For Dr. Danette Wall, DNP, great travel planning begins long before choosing a destination. It starts with understanding the person taking the journey.
A Veteran of both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, Wall brings a background in anticipating needs, managing details and staying calm under pressure to her work as a luxury travel advisor.
Today, as co-owner of an independent Cruise Planners franchise with her husband, James, she applies those skills to creating personalized travel experiences for clients who value thoughtful service as much as the journey itself.
A New Chapter
Her path into travel was not entirely planned. After leaving full-time nursing, Wall returned to consulting, but her entrepreneurial instincts soon led her toward a new venture.
“My entrepreneurial spirit was kicking in again. I left full-time nursing to return to consulting, but I just couldn’t keep still,” she said. James, her husband and co-owner, jokingly told her, “You need something to do.”
Travel proved to be the answer. In 2019, the couple opened their Cruise Planners franchise, combining their personal passion for exploring the world with a business built around helping others experience it. But enjoying travel and running a travel business, she quickly discovered, are two different things.
“We enjoy travel, but the business of travel is totally different. We researched travel franchises, host agencies, and consortiums,” she said. “Cruise Planners’ values aligned with ours, and we appreciated their military program. We decided to get started with in-person training, and we felt very supported. Their [Cruise Planners’] technology and support services are phenomenal, plus their business development coaches are just a phone call away.”
That support has helped Wall develop an agency serving clients across a range of travel styles, from cruises and all-inclusive resorts to customized land itineraries and group departures. The business has served hundreds of clients, with 90 percent of its business coming from referrals and repeat travelers—a measure of the trust she has built with her clientele.
Defining Luxury on the Client’s Terms
For Wall, that trust begins with listening. Her Cruise Planners franchise specializes in romance, celebration, group and wellness travel, developing itineraries around each client’s priorities rather than simply matching travelers with a destination or product.
“Great travel starts with understanding the person, not just the destination. It requires us to do additional research to create custom plans. We interview, we talk, we meet and get to know what they like and what they really want (their priorities). Once we align, (individual or group) they become our priority,” said Wall.
That philosophy also informs her approach to luxury, a category she believes is becoming less about traditional labels and more about the value a traveler places on the experience.
“With luxury, it’s shifting. Luxury for our clients varies; they define what luxury is to them. It is more about the value of time, access and our trusted advice and experience,” she said.
Wall has booked clients on Explora Journeys, Azamara and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, alongside more traditional luxury land experiences. Yet she is equally attentive to the less tangible elements that can make a trip feel exceptional.
“We’ve also designed itineraries to resorts and cruises that may not be considered luxury or ultra-luxury by some standards; however, being seen, valued, respected; having a moment to breathe without stress, judgement, heightened awareness and being able to relax without society’s noise is their luxury,” she said.
For Wall, the questions that matter are whether clients will feel welcome, whether they will be treated as the luxury guests they are and whether their advisor understands what matters to them without requiring repeated explanations.
“When I deal with my clients, I want them to feel valued, seen and heard, and that is the type of service that we deliver,” she says.
Travel with a Deeper Connection
Wall is also seeing clients place greater emphasis on cultural immersion and the impact they can have on the places they visit.
“All travel is up; what’s different is the intent,” she said. “Our clients are looking for more culturally immersive experiences. They want to understand and give back to the destination they visit with sustainability in mind.”
Rather than simply collecting photographs, travelers want opportunities to learn about local communities, engage with a destination and consider their environmental footprint. For Wall, understanding those motivations is another reason personalized planning matters.
Understanding Groups and Preferences
Group travel is another important part of the business, particularly romance and celebration trips, military groups, cigar and golf groups. The agency has even received an inquiry from a reading group interested in holding a seminar at sea.
Wall sees opportunities for further growth, but she emphasizes that successful group planning requires attention to the individuals within the larger party.
“We recommend identifying one group leader (informal vs. formal) because family or group dynamics do change,” she said. She also encourages advisors to leave room for downtime rather than filling every day with scheduled activities.
“There are some people who will not voice their opinions but need rest or to be away from the group,” she added.
Her team holds virtual or in-person meetings with group members to ensure expectations are aligned, recognizing that each traveler brings different priorities to the experience. The additional time involved can also help lay the groundwork for future individual bookings.
Building a Business on Connection
For advisors considering the profession, Wall’s own career change offers a reminder that travel can be an asset rather than an obstacle.
“Knowing that it is possible to enter travel from a varied background. This difference can be your foundation, strength, or niche. Your pillar to stand on,” she said. Wall encourages new advisors to identify their strengths, recognize their challenges and ask for help when needed.
“Be you!”
It is advice that reflects both her professional journey and the collaborative environment she values at Cruise Planners.
“As a Cruise Planners franchise owner, it’s all about community over competition, and it’s something that we really appreciate,” she said.
For Wall, building a successful travel business is ultimately about more than assembling itineraries or selling a particular cruise or resort. It means understanding what matters to each traveler, earning the confidence to guide their choices and creating experiences that feel personal.
The destinations may change, but the principle remains the same: When clients feel understood, the relationship can last long after the trip ends.
For more information about Danette Wall’s Cruise Planners franchise and offerings, visit tampacruiseplanners.com.
