Journeys of Excellence

Perfect Name - EXCELLENCE!!!!! After the service that we received by Journeys of Excellence I found myself truly needing to write a review. We approached Journeys of Excellence with the idea that we wanted to go somewhere “warm”. That’s all we knew. Mike took so much time to get to know us and share is experience (and he truly had so much to share) that we started to get very excited from day 1. This was only the beginning. After our initial consultation (which was over the phone by the way because we were calling from Chicago), Mike worked up several well thought out options for us to choose from. I have to say that he absolutely nailed it!!! He obviously listened and knew who we were when he finished up his consultation. The only problem that we had with him was that he gave us so many awesome options that we now have to keep booking so that we can see all the wonderful places. My experience prior to working with Journeys was that other agencies would just give us a brochure or ask us where we wanted to go and then email a price. Mike started off by asking if we were set on a destination first and when we said no said “good, that’s where I come in. He wanted to provide us with options and got excited that he could make our dreams come true – that was more than evident. When he says that he cares, he truly means it. Rather than just sending us prices, Mike prepared a customer presentation based on our profile. I have never received that level of professionalism and service in my life and just want to say that it was refreshing. Also, Mike made it very clear that he would never book us in a resort that he would not stand behind. He truly cares about his company’s reputation – enough to turn business away if is the difference between providing an experience that is not up to his standards. Although this could cost him some business, I felt that is standards should be respected and always felt secure knowing that we were going to have a great experience – AND WE DID!!!! We ended up with an amazing resort in Costa Rica (a destination that we had not even considered) and what an experience!!!! Without a doubt, we will be booking every trip with Journeys of Excellence in the future and will always recommend them to our friends. Thanks Mike for all of your help and for giving us the dreams honeymoon that we never even imagined until meeting you!! - Sue

A Dream Honeymoon!!! I don't normally write reviews, but this experience deserves a much warranted excellent review and it would be a dishonor not to write something. Journeys of Excellence truly takes service 10 steps further than any travel agency I have ever encountered. First, they put so much thought into my honeymoon, it was more than I even dreamed of. They took the time to listen to our needs which were far from the ordinary. Then they prepared an awesome proposal of very unique destinations based on our dream of an exotic honeymoon. They didn't just present one place - they presented options including St. Lucia, Costa Rica, Belize, Tahiti, and Turks & Caicos. We had a decent budget and did not want to go with just some agency that, well only provided the basics. Journeys of Excellence went WELL beyond the basic service. Although we gave them a significant budget to work with, they worked hard to get under our budget and deliver a top notch experience. In a nutshell, Journeys of Excellence is a class-act all the way. If you want good advice, excellent service, professionalism and to work with someone who genuinely cares - turn to Journeys of Excellence. We are SO glad that we did and will never work with another agency again. Stephanie & Kyle

Our wedding was perfect--for us! That is the special energy that Mike brought to our plans. He asked great questions and took the time to get to know us so he could make the best recommendation based on what was important to us. We ended up planning the wedding and honeymoon a little differently than what I originally had in mind, but I am so glad I listened to Mike's recommendations! Based on his years of travel planning experience, his actual experience staying at many of the resorts he recommends, and also his understanding of us as a couple, he was able to connect us with the ideal location with outstanding service and attention to detail--all at a great price. Our wedding and honeymoon actually worked out better than I thought possible--from private transportation to a lovey, caribbean resort to our simple but elegant ceremony in a beach gazebo to the couples massage and romantic candlelight dinner on the beach--it was amazing--and exactly right for us. Since our wedding, I have recommended Mike to others and the same process occurs: he makes the effort to get to know you and that way he can help create an experience that is perfect for you. I recommend a conversation with Mike. I think you will know right off if he is a good connection for you and if you can work well together to bring your wedding dreams into reality.

My now husband Josh & I contacted Journeys of Excellence after getting completely overwhelmed trying to figure out where to go on our honeymoon. We were amazed to say the least by the level of service that we got. Mike was so knowledgeable about SO much. We asked about Italy - Been there! St. Lucia - Been there! Mexico - Been there!!! We decided that we wanted an all-inclusive in the Caribbean and oh my Gosh, he knew SO much about SO many resorts. I cannot even say how impressed and most of comfortable we were working with him. He was able to get us so much added value for our honeymoon and the resort that he recommended was absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!! Believe every good word you hear about Journeys of Excellence because they are the real thing. We had gone to another travel agency before meeting Mike and they basically just gave us a brochure and said decide where you want to go and we will provide a price - no customer service. Mike was all about service and provided us with so many wonderful options and personal recommendations that it was actually hard to choose. Well, we just got home and let me tell you that the honeymoon actually exceeded our expectations. Mike is super friendly, accommodating, service oriented, well-traveled, passionate and awesome at what he does. We were so lucky to have met him and would like to recommend Journeys of Excellence to anyone that is taking a honeymoon, destination wedding or traveling anywhere. Mike knows his stuff and is well connected - Thank you Mike from the bottom of our hearts for making our honeymoon so perfect. We will absoluely be calling soon for our anniversary!!!!

I met Mike from Journeys of Excellence at a bridal show and he was very nice, upbeat, friendly and helpful. My fiance and I only had a month until our wedding so there wasn't much time to plan our honeymoon. Mike was so eager and excited to plan our special vacation, he helped us get excited about it as well. He had a great presentation ready for us when we met with him at his office, he handled everything. He is very knowledgeable in what he does.

My fiancee and I worked with Journeys of Excellence to book our honeymoon. To say that the vacation “exceeded our expectations” would be a huge understatement. Bottom line is we were at our dream resort in our dream room with our dream amenities at a price within our budget. I can honestly say that no other travel agency even came close to doing this for us, and we definitely couldn’t have gotten this on our own. Journeys of Excellence is SO personable, knowledgeable, experienced, and caring that I don’t even think they should be grouped as a “travel agency”. The way they operate puts them in a class of their own. I swear Mike Whittaker had higher hopes and dreams for our honeymoon than even WE did. Mike was able to help us figure out exactly what we wanted in our honeymoon, and then gave us plenty of options to choose from within our budget. We were simply amazed by our choices. And on top of that, he spent extra time and effort utilizing his affiliations to get us a double room upgrade! We are so pleased, thankful, and lucky to have worked with Journeys of Excellence. I can’t say enough good things about them. It is clear their only priority is to provide a life-changing experience/vacation. We are looking forward to working with them again in the future.

I hired Mike Whittaker of Journeys of Excellence (previously Bliss Honeymoons) to help me plan a Vegas bachelorette party for a small group of girls from Michigan. Mike provided me with top of line hotel options at great rates and went beyond my requests to find us a service that provided us with a night of VIP, skip the line, entry into certain clubs and a table reservation at Pure. He took care of all communications with the hotel, limo company and VIP service and made sure that I didn’t have to do a thing to make this trip come together perfectly. He answered all my emails and phone calls very promptly no matter how small or non-urgent the question was. I can’t emphasize enough how great and easy it was to work with Mike and would recommend using his services no matter how big or small of a trip you are planning.

Mike from Journeys of Excellence is absolutely amazing!! He is so knowledgeable about so many resorts in locations all over the world! Mike listened to what we were looking for, what we had to spend and he put together a wonderful presentation of a few locations he thought we would enjoy. He nailed it! We were able to pick from that presentation and choose El Dorado Royale in the Riviera Maya of Mexico. I would reccomend Journeys of Excellence to everyone who asks, I have already reffered many people to them.

Completely satisfied with Bliss Honeymoons of S.E. Michigan!

Kim from Bliss Honeymoons was wonderful. I couold not have my dream wedding without her and the services that she provided. Thank you so much for being so kind, patient, and understanding!!!! :)

Bliss was wonderful. We were working on a tight time line and they were able to quickly identify what were were looking for in a honeymoon and book it for us. They provided us a couple of choices for a honeymoon destination, all of which seemed wonderful. They took care of everything from air travel, transportation to and from the resort, and making sure we had the perfect room. They were flexible with us and even changed one of our flight times (we wanted to sleep in a little bit after our wedding). If you don't want to have to worry about planning your honeymoon and are interested in having a great time I would recommend working with Bliss to get it planned.

Bliss Honeymoons planned an amazing honeymoon for us that went beyond our expectations! We couldn't believe the beautiful resort and decadent room we could afford on our budget! Kim went out of her way to respond to every email I sent, every question I asked within a day- if not hours- so I felt fully prepared for my honeymoon and excursions when I arrived. I've never let a travel agent plan a trip for me before and I was nervous that without myself in control that our trip might not be what we wanted. But Bliss Honeymoons made sure everything was to our specifications and even surprised us with little things I wouldn't have thought of. They took the micromanager out of me and let me relax and fully enjoy my trip. I would highly reccomend Bliss Honeymoons and Kim Whittaker to anyone who wants the perfect trip within their budget and not have to lift a finger to plan it! :)

I use travel agents often but have NEVER worked with an agent more dedicated to service than Kim Whittaker of Bliss. She spent so much time talking with me & asking questions to find out exactly what my likes and dislikes were up front and presented me with numerous options that I hadn't even thought of. Her presentation showed me how closely that she'd listened to me and valued me as a client. Another exciting point is that she's personally visited every destination that I could think of. Kim spent time showing me pictures that she took herself of not only the typical destinations but many that were either not well known (including a brand new island called Scrub Island), unusual as well as international. When my husband & I made the decisions about the details of our trip, Kim put together a full presentation so that we knew exactly what to expect. Her service was exemplary from start to finish. I felt totally secure knowing that this would indeed be a trip of a lifetime - and there wouldn't be any surprises. I wouldn't hesitate providing a recommendation on her behalf and can be contacted at anytime at wgsearch@wgsearch.com or my husband at writetobob@gmail.com. Michelle McCracken

I usually would never deliver 5 out of 5 star rating. However, Kim deserves all 5 stars. My partner and I are experienced cruisers on Princess. I have been booking directly through Princess for years. A client of mine told me about Kim. I contacted Kim and asked the benefits of using her service in place of going direct. Humbly, she convinced me she could help me get better deals and rates with Princess. I have not been disappointed! Kim listens to my needs. She responds within 12 hours (usually within a few). She gets us what we need in a fun, pleasant professional manner. It's so nice to have one voice to represent my needs in travel. Thanks Kim!

My (new) husband and I just got back from a wonderful honeymoon at the El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico. I have to say that this was such a romantic destination and would like to thank Kim Whittaker from Bliss Honeymoons for everything that she did. We were leaning toward another resort in Cancun when Kim suggested this resort and what a difference!!! She took care of everything and was such a joy to work with. When we first met with Bliss they explained that �they were different than most other travel agents�, and this was so true. They took the time to get to know us and put together the perfect honeymoon package for us. I am so happy right now and can�t wait to share our beautiful pictures with the family. Thanks Kim, we will recommend Bliss Honeymoons to everyone we know!!! We�ll be calling soon to set up our anniversary trip (can�t believe I am already thinking anniversary).

Very professional, friendly, and most importantly, knowledgeable. I would recommend Bliss Honeymoons to anyone looking to have an amazing hassle free vacation. Thank you!!

Kim, our Gourmet Travel Consultant was/is an absolute pleasure to work with. Not only did she respond to our calls and emails (including New Years Day), but each and every time she called she had more good news. Whether it was finding us an "unknown" upgrade, or a better value on the room and airfare, we found ourselves smiling each and every time she called. Kim, took a great deal of time with us to explain all of our options, and to answer our never ending string of questions. Being computer savy, I thought I could certainly find a better deal on my own. And believe me I tried. But after all of my research and knowing what the cost were, I called Kim for the first time expecting validation that she could do no better. But she did, saving us well over a thousand dollars (on the room) and getting us a much better room catagory, a complimentary honeymoon package (a $200 extra) and an upgraded transfer from the airport to the hotel (a $175 extra). We highly recomend Kim. If you want do the research yourself, as I did, and then find out her value, or frankly as I will next time, not waste all of those hours looking and instead just call Kim.