When it comes to planning a cruise trip with the family, fewer local agents are as popular as Jennifer Hardy, who has once again been voted Best Travel Agent in the 2024 Best of Kent awards — so what’s her secret?
When you ask Hardy herself, she says that, though she is her worst critic, it is because of her transparency and her experience in hospitality.
“I give you the total honesty and truth about something. I’m also very educated and I have a number of certifications under my belt,” she said. “I do a lot of travel, so I’ve experienced a lot of things myself, and if I haven’t, I have a whole network of people available to me, and I know how to use that network. I get all the information I need, and I can answer the questions that [clients] have and help make people feel calm and happy about their vacation, without having to do a lot of work themselves.”
As Hardy puts it, despite the ease of access for people to book their own flights and hotels, when it comes to planning trips for entire families — especially ones where multiple generations are involved or ones where members have visible and invisible disablities — having an experienced agent eases the stress.
“It becomes more difficult to plan when you’re a parent because I know from personal experience, so you have a lot of families that are looking for a great vacation,” she said. “I also have a personal passion for sustainability and accessibility. So I do have a decent percentage of friends that have children on the autism spectrum and also mobility challenges quite a bit. I have four kids myself, and they all have invisible disabilities, so that’s a personal passion.”
Hardy says that when she tours destinations or goes on a cruise ship, she is constantly looking out for what mobility or sensory issues would be overwhelming for her clients and inquiring into the accessibility of places. “Everybody’s needs are so unique that it’s really hard to get perfect, but everyone’s doing the best they can with what you have,” she said.
Hardy says that since the pandemic, traveling has once again become a booming industry. “The hardest years were 2020 and 2021. Once we hit 2022, there was an upward swing. And right now, this year, my sales have multiplied by over 50% over last year,” she said. “People are traveling like crazy and everything looks bright. I mean, this is the first time I think we’ve ever had cruises out for Alaska one season, two years ahead before the season even ended this year. So we had 2026 cruises on sale before 2024 season was over.”
Along with booking cruises to Alaska and even once booking a cruise around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, Hardy says that she has seen an uptick in river cruises, where clients and guests can tour the Rhine, the Douro or the Danube in Europe. Hardy also works as an escort on many of the trips she curates.
“It’s great for first time travelers to Europe, or first time river cruisers, people who are spending money on their vacation and don’t necessarily have the comfort level to travel on their own, independently. They want that expert there to kind of guide them through,” she said, adding that her oldest daughter Talya, 15, accompanied her over the summer.
Hardy says that once her youngest becomes old enough, then she will have taken all of her kids on at least one escorting trip.
Before becoming an independent owner in the Cruise Planners franchise, Hardy worked for two previous companies, including interning and being hired at Disney Vacation Club. Overall, Hardy has been in the travel industry for 20 years and she says that the best advice she can give for new travelers is to plan early for the best availability, the best pricing and the best amenities.
For herself and her family, Hardy says that the best vacation destination for them is Aulani Disney Resort in Hawaii. “It’s the place where my kids feel free, and it’s a place where, because of that light load, my husband and I get to relax too,” she said, “So it’s just a place where we can just swim all day, and I don’t have to worry about anything. We’ve been there six times. It’s a personal favorite of our family, but I’d say that’s probably our best vacation, because all six of us get to relax, and there’s no there’s no drama, there’s no sensory issues. Everybody’s happy because they’re in the water.”
Accessibility is very important for Hardy when it comes to planning for her clients, saying that it is fruitful to know that her work can help other families relax.
“I’d say the most rewarding trip I’ve escorted was we did a group cruise to Alaska for families that had invisible disabilities or special needs, and getting to see children enjoy the cruise and enjoy the nature and enjoy the amenities of the ship,” she said. “Granted, it was a ship that we wouldn’t normally associate with children, but it worked so well for their needs, and they just had a fabulous time. And seeing that, it was very rewarding for me.”
For more information on Jennifer Hardy’s expertise, call 253-852-4452 or visit cruiseplanners.com/travel-agents/view/24019-Jennifer-Hardy.
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Jennifer Hardy was able to bring her oldest daughter, Talya, with her on an escort trip in Europe, including Paris, France. Courtesy photo.
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