Why Platinum is Worth Every Penny on The Ghan
Having just come off the Ghan, I can honestly say—it’s…
Jenny Flower
This Week We ‘Sacked’ One of Our Hotels
If we find a supplier isn't delivering the standard our clients deserve, we won't hesitate to stop recommending them.
It was a hotel in Darwin that we’ve worked with for more than 15 years.
We’ve always been happy to recommend it to our clients, but recently it changed ownership and, unfortunately, the service levels have deteriorated quite noticeably.
We held a quick 15-minute team meeting and unanimously agreed that we would no longer offer it to our clients.
Some people might think that’s a bit harsh.
We don’t.
One of the biggest responsibilities we have as travel advisers is making sure the products we recommend continue to meet the standards we’d expect ourselves. That’s why we constantly monitor all of our travel partners—not just cruise lines, but hotels, tour operators and local suppliers as well.
When our travellers return home, we always ask them how their trip went. Of course, we love hearing about the highlights, but we’re just as interested in anything that didn’t quite live up to expectations.
That feedback is incredibly valuable.
We also make a point of checking things for ourselves. Members of our team regularly travel to Darwin and Broome, inspecting hotels, meeting with our cruise partners and keeping up to date with what’s happening on the ground. Sometimes we’ll even ask one of the team to stay at a particular hotel simply because we haven’t inspected it for a while.
Nothing beats firsthand experience.
If we find a supplier isn’t delivering the standard our clients deserve, we won’t hesitate to stop recommending them.
I wrote previously about an experience that was actually quite embarrassing. I was invited on a complimentary Kimberley cruise by a new operator. They were incredibly generous, but after experiencing the product myself, I knew I couldn’t recommend it.
That led to a couple of uncomfortable conversations with the operator afterwards.
But I’d much rather have an awkward conversation with a supplier than a disappointing conversation with a client who trusted our advice and spent thousands of dollars on a holiday that wasn’t up to scratch.
That’s simply not a compromise we’re prepared to make.
We won't recommend anything we don't genuinely believe in.
Sometimes that means recommending one cruise line over another.
Sometimes it means suggesting a different hotel.
And occasionally, as happened this week, it means ending a relationship with a supplier we've worked with for many years because we no longer believe they represent the quality our clients expect.
Our loyalty has always been to our travellers—not our suppliers.
So when you ask us for advice about cruising or touring in the Kimberley, you can be confident that every recommendation we make is based on genuine experience, honest client feedback and our commitment to helping you have the best possible holiday.
If we wouldn’t confidently recommend it to our own family and friends, we won’t recommend it to you.
About Jenny Flower
I’m an expert in small ship cruising in the Kimberley and have completed four cruises on different vessels along this spectacular coastline. Cruises in the Kimberley are not one size fits all. There are different ships and itineraries, each offering their own special elements.
If you would like to have a chat with me about Kimberley cruising at a time that suits you book in a call.
You might also enjoy
Two Days in Bogotá: Our first stop in Columbia
Friday 28 August – First Day in Bogotá Our…
South Georgia Introduces New Electronic Permit System for Visitors
We are big proponents of including South Georgia in your…
