 | MARLYS WEARREN
Email: marlys@platinumtvl.com
Expert Bio
Owner and CEO
Marlys started her travel agency in 1982, under the name International Tours. The business has evolved under her leadership to be recognized throughout Kentucky as one of the premier travel agencies in the state. Marlys has been President of the SKAL Club of Louisville, and has also been recognized as one of Louisville's top business owners by the Louisville chapter of The National Association of Women Business Owners.
Marlys takes great pride in the fact that Platinum Travel was chosen to be part of the Virtuoso network in 2000, and is delighted in our new look and name since our redesign and expansion in 2007.
Some of her favorite trips have included Platinum Travel's 25th Anniversary group to Italy, and our agency trips to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day.
|  | CHRISTINE BOLUS, CTA
Email: christine@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
- Luxury Travel and Honeymoons
- Gold Certified Sandals Specialist
- Premier Aussie Specialist
- Alaska Destination Specialist
- Certified Small Ship Planner
Expert Bio
Christine has been with Platinum Travel specializing in luxury adventure travel and romantic escapes for over 10 years, and has been a travel consultant for nearly 25 years. She loves to travel, and really enjoys sitting down with clients and planning the perfect trip for them.
Growing us as an Air Force "brat", she was exposed to many different cultures and destinations while living all over the U.S. and South Pacific, and, as a result of those experiences, has remained eager for new travel adventures. Christine is Kentucky's only Premier Aussie Specialist, a Gold Certified Sandals Specialist, and was chosen in 2010 to be a member of the Virtuoso Travel Advisor Board for ISLANDS Magazine.
Her recent adventures have found her heli-flying over New Zealand glaciers (see picture), learning Aboriginal painting techniques in Australia's Outback, swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, running from hungry monkeys in Costa Rica, playing golf (poorly) at the beautiful Hamilton Island Golf Course, and seeing Paris as if for the first time again through the eyes of her children for a fabulous never-to-be-forgotten Spring Break.
Christine received her Scuba Open Water Certification this year, and greatly enjoyed diving in the Bahamas (including a dive with Reef Sharks!) and several locations on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. She would love to help you plan your own adventures and memories for a true "Return on Life".
My Recent Trips
- Oasis of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) - November 2009
- Alaska
- Every Sandals Resort including the new Sandals Emerald Bay - June 2010
- Mayan Riviera and Isla Mujeres (swimming with Whale Sharks) - June 2009
- Paris, France (most recently - April 2010)
- Italy - October 2008
- Australia
- Uniworld River Cruise Christmas Markets - Germany - December 2007
- London - April 2008
- Ireland - April 2008
- Tall Ship Sailing Cruises - Costa Rica and Bahamas Out Islands - 2006 and 2007
- Barbados - June 2007
- Costa Rica - August 2007
|  | EMILY BALDWIN
Email: emily@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
VAST (Virtuoso Active Specialty Travel), All-Inclusive Packages, Honeymoon and Destination Weddings, Certified Sandals Specialist, Disney Specialist, Princess Cruise Academy, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Specialist, AMR Resort Specialist (Zoetry, Secrets, and Dreams Resorts)
Expert Bio
Emily started with Platinum Travel in the 1st quarter of 2009, and is one of the newest additions to our team of Luxury Travel Advisors. Emily brings a world of experience and a vast array of knowledge to our Platinum Travel staff. She's a graduate of Sullivan University with a B.S. in Hospitality Management and holds an Associate in Applied Science - Travel and Tourism from St. Louis Community College. Emily has recently been appointed by Travel Agent Magazine as one of the Top 30 Travel Advisors under the Age of 30 for 2010. Her knowledgeable career background in both the leisure and corporate industry has led her to create personal journeys for her clients.
Emily’s passion for the industry is brought out by the customized itineraries and attention to detail for all of her clients. She is eager to create lifetime experiences for all of her clients and wanting to show new clients her ability to create these experiences. Emily also states that being a young travel advisor in this industry takes more than having traveled all over the world; it is about being involved in all aspects of travel whether it is product training, networking, or marketing with her clients; she is dedicated to her detail-oriented itineraries with each client to capture all aspects of a destination. Emily states: “The ability to build opportunities and networks for Platinum Travel has been one of the greatest gifts of my profession and shows that I am passionate about giving others the opportunity to experience travel as well.”
My recent travel journeys include: Maroma Beach, Mexico, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, Jamaica, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Grand Cayman, and Multiple Destinations in the Caribbean.
My Recent Trips
- Turks and Caicos
- Bahamas
- Las Vegas
|  | SHIRLEY DALY
Email: shirley@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
- Luxury Travel
- Asia/China
- Australia/New Zealand
- Europe
- Niche Cruise Specialist
- River Cruises Worldwide
- Certified Travel Consultant (CTC)
Expert Bio
We are delighted to have Shirley at Platinum Travel, where as she has been booking exotic and unusual travel for her clients for over 20 years. She loves putting together challenging itineraries for her clients. One of her favorites was for a photographer traveling through Chiang Lai and Chiang Mai to take photos of long-necked women!
She is especially knowledgeable about European itineraries, and specializes in around- the-world cruises. Shirley is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), and has a Destination Specialist designation from The Travel Institute for Europe and the Caribbean.
My Recent Trips
- Princess Cruises (Emerald Princess)
- Rhine Cruise
- Copenhagen
- Stockholm
- Helsinki
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Las Vegas
- Costa Rica
- Caribbean Cruises
- Budapest, Vienna, and Prague
- Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands
|  | RUSS DUNLAP
Email: russ@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
- Australia/New Zealand
- World Cruises
- Walt Disney World
- Celebrity Cruises & Holland America Cruise Specialist
- Cunard Line Commodore (highest level of specialist training)
- Graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge
- Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC)
- Certified Travel Counselor (CTC)
Expert Bio
Russ is Vice-President of Platinum Travel, and enjoys putting together marketing plans and working on this very website. Past positions at Holland America Line and The Walt Disney Company gave him lots of experience in working with a wide array of clients and diverse destinations. His favorite destinations include Alaska and Eastern Europe, with his most favorite being Australia (he's an Australia Specialist through Tourism Australia). If you're ever in the market for a phone call from Mickey Mouse, he does a great impersonation!
My Recent Trips
- Maine (2002)
- Amsterdam (2005)
- Barcelona (2005)
- New York City (2006)
- Prague, Budapest, and Vienna (2006)
- Eastern Mediterranean (2007)
- Egypt (2008)
- Australia (2001, 2006, 2008)
- Mediterranean (Italy and Greek Isles) (2009)
- Mexican Riviera (2009)
- Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) (2009)
- Silversea Cruises (Japan, China, and South Korea) (2010)
|  | WILLO FALK
Email: willo@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Leisure Travel Specialist - CTC (Certified Travel Counselor)
Expert Bio
Willo is a seasoned professional travel consultant with 29 years of experience. She designs her clients' trips with a high level of detail, as if she were taking the trip herself! And she's very well-traveled, counting Asia, Australia, Buenos Aires, African safaris, Russia, the Galapagos, and Whale Watching in Baja as some of her favorite places. She enjoys booking the exotic and especially enjoys planning around-the-world adventures. Contact Willo and test her travel knowledge!
|  | DEE TOPOR
Email: dee@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
- Luxury Travel
- Western Europe
- Caribbean
- River Cruising
- Certified Travel Associate (CTA)
Expert Bio
Dee is in charge of all the amazing personalities that work for Platinum Travel, and she’s pretty amazing herself. She started out at Delta Airlines in the call center, and is now President of our company. Her clients think the world of her, and her dedication shows off, as some of them have been with her for over 15 years.
2011 marks her 22nd anniversary with Platinum Travel. Besides being a Certified Travel Associate (CTA), she’s a destination specialist in the Caribbean and Western Europe, and loves river cruising.
My Recent Trips
- European River Cruise (2005)
- China River Cruise (2006)
- France River Cruise (2007)
|  | LAURIE BISIG
Email: laurie@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Group Travel Manager
25 Years Experience in the Travel Industry
Expert Bio
Laurie and her trusty sidekick Terri run the Platinum Travel Group Department (sorta sounds like The Lone Ranger and Tonto). She loves the details and specifics it takes to make a group travel itinerary successful. One of the favorite trips she planned for a client was a marriage at the Vatican! In the travel business for over 25 years, she credits her love for history as being the catalyst for her career in travel.
And boy, has she traveled: Egypt, China, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, London, Russia, and even good old Walt Disney World. Laurie is a destination specialist in the Caribbean, and she really knows the ins and outs of travel insurance. We love having her and her wicked sense of humor in the office!
My Recent Trips
- Egypt (2008)
- Ireland (2006, 2007)
- Barcelona (2006)
- Russia (2006)
- China (Beijing, Xian, Guilin - 1997)
- Shanghai to Hong Kong cruise (1997)
- Monte Carlo and French Riviera (1995)
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Cunard (Various)
|  | TERRI JACKSON HALL
Email: terri@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Group Travel Consultant
Expert Bio
Terri has a wealth of experience in working with large groups of people, with loads of special event management experience and a Master’s in Facility Management. So we thought: a perfect match for our group department! Detail oriented to a fault, she’s a whiz at spreadsheets and numbers. She also prides herself in giving individual attention to each group member.
She assisted Laurie (our group manager) in designing our very successful 25th anniversary tour to Italy this year, and loves to travel herself, counting Maui and St. Maarten as two of her favorite destinations. If you need someone to coordinate a large family reunion or any large group, she’s the one to go to!
My Recent Trips
-
Platinum Travel 25th Anniversary Tour of Italy (2008)
France, Germany, and London River Cruise (2007)
China - Yangtze River Cruise, Shanghai, Xian, Beijing (2006)
Canada/New England Cruise - Princess Cruises (2005)
Royal Caribbean International - Explorer of the Seas - Eastern Caribbean (2005)
Maui, Hawaii (2004)
Walt Disney World (2002)
|  | DEBBIE LAY
Email: debbie@platinumtvl.com
Interests & Specialties
Corporate Travel Specialist
Expert Bio
Debbie is the one to go to for the ins and outs of corporate travel. She has the contacts and knowledge and experience to get all her clients from one place to another. It's practically second nature to her, as she's been in this position for 25 plus years. She loves it...and her clients love her.
Favorite places she's visited include Canada, Israel, Alaska, Hawaii, Bermuda, Ireland, and Western Europe, and she holds a Travel & Tourism degree from Sullivan University.
Contact Debbie by clicking here
|  | BOBBIE THOMPSON
Email: bobbie@platinumtvl.com
Expert Bio
Bobbie has worked for over 10 years within a corporation doing their business travel and is now getting back into the leisure side of travel. She is using her administrative skills part-time in our Group Department and learning from the best! She looks forward to helping groups of any size find the right vacation for them. Bobbie has visited Dublin, London, and Paris. She also loves a cruise of any kind but her favorite destination is Walt Disney World!
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