(18 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Mary Orban

Falls Church, VA

European Vacation Specialist

I became a travel agent in 2010, following a 30 ­year career as an officer in the U.S. Navy.  My passion has always been travel, foreign languages, history, and culture, so this is a natural fit for me!

I received a BS degree in French and German from Bowling Green State University and then took my first overseas trip to study for three months at the Institut de Touraine in Tours, France. The experience opened my eyes to different people and cultures, and I learned that, for the most part, people are more alike than different. As Mark Twain wrote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry,and narrow­mindedness.”

I then worked in a hotel in Innsbruck, Austria, for three months.  The following year I attended the Philipps-Universität in Marburg an der Lahn, West Germany, for nine months. While in the U.S. Navy, I was assigned to duty stations in Naples, Italy, for 28 months; Pusan, Korea, for 18 months; and Stuttgart, Germany, for 33 months.

Now I love to book cruises and European vacations, especially to the countries where I have lived (France, Germany, Austria, Italy) or often visited (UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland).

My firsthand knowledge of destinations is a valuable asset. I take great care in arranging every aspect of a trip, and I am willing to spend whatever time is necessary with my clients to ensure that they are adequately prepared, especially when they are traveling some place new to them.

I have taken numerous short and long cruises, as well as transatlantic cruises, sailing on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, Azamara, and Viking River Cruises.

  • My river cruise between Moscow and St. Petersburg opened my eyes to what life had been like in Soviet Russia.
     
  • As an animal lover, I thoroughly enjoyed my safaris in Kenya and South Africa.
     
  • The highlight of my tour to Morocco was spending a night in a Berber tent in the Sahara and getting up to ride a camel into the desert and watch the sunrise over the sand dunes.

These are the kinds of memories I want to help you make!

NOT an order taker, Mary is the ideal travel agent

The Caribbean - Always a Great Place to Cruise
The Caribbean - Always a Great Place to Cruise

In October, 2014, Mary arranged a week long trip to Paris, France for my husband and me.  We credit our trip's success to having Mary as our travel agent. Mary possessed a detailed and intimate knowledge of Paris gained from numerous trips over the years. More importantly, Mary sat down with us one evening and shared her vast knowledge. She made us at ease about traveling on our own to the “City of Lights.”

Throughout our travels, we have found many travel agents to be no more than glorified order takers. Mary is NOT an order taker. She is the ideal travel agent!

My Reviews

6 of 11 people found this review helpful
very detail oriented
Mary provided us with a very detailed itinerary that was so helpful. She exceeded our expectations in all areas.
By  Sam  from  fort worth texas
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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5 of 9 people found this review helpful
Great Service, with attention to detail!
My teenage son had this wonderful idea to go visit Peru for a Workaway assignment (check out workaway.com for more on this interesting organization that allows you to trade a little work each day for room and board). This was not a trip that I wanted to handle online by myself (shouting at the computer when it gets hung up). I called Mary and she got right on it. Before long, I not only had all the relevant visa information and country background information from links that Mary sent via email, but a great rate for a roundtrip ticket to and from Peru. Mary was a godsend and I have always been truly grateful for the wonderful service that she provided me and my son. I heartedly recommend Mary for your travel needs. She is meticulous and very organized.
By  JP  from  Panama City, FL
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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7 of 14 people found this review helpful
very patience with all questions
very professional yet very patience with so many of our questions that will we repeated
By  x  from  st. louis mo.
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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7 of 15 people found this review helpful
Mary Orban: a highly recommended travel agent
Mary Orban booked a trip to Paris for us in Oct. 2014. We were delighted with the trip and we particularly enjoyed the hotel Mary selected for us. Mary spent an evening with us answering all our questions and alleviating our concerns. We highly recommend Mary and plan to use her services in future travel. Chris and Walt Opaska
By  Mrs. O  from  Virginia
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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9 of 19 people found this review helpful
Smooth sailing with Mary!
Mary flawlessly managed multiple details and personalities for a 4 women transatlantic cruise and post trip through France last year. She was concise, attentive and focused on every detail! I called her this year regarding a russian river cruise and she got us a better package than the one that I had called her about. Suddenly, I had several friends who wanted to go and I directed them to Mary, who got them the same package! Our group of 5 women leave for a Russia river cruise in August. Smooth sailing with Mary on travel duty! Thanks, Mary!
By  Pro in the GO mode!  from  st. louis, mo
Traveled to  
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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Destination Expert:

  • Germany
  • Paris
  • Italy

Travel Specialist:

  • European Culture
  • Cruises
  • River Cruises
  • Military

Top Travel Partners:

  • Royal Caribbean
  • Celebrity Cruises
  • Viking
  • Avalon Waterways

Certifications/Awards:

  • Accredited Cruise Counselor
  • Certified Travel Associate
  • Verified Travel Agent

Languages I Speak:

  • English
  • German

Connect with Me:

Industry Affiliations:

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