Your Questions, Answered
A considered journey begins with considered questions. Here are the ones we hear most often, answered in the same register in which we design each voyage.
About Elevida
Elevida Luxury Journeys is an LGBTQIA+-owned luxury travel advisory based in Gulfport, Florida. Founded by Paul Valenti and Tiago Ferreira, the firm composes ultra-premium cruise voyages, bespoke resort stays, and private itineraries with a hand-selected portfolio of partners including Aman, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Four Seasons, St. Regis, One&Only, Six Senses, and others.
Elevida Luxury Journeys is a trade name of Elevida LLC and an independent affiliate of Travel Planners International.
An online portal can sell you a cabin or a room. It cannot compose a journey.
What a qualified advisor provides is a long-standing relationship with every brand we represent, access to amenities reserved for advisor-booked guests, and a single point of accountability from your first inquiry through your return home. At this level of travel, those are not conveniences. They are the difference between a booking and an experience.
Yes, explicitly. Elevida Luxury Journeys is LGBTQIA+-owned and a member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA). Every journey is composed with consideration for our clients' identities, relationships, and destinations where they will feel welcomed and at ease. The partners we represent were chosen in part because their service cultures extend dignity and discretion to every guest.
Florida Seller of Travel Registration No. ST17873. California travel sales are processed through Travel Planners International under CST 2063964-50. Washington sales are processed under UBI 602232785. Elevida LLC is also a Florida-certified Minority Business Enterprise.
Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.
The Service
No. Published fares and nightly rates are identical whether you book with Elevida or with the brand directly. Our compensation is paid by the supplier, not added to your trip.
In most cases, booking with Elevida also layers in complimentary amenities, onboard credits, or VIP recognition that are not available through direct channels.
As a Signature Travel Network partner, Elevida layers complimentary amenities on top of standard pricing across most voyages and stays. Depending on the partner and sailing or property, those amenities may include shipboard credit, complimentary dining, spa credit, welcome gifts, or suite and room upgrades.
Every booking also carries personalized itinerary design, suite or room selection guidance, pre- and post-trip coordination, and a single advisor available throughout.
Every engagement begins with a private conversation, by phone, video, or email, at your preference. We talk through destinations, timing, pace, the circle of people traveling with you, and the kind of experience you are drawn to.
From that conversation we compose one or more curated options, with suite or room selections, inclusions, and total pricing. Once you approve the plan, we coordinate the booking and every supporting arrangement.
Flagship voyages and signature resorts often book twelve to eighteen months ahead, particularly for peak seasons, milestone itineraries, or inaugural sailings. Shorter timelines are possible for many stays, and bespoke arrangements are routinely secured inside ninety days.
The earlier a conversation begins, the wider the selection of suites, villas, and dates available.
Your Journey
Most cruise partners require an initial deposit at booking, with final payment typically due ninety to one hundred twenty days before departure. Resort and villa bookings vary, from fully refundable holds to non-refundable prepayments on specific rates.
All deposits and final payments are made directly to the supplier or to Travel Planners International, never to Elevida itself. Specific terms are confirmed in writing before any booking is placed.
For voyages and itineraries at this price point, yes. Comprehensive travel protection, including trip cancellation, interruption, and medical evacuation coverage, is strongly encouraged.
We can refer you to carriers who specialize in luxury travelers. Policies are purchased directly from the insurer and are not part of your booking with Elevida.
Every supplier publishes its own cancellation and change schedule, which varies by brand, fare class, and proximity to the sail or arrival date. We review those terms with you before booking and again if circumstances change.
When an adjustment is necessary, we coordinate directly with the supplier on your behalf, to minimize disruption and preserve as much of your investment as possible.
The most direct path is to request a private consultation through our contact page. You can also reach Paul Valenti at paul@elevida.luxury or (727) 592-5234.
There is no fee for an initial conversation. You are under no obligation until you choose to move forward.
Every journey begins the same way: with a considered conversation about what you are drawn to. Share a few details, and we will compose the rest.
Begin Your Journey