

some of the most fun that we’ve had or know they’ll do game nights and just really fun things. One cruise I was on last year, the ship even though it’s a smaller ship it had two helicopters and a submersible on board the ship. But so out on the helicopter deck it was sunset on the off the Iberian Peninsula. It was

Donna Stancel (22:46)

Yeah.

Debbie Banta (22:54)

magical. They had a concert, a man and a woman performing there that they were breathtaking. I mean, it was just amazing. So it’s a different, you know, it’s just a whole different vibe. So and then sometimes they’ll have local people come in from, know, doing folk dances, folk music, you know, it

Donna Stancel (23:04)

Hmm.

Hmm, that’s wonderful.

Debbie Banta (23:18)

It just depends where you are. They try to really connect you to the local culture wherever they can.

Donna Stancel (23:26)

So when we talked before, you mentioned something about a cruise captain who rearranged your trip for a very good reason. Would you like to talk about that?

Debbie Banta (23:38)

Sure. Well, I was on, believe it was the Emerald Azura, which is just a magnificent ship. has about a hundred and a little over a hundred passenger capacity. And the captain, got to talking with him and they invite you to go up and sit in the bridge and they have a

a beautiful sectional couch that overlooks, it has this panoramic view. And they say to you, we want you to feel like this is your yacht, okay? So one day we were ⁓ cruising in the Persian Gulf and we were supposed to go to some cruise specialty cruise port in Abu Dhabi, which was more of like a resort area.

Donna Stancel (24:13)

nice.

Debbie Banta (24:28)

And they made an announcement and they said, well, we’re going to switch our itinerary. We’re not going to go there on Tuesday. We’re going to go on Wednesday instead. So it’s like, OK. So Wednesday comes and we get there and this place was just it was unbelievably beautiful. And but it could accommodate many, many more people. There were less than 100 of us that got off the ship and we had the whole

place to ourselves. I said, I feel like I’m in Shangri-La. But anyways, I asked one of the crew members, said, where is everybody? And he said, ma’am, that’s the difference between cruising and yachting. He said, you’re yachting. He said, yesterday, the people who were on a cruise, he said, one of the mega cruise ships pulled in here. He said, there were thousands of people.

Donna Stancel (25:03)

Hahaha

Debbie Banta (25:25)

crawling all over this place. He said, we didn’t think you would enjoy it so much if we brought you here yesterday. So that’s why we switched our itinerary around because we knew we would be the only ones here if we came back on Wednesday. So that’s the length that they go to to really try and anticipate every need.

every aspect of your journey to make sure that it’s fun and relaxing and stress free and that you feel pampered every step of the way. You know, it’s just amazing.

Donna Stancel (26:00)

Sounds,

sounds fabulous. One of the things that you mentioned to me before was how you get people acquainted with each other prior to the cruise.

Debbie Banta (26:11)

Like for, well, for an example, I’m taking a group of about 20 travelers, the end of May, we’re going on the scenic eclipse two, which is just beautiful, beautiful ship. And it has about, I think around 150 passengers capacity. And so anyway, I had,

20 people signed up and many of whom were from sort of different aspects of my life. They were people that I knew from when I worked in the school district, people that I knew through my experience in the museum, people who were friends and neighbors. So I thought, you know, it’d be really fun to get everybody together. So one night before Christmas, I set up tables in my living room. had tables everywhere.

But I invited everybody to come and I said, there was one rule. You had to sit next to someone whom you didn’t know. Okay, so well, by the end of the night, everybody was friends, couldn’t wait to, we’re all gonna be getting together again very soon. And so by the time we’re ready to go on our cruise, everybody’s well acquainted and really comfortable. And you know, it’s just a fun thing to do. I love that that’s.

one of my, you know, the joys of what I do is for me to bring people together.

Donna Stancel (27:44)

You also mentioned something about a Zoom meeting.

Debbie Banta (27:47)

Yes, as a matter of fact, another thing that I do, prior to each trip, we have what we call a document party. And I receive all the documents from the companies that are, you know, they’ll send tickets and everybody’s individual itinerary and all that. And

I bring everybody together and sometimes people aren’t always here in my ⁓ local area. I’ve got, especially when I was arranging trips to the museum, many of the people were snowbirds and they were still up north or whatever. So I would arrange a Zoom meeting and a group of us would be together and we’d have our wine and cheese. And I tell people, they have to have their wine and cheese on their end.

Donna Stancel (28:36)

Hahaha.

Debbie Banta (28:37)

You know, we’ll go through the itinerary day by day. I’ll have a usually some kind of a PowerPoint presentation. So we’ll know kind of what we’re in for and if people want to ⁓ make some any kind of alternate plans or do a little additional research on some of the places we’re going. And it’s just fun to bring people together and get excited together about, you know, what’s to come.

Donna Stancel (29:06)

Yeah, it like you’ve got a really incredible plan for this. So what are the benefits of group travel?

Debbie Banta (29:16)

You know, a lot of times there are discounts available to groups, especially I do work with some nonprofit groups. And if there’s any additional benefits, sometimes we can give some things back to the organization if it’s a 501c3, a bonafide nonprofit organization. Plus there’s always…

the element of security. I’m a single older woman. I love to travel, but I don’t mind going by myself, but still there’s that element of security. And besides, it’s just so much more fun to be around a group of people. But again, as I said, you can have the security, like we’ll try and make all of our arrangements.

For those of us who live in the same area, we’ll try and book all of, everybody booked on the same flights, we’ll transfer to the airlines together. We’ve, you know, so it just makes it more comfortable and everybody’s always looking out for somebody, you know? And, you know, you never have to feel like, you’re.

Donna Stancel (30:25)

Yeah.

Debbie Banta (30:29)

walking into a place by yourself or you’re wandering around and you don’t really know where you are, you’re in a strange city, you know, that’s a little, can be a little uncomfortable for me. And I’m, I like to, ⁓ you know, have that extra added element of security too.

Donna Stancel (30:40)

Yeah.

What if you’re putting together a group that don’t all live in the same area? So say they’re scattered all over the country.

Debbie Banta (30:53)

Well, a lot of times, you know, what we’ll do is obviously we’ll all rendezvous, you know, at the particular port of departure from wherever it is we’re leaving from. And I know with this next upcoming group, I’ve got, you know, about a half a dozen people who are going to be coming from different areas of the country. And we’re all going to meet up together.

So, you know, once we get there. But as I said, we’ll try and do like a pre-departures, like a Zoom call. and everybody waves and, you know, kind of introduces themselves. So, you know, right.

Donna Stancel (31:23)

Okay.

you

So are there any, I mean, you talked earlier a little bit about free time and you say that itinerary let some explore on their own for their own interests. And do you have different groups that go in different directions?

Debbie Banta (31:54)

Sure, you know, everybody, within the sort of the umbrella of a planned itinerary, you certainly have the freedom and the flexibility to, you know, and all of these excursions, they’re all included, but if you just decide you don’t want to

Donna Stancel (32:01)

Mm-hmm.

Debbie Banta (32:17)

do that, you can do whatever you want to do. You know, it’s not like you’re, you feel like, I’ve paid all this money to go on this excursion or whatever. It’s, it’s all, everything is just, is there for you to take advantage of. And one thing I do want to say, again, depending on the company that you travel with, the ones I like to travel with offer different

Donna Stancel (32:20)

Thank

Debbie Banta (32:42)

levels, activity levels for each of their excursions. They have like the average level of activity, you know, some pretty much where you’re walking most of the time for a couple hours and, you know, going up and down stairs if needed. had, then they have an active level of excursion where if you want to go

hiking, you want to go zip lining, if you want to go paddle boarding or kayaking, depending on where you are, you can do cycling and all that kinds of stuff. You can go off and do that. And then they have another level called gentle walkers, which last year I was recovering from a broken foot.

Donna Stancel (33:25)

Okay.

Debbie Banta (33:30)

I wasn’t my normal active self and I really had to take it easy. And plus I did really want to go on one of those tours to really know what it’s like. And they’re very, very considerate of, know, a lot of people have limited mobility. I will tell you a lot of these places abroad.

are, you know, it’s not all the ADA accessibility that we’re used to here. So they try and if they have to kind of go around a circuitous route to avoid going up and down a lot of stairs, or they’ll stop more frequently to take a break. If they see somebody is, you know, kind of struggling a little bit, we’ll take our time. And that way too, for those people who

you know, do have some issues with mobility. They don’t have to feel uncomfortable that they’re holding up the rest of the group too. So it really works for you. Well, it worked. That was me too, when I had my broken foot. you know, it’s a nice option. They try to make everybody feel very comfortable. And a lot of the smaller ships, they have e-bikes also that

Donna Stancel (34:27)

That would be me.

Debbie Banta (34:46)

you could use at no additional charge. You’re welcome to take them off the ship. Depending on the ports of call, they have all kinds of fun water toys and you know, really it’s great that you can go right off the back of the ship. So they’ve got all kinds of fun amenities that again are all included.

Donna Stancel (35:08)

Sounds like you’ve described a really superior service and opportunity for seeing the world that I’ve never heard of from a travel agency before. getting onto that topic, why should I book a trip through a travel advisor instead of doing something directly myself?

Debbie Banta (35:28)

Well, you know, first of all, people have to understand that when you use the services of a travel advisor, you are not going to be paying any additional money to do that. If anything, it’s an opportunity very often to save money because a good travel advisor will know, you know, get to know you, get to know your preferences.

your level of activity, adventure, what your focus, what your interests are, and they’re gonna find a trip to suit you. You might go online and it’s overwhelming. And honestly, not every, you have to be very cautious online. You have to know what you’re doing and know who you’re dealing with.

Donna Stancel (36:15)

you

Debbie Banta (36:20)

and what the reputation of the company is. And a lot of these cruise companies, they’re wonderful. They really are. And they have developed a very, like I have a great relationship with a number of different travel providers that work with me because they know that I, my customers are discerning travelers.

They want a quality product. They want a good value. And I’m going to really make sure that the places I direct my travelers to, that’s what they’re going to get. just things about knowing about different government regulations, visas, inoculations, whatever it is that you need.

it’s just nice to have somebody who has the experience and at least knows where and how to find the information. Sometimes you don’t even know what to ask. you know, and when you’re making flight arrangements, when you’re making connections, there’s a lot of, you know, moving parts that all have to come together. So, you know,

just for fun, my travel companion and I last a couple of months ago, I’m always getting all these great deals that are kind of low cost travel, budget this and that. So I said, you know, I want to see what this is about. You know, let me investigate this. I said, I’ve always kind of been at the other end of the spectrum, but I want to be more familiar with that.

Well, you know, I investigated, you know, the flights seemed good, the hotels seemed legitimate, everything sounded good, and it was good. I got, it was a very, you know, low price trip, and they delivered what they said. But when you got there and you got off the plane at the airport and the Milan airport was under construction and you had to figure out

which door to go out of and you’re dragging all your suitcases and then you have to, you find out you have to take a taxi to get to a rental car and then you have to drive two and a half hours on an Italian expressway after you’ve been, you know, traveling for 14 hours. By the time you get there, you’re wiped out and you’re trying to figure out where you’re going, okay.

Donna Stancel (39:04)

and.

Debbie Banta (39:07)

So now we’re there, now we have to find a place to eat. it’s just, you’re in a whole different mindset. And you know, by the end of the trip, when we itemized, because I really did want to keep track of everything, when we itemized everything that we had to pay for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and gratuities, and gas, and tolls, and just how to figure out how to pay a toll on an Italian.

Expressway when you got corners beeping at you from behind. I that was an experience, you know at the end of the day You’re not really saving very much money and it’s like I need a vacation after this, you know, it was just Yeah, so anyway, I was glad I did it to experience it But that’s one of the benefits of having a travel advisor, you know, they’re gonna put together

Donna Stancel (39:41)

you

Sort of a hassle.

Okay.

Debbie Banta (40:03)

something that’s just right for you.

Donna Stancel (40:07)

So what are your favorite destinations to go on trips?

Debbie Banta (40:11)

That’s a difficult question. guess probably the most fair answer is to say my next destination. I’m always looking forward to the next journey. I love Italy. I’m Italian by my heritage. And when I go to the Amalfi Coast where my mother’s family is from, or I go to Umbria where my father’s family is from, it touches my heart. It really does.

Donna Stancel (40:19)

Hahaha

Debbie Banta (40:38)

But I have just, I’ve traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East and the United States, but I just really get so excited every time a new trip is coming up, I can’t wait to go. And I will tell you this, even though some of these places I’ve been to multiple times,

Every time I go, it’s a different experience. I’m with different people. I’m on a different ⁓ itinerary. I’m different. The time of the year might be different. it just, it really, you have to just go with an open mind and an open heart and you’ll have a wonderful time.

I do love the Christmas markets though too. That’s always fun. Yeah, that’s always a

Donna Stancel (41:28)

Well, yeah. Well, Debbie, this

has been a lot of fun talking with you today. And I want to thank you for doing my show with me. And I will be including in my final output information on how people can reach out to you and see if you can help them plan a vacation of their dreams.

Debbie Banta (41:35)

Well, thank you so much, Donna.

That would be wonderful.

I would love to do that. I would absolutely love to do that. And you’ve been such a delight to work with. I really appreciate the opportunity and I wish you every success with your show and your group activities that you do. people of our age have worked hard and really tried to make a good life and now it’s their turn to live the good life. So I really applaud you for what you’re doing.

Thank you so much.

Donna Stancel (42:19)

⁓ thank you.

We’ve been quite surprised at how easy it was for us to meet people in Florida when we moved down here because we didn’t know a soul when we got here. And over the past four years, we’ve accumulated so many friends from just getting together. Our group is called Seniors Getting Together, sort of like yours is Travel Together. So anyway.

Debbie Banta (42:38)

Right.

Travel together. Well, that’s it. Right? It’s always more fun

when it’s shared.

Donna Stancel (42:50)

Well, thank you again and we will be hopefully getting some people who will be reaching out to you. So I will talk to you soon. All right. I stop.

Debbie Banta (42:57)

I look forward to talking with them. Thank you, Donna. Thank you.