The Amex Platinum concierge went above and beyond in finding my family of 5 the perfect cruise - it's a service I'll definitely be using again

• When I needed to find a vacation option that would work for my family of five, I turned to the concierge service available through the Platinum Card® from American Express.
• We were connect to a concierge named Luis with extensive cruise knowledge. He walked us through our options and helped us plan a trip that accommodated all our needs.
• It was clear that Luis enjoyed his work, and he went above
• Now that my children are older and it can be tricky to coordinate schedules, we may use the Amex concierge to help schedule our next group vacation.
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There are many, many travel sites for arranging flights, lodging, activities, and more, but finding the lowest-cost, highest-quality option can be a huge undertaking. My partner and I both had full-time jobs and we were parenting three children. We needed a vacation. Not a road trip or camping excursion; I wanted a warm, sunny beach where servers would bring me cocktails and someone else would cook every meal.

We considered either a cruise or an all-inclusive resort, because of their affordability and range of entertainment options, particularly for families with children.

According to cruisemarketwatch.com, there are over 300 ships worldwide sailing on Earth's waters. In addition to Sandals, Beaches, and Apple Vacations brands, virtually every hotel chain has an all-inclusive offering. It's a full-time job to keep up with the amenities and quality.

Fortunately, my husband had the Platinum Card from American Express, and one of the features is access to a concierge. Here's how this service helped us book a great cruise vacation.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.

Our American Express concierge - his name was Luis - went above and beyond. His understanding of the cruise industry was deep; he readily admitted he did not know as much about all-inclusive resorts, so if I wanted to investigate that option, he would transfer me to another agent. I spoke with Jennifer for an overview of our options and returned to Luis because by taking a cruise we could visit more places.

One reason for Luis' reservoir of knowledge was that his training included going on the cruises incognito to experience the service as one of his customers would. Because of that, he knew how long it would likely take to collect our bags and go through customs, and he suggested a schedule that included flights later in the day so we wouldn't risk missing a connection.

Ultimately, we decided on a Royal Caribbean Cruise to the Bahamas. Luis sweated the details. He reminded me that while my youngest child - at the time, she was three - didn't require a passport, I should have her birth certificate, not a copy, with me. He was friendly. I received email updates in a timely fashion, but not an overwhelming amount of them, and when we spoke over the phone, I could hear Luis smile through the line. He enjoyed his work, which was understandable because he dealt with people who were traveling for fun and relaxation.

Read more: How the Amex concierge helped me find English-language movie tickets in Mexico

As our three children get older, we're trying to build a tradition of taking a family vacation apart from the holidays. It's a challenge to organize such a trip because each lives in different places - Washington, DC; Los Angeles, and Boston - and because they're in various stages of their careers, their vacation days are limited and/or don't sync up with one another. That's why I'm glad my husband has the Amex Platinum card, so we can access the concierge service again in the future.

Click here to learn more about the Amex Platinum card »

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