Land & Sea: Galveston Holiday 2024
by Eryn Reddell Wingert
Photos by Sarah Denzer and Kristy Meyer
There are three things that set Welcome Home RGV’s Land and Sea Tours apart from other available options, according to tour director Sarah Denzer: the itinerary, concierge-style service, and value.
“We don’t just sign you up and send you off,” says Denzer. “We’re all about elevated experiences at a great price point.”
There is plenty of evidence to support this claim in the direct feedback from travelers. Travel by Welcome Home, based in McAllen, follows up with a questionnaire after each trip, asking travelers what was enjoyable and what could be improved upon.
For the most part, the ratings are 5 out of 5, with positive feedback provided. Responses to the question, “What would you tell your friends if they asked how Travel by Welcome Home RGV was to vacation with?” after one tour included, “Fun, organized, inexpensive and safe.”; “Superb, outstanding, caring and fun, fun, fun!!”; and “The best way to travel.”
Denzer says a lot of effort goes into planning each excursion, and positive feedback is a great motivator to continue to go above and beyond. Once all the details are set, the team incorporates special touches to enhance the fun.
During last December’s Land & Sea Christmas Tour, Denzer and travel director Kristy Meyer accompanied a group of 47 to explore Galveston (Texas) and beyond aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Their care and attention stood out as a highlight for Ned Vlach, a first-timer with Travel by Welcome Home. “They took care of us, always asking if we needed anything; they went above and beyond.”
“We had little surprises along the way,” says Denzer. Those surprises included personalized stockings attached to cabin doors, champagne in their rooms, twinkling Santa hats, comfort stops along the bus route, and accessibility considerations. The little surprises and special considerations were well received by travelers. Carolyn Hein, 86, has traveled with Welcome Home on various bus trips and cruises. “We don’t feel like anybody else can accommodate us the way those girls can. They are very perceptive to the needs of older people.”
Hein also enjoyed the get-togethers as a group aboard the ship, as did sisters Maria Gomez and Alicia Rios. “We got to know people from different parts of the Valley coming from different parts of the country,” reported Rios.
Group activities included historic bus tours of Galveston, a visit to Moody Gardens, dinners together aboard ship–where travelers shared their champagne with each other–a Cozumel excursion focused on Mexico’s Christmas traditions, and an Ugly-Sweater-Themed Cocktail Party the last night aboard ship.
The sisters immersed themselves in the fun. Rios loves to dance and, according to Gomez, her enthusiasm is contagious. “She [Alicia] spreads excitement, and I enjoy being with her.”
The two sisters could be seen dancing on deck, and they went all out for the Ugly Sweater Party, which Rios says was out of her comfort zone. “But I just wanted to have fun, and I did!”
Rios, who spends part of the year in La Feria and the rest in Indiana, learned about the Land & Sea Christmas Tour via Welcome Home RGV’s e-newsletter.
Tours and Travel by Welcome Home may be based in the Rio Grande Valley, but that doesn’t mean you have to be in the vicinity to take part in the adventures. Denzer says travelers can join from anywhere, including the upcoming Land & Sea Alaska and Seattle Tour scheduled for June and Land & Sea Boston to Canada in September.
Considering Travel by Welcome Home’s attention to detail and value, these upcoming trips are destined to be as enjoyable as the annual Land & Sea Christmas Tour, about which another traveler offered this feedback: “Everything is planned, and you have to do nothing but go and enjoy.”
