Caryl Olson is the Franchise Owner of Cruise Planners in St. Joseph, Michigan and a professional travel agent. Her specialties are Cruises, Land Tours, Family Vacations, Honeymoons and Group Travel. Caryl Olson has been a travel agent since 1992 and has owned and operated her own travel agency since 1994.
Since 2006, she has been an independent franchisee of Cruise Planners, a large network of travel agents across the country.
Caryl was an early adopter and innovator in the widespread travel industry trend toward Home Based travel agencies, which have largely replaced storefront agencies over the past 20 years.
Caryl frequently organizes travel groups, helps them plan their group travel experience and often travels with her groups to ensure a smooth and positive travel experience. In that role, and independently, she has traveled extensively in the USA, Europe, Caribbean, Alaska, Central America, New Zealand, Australia and Asia. She has sailed on more than 100 cruises on most major cruise lines.
Caryl holds a Master of Science in Education degree, is an accredited Master Cruise Counselor with the Cruise Lines International Association, and has completed Specialist training with a many cruise lines and tour companies.
Beyond the travel sales process, she enjoys speaking to groups and the media about fulfilling your own "Travel Dreams!.
Contact: Caryl Olson Cruise Planners
1326 Margaret Place St. Joseph, MI 49085
Email: COlson@CruisePlanners.com
269-982-0901 Office
269-983-7887 Mobile
www.CPAdvantageTravel.com
www.Facebook.com/CruisePlanners.CarylOlson
Hours of Operation
Monday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday
10:00am - 1:00pm
Sunday
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Testimonials
This was out 1st cruise and it went very smoothly. The only negitive was when it was our time to online regisiter with NCL, the website was haing major tech issues, they changed the app, it also was loaded with issues, thus making many of our partners quite upset with the process. This was NCL problem, not Cruise Planners.- Darrell D.
We have traveled three times with Caryl and each trip was seamless. There were always so much to do and see.
Love working with Caryl Olson!
Caryl did an excellent job!!!!- JEFFREY O.
Working with Caryl is always a positive experience.- Susan D.
First trip through Carly and with Trafalgar… it went off flawlessly, and we had a great time. Caryl’s assistance, getting it planned, and booked was wonderful! we learned a lot about the process and appreciated the assistance. Looking to book our next trip.
The cruise was great and service exceptional. We had several excellent tour guides. My only complaint is that some day tours did not utilize ear buds to hear the guide. Only the people closest to the guide heard the information.
Caryl worked with my husband and myself to combine a three week vacation we had been planning for years. She found a perfect guided tour that combined with our own week long stay in London. Several people on our tour had issues and we saw Caryl had already brought up or discussed some of these topics so we felt very prepared and confident on our travels.- CATHLEEN S.
Caryl worked hard to find us the type of accommodations we were looking for and was really helpful at piecing together a trip that was partially self-guided along with an attached guided tour. We were very pleased.
Originally told about Sheraton Times Square as hotel. Then there were some changes and it didn't seem to be available but after telling Caryl I really wanted that location, she was able to secure for me for 5 nights! The BEST, most central location to all that we were doing! Couldn't be happier with location.
This was the first full extended cruise we attempted. We had some hopes on how it would all turn out and I have to say it met with our highest expectations. My wife and I said it turned out, “ perfect!”
Caryl did a magnificent job of helping us plan our Alaskan Cruisetour! Everything came together smoothly and our vacation was the most exciting one we have ever had!
My advice, travel with Caryl Olson. My husband and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Tuscany and the surrounding areas. This was a group of 31, some arrived four days before an 8-day Collette tour and all stayed for a three-day post tour in Venice, including several novice travelers. The pre and post tours were all arranged by Caryl. We stayed in four hotels, traveled by plane, train, boat, bus, private transfers and, of course, by gondola. I can't imagine the hours spent reading hotel and tour reviews, choosing options for the best price and convenience, planning to get all of us where we needed to be and when and how we needed to get there. She was constantly pulling tickets from one pocket or another and scouting locations so she could give us the best directions. Of course, there are always things that crop up, tours that aren't what they described, minor costs that weren't expected, and this is where her experience was so reassuring. With-out her, we would have been lost or late for everything. Then there was Covid! Thankfully, Caryl and her husband Gayle were able to find alternative testing sites when plans didn't work as we were told. We will gladly travel with her again. She is planning a trip to Norway next year and chances are good that we will be there too.- Ruth E.
Our trip to Italy was just fantastic, even with a few hiccups during the trip which is typical for any travel abroad. Our CP Agent Caryl was helpful and accommodating during the trip. There are always a few unexpected issues that arise but having traveled many times over the years, you learn to "go with the flow" and understand the experience is much more important than a few inconvenient moments due to issues that are not in any one person's control. Caryl did everything possible to inform our group of things to expect before we traveled and was also very helpful in dealing with unexpected issues that came up during our trip (e.g. finding a Covid testing location). It isn't always easy to travel with a large group of people and anticipate everyone's needs but Caryl works hard to help everyone enjoy the experience.
Caryl put together a wonderful Tuscany trip for us. We were going with a group on a Collette Tuscany tour, but we started by ourselves with a stop in Florence and then to La Spezia to explore Cinque Terre. Caryl found some excellent hotels for us at each stop. She also pointed out several highlights along the way.
Caryl has facilitated many wonderful vacations.
We have traveled twice with Caryl and would go again. Great communication!
This vacation was amazing. We absolutely were in awe with the ship, the size of it and all that there was to do. Our dinners in the main dining room were fun - we met a couple from Michigan and two others from Canada. We did two excursions - we swam with the stingrays in Grand Cayman and did a bamboo river raft ride in Jamaica. The bars were all amazing, the pool so much fun when we were at sea, the shows in the main theatre absolutely awesome - comedians, an impersonator, the Beatles and dancers, all so very much fun to see. We would do another cruise in a heartbeat!! Thanks for taking such good care of us - everything you set up for us was perfect! Talk again soon - Karen and Mark Dahn- KAREN D.
