My favorite booking

When they walked into my office 18 years ago, they seemed rather ordinary as clients. Two couples, one of the women did all of the talking. It was a Caribbean cruise they wanted, one week aboard a Love Boat.

They looked like many other couples in our rather affluent community, but they were different, and the woman, lets call her Mrs. Human, wanted me to know it.

We are not very wealthy. In fact, Mr. Turen, you should know that for us, this simple, one-week cruise has meant four years of struggle and savings. Weve had some problems these last few years, and the thought of this cruise is what has kept us going.

Illness, loss of jobs, these four had been through it. They had only one request, Mrs. Human confided.

We are close friends, and strangers would never know what this cruise means to us. So we must insist that we sit alone in the dining room. Can you take care of that for us? Can you get us a table for four?

I assured her I could. Then I asked the four of them, as gently as I could, to let me know a little about any past travel experiences they might want to mention.

Mrs. Human smiled, took my hand, squeezed it and said, Weve been all over the world, to Hawaii and the South Pacific. Weve even seen the Bridges at Toko-Ri. But weve done all our traveling with James Michener, our favorite writer. Every vacation weve ever taken has been through his books. He has been our travel agent. Weve been armchair travelers, and now were coming to you for a taste of the real thing.

I understood. As soon as they were booked and left the office, I crafted a short letter to the cruise line, asking them to please make certain that these folks were at a table for four. I asked the cruise line to look out for them. I think I must have said they were special.

After several months passed, we met again to review the cruise. They were filled with glee and a little fear, again, that some strangers would be seated at their table.

The cruise day came and I found myself continually watching the clock and the calendar, wondering how they were, hoping it was all going well.

The following Monday, Mrs. Human walked unannounced into our office and demanded to see me right away. She was not happy as she sat down. No expression. Her first words cut right through me. Isnt it true that we had only one major request of you. Do you remember what that was?

A table for four.

She looked me in the eye, unblinking, and explained that when they got to the dining room the first night, the table was set for six. They were furious. To make matters worse, the maitre d came up and explained that the third couple would be a few minutes late. We were not happy with you, Mrs. Human said.

And then an amazing thing happened. All of a sudden, she began crying almost uncontrollably. Her body was shaking. She was crying with joy. And then, Mr. Turen, the third couple came to our table. Mr. James Michener and his wife sat down with us.

She went on to explain that Michener was completing research for his book, Caribbean. He was as wonderful a person and storyteller as one could imagine.

It was the thrill of a lifetime. It will go down as the best week of all of our lives. And hes coming to visit us, said Mrs. Human.

Then she added, We can die now, knowing weve had a travel experience that can never be taken from us.

It turns out I must have mentioned her comment about the only travel Ive done has been with James Michener in my note to the cruise line. Someone there picked it up and deserves the credit.

I am often asked by the uninitiated why I work in this industry. I always smile and think of Mrs. Human. I have my share of celebrity clients. But this was my favorite booking. Its the one I will never forget.

James Michener died in 1997. He grew up an orphan in Bucks County, Pa. He never learned to play baseball because there was no money for a glove. He never owned a sled or a bicycle. He became a social studies teacher and taught at Harvard and the University of Virginia. He invented historical fiction, and he donated over $100 million to museums, libraries and schools.

And he gave four $1,300 clients the best moments of their lives.

Industry consultant Richard Turen owns vacation-planning firm Churchill and Turen in Naperville, Ill.