The Cook Travel Group - Dream Vacations - Frederick, Maryland

Joan S.

Can’t say enough about the excellent service and advice provided by Wendy and Chris at Cook. They arranged a Viking cruise of the Great Lakes for us and handled each detail with care and precision so that the entire process was effortless on our part. Wendy’s phone call to us just before the trip to go over logistics etc. was a welcome and graceful touch especially since we were first time cruisers. The cruise was great but working with Cook was equally fantastic! Many thanks!!

Rick B.

Wendy and Chris did a great job of working us through our 1st Viking Cruise. They communicated openly and helped ensure our expectations for flights and overall experience was not only met but exceeded. They provide a comfort level in planning trips and then fabulous follow-up during the trip as needed. Highly recommend!

Jenn P.

Wendy helped us plan a vacation for my best friend of 28 years and I to celebrate our birthdays. She was an excellent travel agent and made sure that everything we requested we got. We traveled to Jamaica. We had a wonderful trip and she even arranged with the resort to have special birthday cakes in our room when we arrived! Wendy made our trip very memorable for our first international trip together. I would highly recommend Wendy to book a cruise or trip. I’m hoping to use her services again I the future.

Matt B.

5 Star from start to Finish. I know when most people look at reviews, they immediately toss out the 1 star and the 5-star. 5 star is probably a relative and 1 star is just a Karen with an ax to grind. I do things a little different because I'm lazy. I don't wright a review unless the company is worth it and frankly most companies just aren't. That said, I do think The Cook Travel Group is worth the time and the energy. In fact, it's weird having to look up at the top of this screen to remember their "legal business name" because my wife and I just know them as Wendy and Chris.
I'm a homebody and don't really care to travel. In fact, when my wife came to me and said "you're taking me somewhere for our 25th wedding anniversary" I remember letting out a sigh because I had already been beaten into it. She asked me where I would like to go, and I said I didn't care as long as we were together. After a frustrated moan she went on a search for the perfect destination and the easiest way to get there. That search led us to Wendy, Chris, and Alaska.
From start to finish Wendy and Chris made themselves available to us pretty much night and day. Their process is to talk through with you what direction you're looking and then they put forth a couple ideas to add to your ideas. In our case, we were looking at Hawaii or Alaska. Finally settling on an Alaskan Cruise, they used their ridiculous amount of first-hand knowledge to explain all the ins and outs of cruising. They had first-hand knowledge about the princess line as well as others for us to choose from. They spent extra effort working with us to help us realize our budget goals for the trip. They helped us book in situations where they couldn't just book for us which was only one or two things. They turned us on to all kinds of excursions and activities that we could enjoy as well. We decided to take an extra day in Vancouver and before and an extra day in Anchorage after which they helped us lock down as well. Their "first-hand knowledge" is not limited to just cruises. Once our trip was booked, Wendy and Chris kept track of all our reservations updating them as flight times and any other changes occurred. A couple of days before we left, we met up and talked through our entire itinerary in order to make sure we were comfortable with everything that was happening. While on the trip, we had direct contact with Wendy and Chris in the event that anything went wrong. In fact, they kept tract of us to ensure that our trip went smoothly from 3500+ miles away. Even going as far as having the marquee screens on the boat react to our cruise medallions to wish us a happy anniversary and a happy Birthday for my wife.
I have attached a few pics along with this review. We enjoyed a day on the water fishing for Alaskan Rock fish and any Kings we could find in Ketchikan. We got to eat those fish right out of the water on a island beach kitchen with Exclusive Skiff Fishing and Fresh Catch Wilderness Dining. Ask for Captain Steve. We got to watch for whales in Juneau with Captain Charles. Amazing day!
We got to see like 20 whales and some really funny sealions. Really cool. Check out Harv and Marv's fishing excursions in Juneau if you get the chance. Also took the White Pass Summit Rail and Suspension bridge excursion out of Skagway. Really Beautiful. Jenny at Chilkoot Charters is the best in the business here. The Sea to Sky Gondola ride in Vancouver is a sight to behold as well. So many awesome places and the scenery was just amazing. Found myself staring countless times.
All in all, it wasn't just a vacation but rather an amazing experience and one that wouldn't have been as possible without the help of our friends Wendy and Chris at the Cook Travel Group. So, if you're in the mood for a great experience whether you know where you want to go or not, I'd encourage you to give Wendy or Chris a call and put your trust in them. I am so glad we did. Thanks again for a wonderful time.

Carrie N.

Wendy and her husband planned an amazing two week trip for us to London, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. They were able to coordinate all tours and sites so that we could see everything on our bucket list! All the hotels and arrangements were just what we wanted and will definitely be using The Cook Travel Group in the future!

Danita D.

Wendy left no detail unaddressed when planning my dream birthday trip to Portugal. I initially gave her a long list of places I’d consider visiting for my bday trip, but Portugal was at the top. We weren’t sure if it was doable since they had just reopened for tourism in June 2021, and I wanted a trip in late Oct/early Nov. Wendy worked her magic network and sent me a package that I loved as soon as I saw it, and she honored my request to not send any pricing info to my husband. 😉 It was fantastic having someone as organized as Wendy, who really cares about your trip and your family, at the helm. I usually plan all of our family trips, mini trips, excursions, etc., and it was nice to sit back. Wendy and her husband/business partner, Chris, even met us in person to go over every detail approx 2 weeks before leaving. Also, she made sure we downloaded the Trips app, into which they loaded our pre-departure Covid testing requirements, travel docs, excursion tickets, rail tickets, and Chris’s notes about whether we needed to take a taxi/Uber or how long the walk was to the tour departure point. (They also gave us this package in paper.) NO detail was missed.

About the trip itself:
We spent 5 days in Lisbon and 4 days in Porto, and LOVED it! The people, the food (Ode to the best inexpensive pastries), the private transfers, the tours, the people, the tiles, the port wine, the emotional Fado show, the architecture, the comfortable train ride, the beautiful weather, and the people! (I’m a people person.) We were talking about going back before we even left. 💖Portugal

Kathi S.

I have worked with Wendy for quite a few years now on several trips and have never been disappointed on any of them She is the hardest working travel agent I have ever known and trust me when I say they're not all like her. Wouldn't even begin to plan a trip without her help.....in my opinion she's the best! Looking forward to working with her again.

Matt C.

Wendy is a phenomenal travel agent. She handled every detail for us and responded to every question promptly. I highly recommend her services. We look forward to booking with this agency in the near future!