 | Jim Buckley, CTA
Email: jim@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Luxury travel, family and group travel
Expert Bio
After 35 distinguished years as an executive with Coca-Cola, Jim turned his passion for travel into a second career. Already well traveled, Jim founded Buckley's Escorted Tours of Distinction featuring personally-hosted escorted tours based on the concept of extraordinary service. Buckley's worked exclusively through Island Travel until Jim purchased the agency in 2001 in partnership with managing director Carlo Hilliard. Jim's management skills helped him assemble a staff of the finest and most knowledgeable travel professionals to be found. Jim is proud that his team's efforts have made Island Travel the Lowcountry's #1 Travel Agency (voted such in the Island Packet's 2006 through 2009 Readers' Poll!).
Jim and his wife Marty have traveled to every corner of the globe as travel guides and hosts. Jim is a Virtuoso Certified Travel Specialist.
Contact: jim@islandtvl.com
My Recent Trips
Jim has traveled extensively around the world during the last eleven years both in research and escorting groups of clients and friends. An example of this would be the previous twelve months. During This time we have escorted groups to Egypt, Jordan, Barcelona, Spain the Provence region in France, Paris, and the Baltic region. Research included an extended period in Norway and most recently India. During our journey to India, in concert with Virtuoso, we inspected fourteen lodging facilities in Delhi, Agra, Udaipur, Jaipur, Mumbai (Bombay) and in some rural areas. Additionally we looked at various forms of in-countrytransportation that would be suitable for our clients, and dining options.
|  | Carlo Hilliard, Managing Partner
Email: carlo@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Luxury Cruises, Escorted Tours, Independent tours and packages. Carlo is personally familiar with all of the deluxe cruise and tour operators including companies such as Silverseas, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal Cruises, Seabourn Cruises, Tauck Tours and others.
Expert Bio
Our long-time part owner and Managing Partner of Island Travel, Carlo has 25 years of travel counseling experience including 20 of them on Hilton Head. Having traveled the world, Carlo's depth of knowledge and winning personality have made her both a favorite contact for Lowcountry travelers and a mentor to our staff.
carlo@islandtvl.com
My Recent Trips
Mediterranean cruise aboard the yacht Le Ponant with Tauck World Discovery; QE 2 transatlantic sailing with touring in London and environs; Princess Cruise in the Mediterranean with a transatlantic return; Walt Disney World and Carnival Cruise with her granddaughter.
|  | Clem Dietze
Email: clem@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Nature, Ecology, Birding and Adventure Touring, Safaris, Expedition and Adventure Cruising, Luxury Cruising, Escorted Tours, Independent Travel including self-drive, rail, and hosted programs.
Expert Bio
Clem began learning the ropes in 1960 with the legendary firm of Thos. Cook in New York. He traveled the entire world as a cruise shore excursion leader and then manager and as a tour escort. Moving on to travel counseling, he then managed several offices for Cook before resigning from the firm in 1974 as Eastern Regional Manager to found his own agency in Baltimore. In 1995 he sold that agency and moved to Hilton Head Island, opening Migrations Travel. In 2002 he sold that agency and now brings his 44 years of travel expertise to Island Travel. Clem is a Virtuoso-Accredited Counselor
clem@islandtvl.com
My Recent Trips
Crystal Serenity cruise; expedition cruise and land tour to Costa Rica & Panama; Independent touring in Belize, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa; west coast Mexico aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner; exploration of inns in Asheville, NC, and western NC; exploration of coastal cultural activities in Washington, DC and Baltimore and along the Eastern shore of MD and in VA.
|  | Julie Flaherty-Roman, CTA
Email: julie@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Escorted and Independent Tours. Cruises. Family Travel. Spas and vacation packages including all-inclusive resorts.
Expert Bio
Julie came to Island Travel in 1995 after a 14-year career in worldwide corporate travel with her family's agency in New Jersey. Leisure travel is now her specialty and she excels as a Travel Counselor. Julie's vivaciousness and caring dedication to her clients are invaluable assets to Island Travel.
julie@islandtvl.com
My Recent Trips
Caribbean cruise aboard the Caribbean Princess of Princess Cruises; Celebrity Cruises to Bermuda; London and environs; Crystal Cruises Caribbean (Serenity)
|  | Linda Bailey, CTA
Email: linda@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Cruises; special event management (boat shows, conventions, and group meetings).
Expert Bio
A former agency owner, Linda returned to the travel industry in January, 2007, after several years of managing vacation properties in the Beaufort islands area. She has recently attained Virtuoso accreditation as well as working on her Captain ranking with Princess Cruises. She is a member of Rotary and a charter member of Sea Island Presbyterian Church. She is an avid boater, having lived aboard for 8 years in the Beaufort area.
My Recent Trips
Prior travel to London, Australia, New Zealand. Cruises to Bermuda on Celebrity; Caribbean on NCL; and ship inspections on Princess Cruises and Carnival.
|  | Vernon Haynes, CTC
Email: vernon@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Group tours & independent travel are Vern's forte. He has also acted as tour manager/director for numerous trips in the US, Canada and Europe.
Expert Bio
As one of the area's first Certified Travel Counselors, Vern has over 50 years travel industry experience. Over the years, Vern has acted as Director of Travel Services for the Bank of Beaufort; was instrumental in establishing agencies on Parris Island and on Hilton Head; operated his own agency in Beaufort; and most recently was a travel counselor with Accent on Travel, which was purchased by Island Travel in September, 2006. At the time of the filming of the movie Glory in nearby Savannah, GA, Vern was responsible for production travel for movie stars and staff members from all over the country, often with little notice.
My Recent Trips
A refresher visit to London and Paris and a re-discovery tour of Central Europe (including Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany) are recent trips that Vern has taken.
|  | Lincoln "Linc" Tumey
Email: linc@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Cruises, escorted groups and individual tours, independent travel. Linc has arranged a number of very successful fund-raising cruises.
Expert Bio
Lincoln E “Linc” Tumey has recently relocated to Sun City from Ft Myers, Florida, after vacationing in the area for 27 years. Linc also entered the travel industry after a career in hospital administration. He served as manager of a full-service agency for seven years and has been an independent travel consultant for the last 5 years. Linc has designed individual tours and arranged escorted tours for many clients from all over the US to Europe, Israel, Australia/New Zealand and Hawaii. For the past three years, Linc has arranged fund-raiser cruises for his church, the most recent netting over $6,000. Each year these cruises have grown in the number of participants and the amount of money raised.
linc@islandtvl.com
My Recent Trips
Europe, Israel, Australia/New Zealand, Hawaii, Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia. The highlight of his travel to date was a 14-day river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest in 2005.
|  | Rick & Annelle Weymuth
Email: Rickweymuth@yahoo.com
Interests & Specialties
Rick & Annelle Weymuth LOVE traveling - have passport, will travel! They also enjoy having a good time, reflected in Rick's goofy Christmas Tree hat from Disney World that he is wearing in the picture. Rick and Annelle are on the go both in and outside the US so with cellphones and laptops, their office is really a virtual one. They live both on Hilton Head Island and Maryville (Missouri), where they spent many years.
Expert Bio
Both Rick & Annelle have enjoyed distinguished careers in the academic world, but upon retirement as emeritus professors from Northwest Missouri State University in 2001, they decided to continue guiding tours for the fun of it! They have conducted choir, student and alumni trips all over the world for over 20 years. The travel bug had bitten firmly enough that they decided to continue offering group tours in retirement and are delighted to be part of the travel professionals at Island Travel.
My Recent Trips
Rick and Annelle recently hosted a river cruise entitled "The Danube's Enchanted Valleys & Festivals of Music." In fall of 2007, they will host a group to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Plans for 2008 include groups on Holland America for a cruise-tour of Alaska, and a fall 2008 tour to Britain and Ireland.
|  | Tom Miller
Email: tom@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Cruises and tours throughout the world. Extensive group travel history with blue water fishing and diving in North, Central and South America. Special interest in overseas real estate investment opportunities.
Expert Bio
Tom's travel interests started young, accompanying his executive father throughout Europe and the Caribbean. As a podiatrist in Beaufort County for many years, the opportunity to acquire Beaufort Travel proved too tempting to pass up. He enjoyed operating the business for 13 years with his wife, Jane, and a great group of travel counselors. The changing travel environment and admiration for Jim Buckley's marketing expertise led to Island Travel's acquisition of Beaufort Travel in 2007.
My Recent Trips
Panama; Nicaragua
|  | Connie Valimont
Email: Connie@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Soft adventure (biking, hiking); Culinary and chef programs; Bareboating/Sailing; Custom group programs and getaways such as reunions, weddings, anniversaries); eco-tours
Expert Bio
Connie’s background includes over 16 years in the travel industry as a marketing director for Virtuoso agencies in Seattle, Denver, southern California and – most recently – with Island Travel. She also represented the Raffles (Singapore) hotel chain. She is extremely familiar with the West Coast of Florida, having grown up in the St Petersburg area. She and her husband enjoy sailing and soft adventure travel and were married in the Bahamas. They share their home with their Welsh Corgi, Roxy, and a tabby cat named Jazz.
My Recent Trips
Azamara cruises; Negril, Jamaica (all-inclusive); 2 high school reunion cruises (one with Celebrity; one with Carnival); stays at the Cloister (Sea Island, GA) and the Breakers (West Palm Beach); Asheville and western NC; Greece.
|  | Becky Rodzik
Email: becky@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Family and group travel, custom escorted group programs and getaways such as alumni, private club, church or school group travel. Specializing in Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaskan Cruises and land excursions to Hawaii and Costa Rica.
Expert Bio
After 30 years of business experience in marketing and advertising management for large consumer package goods organizations, Coca-Cola, Miles Laboratories and Quaker Oats, Becky turned her passion for travel into a second career. By combining her strong organization and management skills with her extensive travel experience, she is well suited to plan or host your next dream vacation.
Becky and her husband, John, met in Martinique and have traveled to many exotic locations during their 29 years of marriage. They enjoy cruising, sailing, snorkeling, photography and biking. They have a home in Atlanta and a villa in Hilton Head which they rent through VRBO.com. They have a son, 22, and a daughter, 14. Becky has a B.S. degree from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a M.B.A. degree in Marketing from Wake Forest University. She is on the board of the Coca-Cola Alumni Association and the Georgia Executive Women’s Network.
|  | Mary Severns, CTC, MCC
Email: mary@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Mary loves cruising and has sailed on Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Carnival, Costa, Regent Seven Seas and other lines. She is a Niche Cruise Specialist and a Cunard Commodore. Areas of expertise include Western Europe, Far East, Caribbean, Mexico, Israel, and the US, especially Hawaii and Alaska. Special interests include faith-based and mission travel and theme-focused tours such as gardens, music, and cuisine.
Expert Bio
As an Air Force “brat’ Mary had lived from Germany to Japan so already had extensive travel experience when becoming an agent in 1976. From the start she availed herself of every possible educational opportunity, earning her CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) in 1981, MCC (Master Cruise Counselor) in 1995 among other professional designations. For 20 years she owned a full-service agency in Albuquerque, and managed several others in NM, IL and SC. With a BA in Education from USC, Mary trained and mentored numerous new agents throughout her 33 year career. She is Virtuoso-Accredited.
Mary was named a Top 25 Woman Business Owner in New Mexico for seven consecutive years, served as president of several professional travel organizations, and presently sits on the boards of Beaufort Rotary Club, Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce and Alzheimer’s Family Services. She is a Lay Eucharistic Minister at Parish Church of St. Helena, a member of Broad River Garden Club and is president of Beaufort Genealogical Society.
My Recent Trips
Alaska, Western Canada, Iceland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Monte Carlo, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Germany, Bahamas, and many popular US travel destinations such Orlando, San Antonio, Branson and New England.
|  | Ellen Cohen
Email: ellen@islandtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Cruises, cruises, cruises... groups and independent travel. Ellen has arranged a number of very successful friends and neighbors groups cruises. Ellen and her husband Barry love to travel and have enjoyed many cruises to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Alaska. She uses her travel experience to help others get the vacation of their dreams.
Expert Bio
Ellen has a varied background in real estate sales, bookkeeping and legal contract work and a passion for travel. Ellen and Barry moved to Bluffton four years ago and continues to turn her passion into helping others plan their next cruise or trip. Her strong organizational skills, her love of working with and meeting new people make her the perfect person or host your next vacation.
Ellen and Barry are members of Temple Oseh Shalom in Bluffton and Ellen is presently President of the Sisterhood of Temple Oseh Shalom and for the past three years she has been the Social Chairperson of her neighborhood on Sun City. Ellen is delighted to be joining the professional travel advisors at Island Travel.
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You have a doctor, lawyer, banker and accountant. They are your professional helpers and so is your travel counselor.
Vacations are an important part of your life. Planning one requires care and attention to detail. Doing it on your own can be as risky as self-diagnosing an illness. You deserve a great vacation without unpleasant surprises. If you're thinking about cruises, escorted tours, family groups, destination weddings/events or independent travel, Island Travel has the expertise you need.
 2010 Best of the Best
Virtuoso Lifestyle: Villas & Private Retreats - Create your own travel dreams at these exclusive hideaways.
Africa & Middle East - Explore wildlife-filled plains, architectural masterpieces and timeless cultures.
Asia & Pacific - Venture to a land of gilded cities, great walls, Komodo dragons, and dazzling reefs.
Caribbean & Bermuda - Stroll miles of soft-sand beaches and turquoise waters.
Canada & United States - Escape to coastal resorts, cosmopolitan hotels and romantic Rocky Mountain lodges.
Europe - Enjoy enchanting stays in medieval castles, mesmerizing estates and metropolitan sanctuaries.
Mexico, Central America & South America - Wander colorful markets, wonder at ancient Mayan cities, and hike through the rainforest.
Introducing the Newest Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts - Meet the most recent hotels to be named among Virtuoso's Best of the Best.
© 2010 Virtuoso, LTD.
Useful Travel Links
Need to look up information about your destination, like the best place to grab a cup of Cappuccino, what time it is in Zimbabwe, what the currency of Chile is or what the current U.S. Department of State Travel Requirements are? Use this page as your resource guide!
U.S. Department of State – Passport Information
Whether you are an American citizen traveling abroad or a foreign citizen traveling to the U.S., get all the information you need before you head overseas. This website contains tips for traveling abroad, passport and visa applications and document requirements.
Travel Advisories
Obtain worldwide travel announcements and advisories.
CDC Travel Information
This site gives the Center for Disease Control's recommended health precautions and warnings for travelers.
Currency Converter
The Universal Currency Converter™, the world's most popular currency tool, allows you to perform interactive foreign exchange rate calculations on the Internet, using live, up-to-the-minute currency rates.
Worldtime
One of the easiest of the international time conversion sites around, ideal in case you need to know what time it is in Zimbabwe, or anywhere else!
Lonely Planet
Down-to-earth travel information about our little corner of the universe. Read articles, check out the upcoming episode topics, and navigate your way through one of the more entertaining sites around.
The Weather Channel
All you need to know about current weather conditions and three to five day forecasts throughout the world.
Mapquest
Get door-to-door driving directions, detailed maps, plus helpful travel links.
International Health & Vaccination Requirements/CDC
A list of countries and their health requirements or warnings, plus news articles about outbreaks and immunizations. Also included are a geographic travel map and health recommendations.
Playbill Online
A great resource for Theater informations. Find out what’s showing and where. You can purchase tickets online.
Federal Aviation Administration – “Bringing Safety to America’s Skies”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for the safety of civil aviation. The FAA issues and enforces regulations and aircraft standards and certifies airmen and airports that serve air carriers. They develop air traffic rules, assign the use of airspace and control air traffic.
FAA Tips on Flying with Children
Keep your little ones safe while flying. Learn about the importance of using a child restraint system. It is safer than holding your child in your lap. Most airlines will offer discounts of up to 50% for children less than two years of age.
© 2010 Virtuoso, LTD.
Virtuoso Insights - Welcoming Travelers to the World of Virtuoso
 Spotlight
The what, why, when, and how on the Society Islands.
Caribbean Dreams
Tropical cruises with visits to secluded islands.
Urban Renewal
North America’s best metropolitan parks.
Red Hot Rio de Janerio
Why Brazil’s “Marvelous City” is so cool.
New England Road Trip
Our keys to experiencing the ultimate joyride.
Contact us today to learn more about this edition of Virtuoso Insights.
Virtuoso Insights introduces you to the luxurious world of Virtuoso — one that grants exclusive access to unique travel opportunities and expert advice available only through Virtuoso’s premiere network of global travel specialists. See the full current edition!
© 2010 Virtuoso, LTD.
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