About Specialties Process Why Jill Journal Start Planning

Boutique Luxury Travel Advisory · Off to Neverland Travel®

You Dream It.
She Creates It.

Honeymoons. Caribbean escapes. Mediterranean cruises. European adventures.
White-glove planning. Zero stress. The trip of a lifetime — built entirely around you.

Honeymoons
Primary Specialty
Sandals & Beaches
All-Inclusive Expert
Cruises
Worldwide
European
Itineraries

She Didn't Just Study Travel.
She Lived It.

I hold two master's degrees — one in Deaf Education, one in Educational Leadership. For years, I designed deeply personalized learning experiences for students who needed more than a one-size-fits-all approach. That same instinct drives every trip I plan today. When you work with me, you're not getting a catalog recommendation. You're getting a plan built entirely around who you are.

My journey into travel advisory started with my own honeymoon. A travel advisor arranged a 9-day Butler Suite stay at Sandals Negril — an experience worth over $20,000, secured for a fraction of that cost. That trip didn't just change our honeymoon. It changed the direction of my career. I became a travel advisor so I could create that exact feeling for other people.

Since then, I've sailed through the Mediterranean — Rome, Santorini, Athens, Sicily, Malta, and beyond. I studied abroad in Italy (yes, I once stalled a stick-shift car in a toll booth and had to push it out myself). I've spent meaningful time across Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawai'i. I don't just sell travel. I speak it fluently — and I bring every bit of that experience to the trips I build for my clients.

My goal isn't a single booking. It's a relationship. I want to be your travel advisor from your honeymoon, to your anniversary, to your babymoon, to your first family vacation. Every chapter deserves a trip worth remembering.

"No two honeymoons are ever the same — because no two couples are ever the same. You tell me your dream. I'll take it from there."
— Jill Bechtel

Destinations I've Personally Explored

🇮🇹
Italy
Studied abroad. Drove stick-shift through Tuscany. Stalled in a toll booth — and pushed the car out myself.
🇬🇷
Greece
Santorini, Athens, Mykonos & Olympia — sailed in by Mediterranean cruise ship.
🇯🇲
Jamaica
Sandals Negril in a Butler Suite — the honeymoon that started it all.
🚢
Mediterranean
Rome, Sicily, Florence, Napoli, Santorini, Athens, Mykonos, Malta. One suitcase. 140,000+ steps. Life-changing.
🏔️
Alaska
Cruised the last frontier.
🌺
Hawai'i
Extensive time across the islands — land and cruise.
🏰
Walt Disney World® Resort
Countless visits. Deep destination expertise. Disney Cruise Line voyage planned for 2027.
🇬🇧
England, France, Spain, Malta
Meaningful time across Western Europe — not just tourist stops.

My Specialties

💍

Luxury Honeymoon Planning

Your honeymoon should be the most magical trip of your life. I know this firsthand — my own honeymoon at Sandals Negril in a Butler Suite set the standard I now create for every couple I work with. You tell me your vision. I'll build the trip that brings it to life.

🏝️

Sandals & Beaches Resorts

I honeymooned at Sandals Negril. My recommendations don't come from a brochure — they come from lived experience. I know which room categories are worth the upgrade, which perks my supplier relationships can unlock for you, and exactly how to make your all-inclusive experience feel anything but standard.

🚢

Ocean & River Cruises

Most people think cruising means sailing the Caribbean. I think bigger. My own Mediterranean cruise — Rome, Santorini, Athens, Malta, and beyond — showed me what cruising can truly be: unpack once, wake up in a new country every single day. I will open that world for you.

🗺️

European Luxury Travel

From studying abroad in Italy to exploring Greece, Spain, France, England, and Malta, I've spent real, meaningful time across Europe. I know the difference between tourist Italy and real Italy — and I bring that insider perspective to every European itinerary I craft, including private transfers, curated accommodations, and experiences you won't find in any guidebook.

Disney Destinations

As part of Off to Neverland Travel®, an EarMarked by Disney Authorized Travel Agency, I specialize in selling Disney destinations — including Walt Disney World® Resort and Disney Cruise Line. I'm even creating a first-of-its-kind Deaf at Sea Disney Cruise Line sailing event in 2027, bringing together the Deaf community in a way that is deeply personal to me.

🥂

Milestone & Romance Travel

Anniversaries. Destination weddings. Bachelorette travel. Babymoons. Every milestone deserves to be celebrated with intention. I design these trips with the same white-glove care I give every honeymoon — because you only get one chance to make these moments right.

What It's Like to Work With Me

01

You Reach Out

You contact me — or I connect with you. From the very first conversation, you'll feel the difference between a transaction and a relationship. This is the beginning of something lasting.

02

The Discovery Questionnaire

I'll send you a thoughtfully designed questionnaire built to understand how you think, travel, and experience the world. Questions like "where do you go on a regular Thursday night versus a special occasion?" tell me more about what you'll love on vacation than any destination checklist ever could. Grab a glass of wine and enjoy it.

03

The Vision Consultation

A real conversation — video call or in person — where I get to know you, your travel dreams, and what your perfect trip actually looks and feels like. This is not a sales call. It's expert guidance from someone who genuinely cares about getting it right.

04

Your Travel Excellence Package

Once you're officially on my books, I go to work. I monitor pricing, compare options, apply promotions as they become available, and craft a curated proposal tailored entirely to you. I handle the details most people don't even know to look for.

05

Your Curated Proposal

I present you with thoughtfully compared options — resorts, cruises, or full itineraries — and walk you through every detail until it's exactly right. If revisions are needed, I make them. Your vision leads this process, always.

06

You Dream It. I Create It.

Once your trip is booked, I manage everything through to your departure — excursions, special packages, honeymoon perks, dining, and every detail in between. By the time you reach the airport, all you have to do is pack. The rest is already taken care of.

Why Work With Me vs. Booking It Yourself

I get to know you personally

My process starts with understanding how you live, not just where you want to go. Expedia doesn't know your preferred dinner experience. I do — and that changes everything about what I recommend.

I monitor deals after you book

When prices drop or promotions launch, I catch it and apply credits on your behalf. You would never know to look. I always do — and those savings often more than cover the cost of your package investment.

I add perks you can't access alone

Honeymoon packages, massage credits, candlelit dinners, room upgrades, butler amenities — I can request and secure things through my supplier relationships that simply aren't available through any booking site.

I'm there when things go sideways

Travel hiccups happen. When they do, you want a real person in your corner — not a 1-800 number. I am reachable and advocating for you before, during, and after your trip.

I'm an advisor, not an agent

There is a real difference. I don't process bookings — I curate experiences, build relationships, and design trips the way an educator designs a curriculum: entirely around the individual in front of me.

I'm building a relationship for life

Your honeymoon is just the beginning. I want to be your travel advisor through every chapter — anniversaries, babymoons, first family vacations, milestone trips, and every adventure in between.

An Investment in Your Experience

I am a boutique travel advisor — not a fee-free booking service. My expertise, my relationships, and my time are worth investing in. What my clients receive in return consistently exceeds what they pay — often by a significant margin. I charge a package investment for every client, including friends and family, because what I provide is strategy, personalization, and advocacy. Not simply booking access. Package details are shared during your consultation.

Single Journey

Travel Excellence Package

Full boutique planning for one trip. Destination matching, room expertise, timeline management, deal monitoring, and white-glove advocacy from inquiry through return. Ideal for honeymoons, anniversary escapes, and bucket-list vacations.

Inquire for package details →

Two Trips · Multi-Year

Duo Excellence Package

Boutique planning for two trips over a multi-year span. For the couple who travels meaningfully, not constantly. Two carefully crafted experiences, the same white-glove expertise, and a relationship that grows with every trip you take.

Inquire for package details →

* Package investment is required prior to trip research and proposal development.

The Journal


Travel Advisor

"I Can Book This Myself" — You're Not Wrong. But You're Not Right.

Yes, technically you can. But there's a difference between booking a trip and having someone build your dream — and it matters more than most people realize.

Read More →

Travel Advisor

Is a Travel Advisor Worth It? Here's What Nobody Tells You.

The honest answer goes way beyond saving money. Sometimes the value is something no spreadsheet can measure — and it starts with a 6am phone call.

Read More →

Honeymoons

Sandals vs. Secrets: Which All-Inclusive Is Right for Your Honeymoon?

An honest comparison from someone who has stayed at both. What each resort does best — and which type of couple truly belongs at each one.

Coming Soon →

Let's Plan the Trip
of Your Lifetime

The first step is simple. Fill out my honeymoon questionnaire — grab a glass of wine, take your time, and dream a little. Once I've reviewed your answers, I'll be in touch to schedule your complimentary vision consultation.

No commitment. No pressure. Just a real conversation with someone who genuinely wants to understand your dream — and has the expertise to make it real.

Begin Your Honeymoon Questionnaire → Begin Your Travel Questionnaire →
LocationSpartanburg, SC · Serving clients nationwide
AvailabilityMon–Fri, 9am–5pm EST · Evening & Saturday by appointment
AgencyOff to Neverland Travel®

Through my business relationships with travel suppliers, some may provide complimentary or discounted access to their properties to allow for hands-on experience that better serves my clients. All recommendations reflect my honest professional expertise and personal experience.