WILTON MANORS—Al and Chuck Travel, the Florida-based LGBT travel agency headquartered in Sarasota, will open an office in Wilton Manors the second week of November at the site of the just-closed J. Miles store on NE 7th Ave. across from the Shoppes at Wilton Manors.
Al Ferguson, who founded the agency over 20 years ago with life-partner Chuck Scott, negotiated the deal for the storefront with lessee Jerry Miles who is retiring, during a visit to the gayborhood last July.
“We are going to have four full-time agents working at the office,” Ferguson told the Agenda in an exclusive interview. “Chuck and I have been eyeing Wilton Manors for years, and in doing some research recently discovered that the city has the highest density of gays and lesbians. More per square mile than San Francisco, Los Angeles or Miami,” Ferguson said.
Al and Chuck Travel is well-known for its boutique all-gay cruises and tours which are billed as a travel holiday compared to the party-boat atmosphere of Atlantis or RSVP cruises. While Al and Chuck Travel also book those event cruises, their own have been crafted to appeal to the middle-aged male who appreciates a more refined experience aboard.
To celebrate the opening of their Wilton Manors office, the 11th for the agency, Al and Chuck are inviting their most VIP clients on a lunch aboard the MS Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship afloat. A member of the Royal Caribbean line, sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, the ship has 2,394 crew members, holds up to 6,000 passengers, and is so large that it contains seven distinct neighborhoods on its various decks. Among them: Central Park, a meandering garden lined with shops and fine restaurants. Clear your calendar.
Photo Credit: alandchuck.travel