Get Paid to Travel? Yeah, Right. 🤪
A friend tells you about a cruise they're taking. And just like that, your inner child is jumping up and down, waving their hand, screaming Pick me! Pick me! I wanna go!
So you start Googling.
You're juggling 15 tabs. Searching for promos. Comparing prices. Expedia or direct? Reviews or just book it? Oh wait — you'll just call the cruise line.
Press 1 for this. Press 2 for that. "Our menus have recently changed." Hold music. Then more hold music. Then someone who needs your full name, date of birth, address, phone number, email — spell everything twice. Is that an "I" or a "1"? Confirm your address. The system picks a random cabin from the category. What deck is that? Where's it located? Is it near an elevator or your friends? Is it over the theater or under the Lido?
At this point, you've forgotten why you wanted to go.
But that's not how it has to be.
Hard-Hat construction tour at Hyatt Zilara in Punta Cana, 2019
Now Imagine.
Same scenario. Your friends are going....Pick me! Pick me!....You know the ship and the date....so, why can't you send one email — or just a text or two — and have your cabin on hold?
No hold music. No 15 tabs. No random cabin assigned by a system that doesn't know you. Instead — a cabin selected for your preferences. Midship or aft? Away from the elevator or close to it? Near your friends or with a better view?
My established clients skip all of it because we've already had those conversations. A quick chat or a couple of texts and it's ship, date, who's going and done. I usually have a cabin on hold within minutes. Their confirmation lands in their inbox before the excitement wears off.
Picking the Right Advisor.
The right advisor knows they're in a relationship business.
Not sales. Not marketing. And definitely not an MLM promising "Get Paid to Travel" while recruiting their way through your Facebook feed.
So how can you tell?
First — they respond. You can actually reach them. And when they do, they listen. They ask questions. They aren't shoehorning you into a product they want to sell. They're finding out which one is right for you.
They tell you the facts. And their opinion. And believe me — the good ones have opinions.
If they can't give you a single negative or one honest drawback about the product they're recommending? That's a problem. And if there's bad news about your trip — budget, timing, fees — you're going to hear it from them first. Before you're committed. Before it's too late to change course.
Bali Beds on Bavaro Beach while touring properties in the Dominican Republic
Now Back to Convenience.
How does it usually work in life? You pay for it.
How does it work in travel? You pay for it. Seat upgrades. Priority boarding. VIP transfers. The fast lane always has a price tag.
The right advisor? That relationship — that access, that knowledge, that cabin on hold in minutes — that's priceless.
And most of the time, it doesn't cost you a thing extra. The industry pays your advisor when you travel.
Most of the time. (Remember that thing about bad news?) A destination wedding? A multi-destination adventure? Coordinating multiple traveling parties? You'll know when there's a planning fee involved — because the right advisor tells you before you ever get started.
You already know what to look for now.
And you know where to find me.
I'll just be here waiting for your text.
#WhyStayHome
Taking flight at Chic Punta Cna
Still wondering whether AI can do all of this for you? Read: Should AI Replace Your Travel Advisor?
Billy Miller is the founder of Miller Travel Group. He believes true vacation planning requires real human relationships and actual local expertise—which is exactly why he is rarely found sitting at home. He writes about premium travel, cruise industry realities, and destination hidden gems from a deeply personal, experiential perspective.