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[cheryl echevarria]

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Small biz profile: Echevarria Travel

by Andrea Jones
Published: May 19, 2011
Tags: diabetes<http://libn.com/tag/diabetes/>, Echevarria Travel<http://libn.com/tag/echevarria-travel/>, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation<http://libn.com/tag/juvenile-diabetes-research-foundation/>, Norwegian Cruise Line<http://libn.com/tag/norwegian-cruise-line/>, physically disabled<http://libn.com/tag/physically-disabled/> 

Editor's Note: In honor of National Small Business Week, libn.com is profiling one small business a day on Long Island.

When life gave Cheryl Echevarria lemons, she made lemonade. But make hers with artificial sweetener.

The avid traveler lost her eyesight in 2001 due to juvenile diabetes and in 2009 started a full-service travel agency that also specializes in trips for the blind and disabled. Brentwood-based Echevarria Travel<http://echevarriatravel.com/> now boasts about 60 clients.

She travels with her husband and guide dog to make sure facilities are wheelchair-accessible and will screen properties to see if they can accommodate a wide range of allergies, sensitivities ranging from food to laundry products.

Echevarria's clients have vacationed at all-inclusive resorts, have gone on cruises and she takes groups on bus tours of Long Island, New York City and Upstate New York. She also puts together packages for conventions and incentive programs.

Since marketing money is tight, she gains new clients through referrals and through maintaining a presence on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=201099493260769#!/pages/Echevarriatravelcom/166878217117> and Twitter<http://twitter.com/#!/echevarriatrave>.

Echevarria also participates in fundraising events to get the word out. For instance, she is working with the Long Island chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation<http://www.jdrf.org/> on a seven-night fundraiser cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line<http://www.ncl.com/> that will sail from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean on March 31. Both the cruise line and Echevarria Travel are making donations to the foundation as part of the event.

Buddy Brannan and his wife, who are both blind, used Echevarria Travel to book a cruise to Cozumel for their 10th anniversary. Unfortunately, Mrs. Brannan, who uses a wheelchair, had an accident aboard the ship.

Buddy Brannan said Echevarria was instrumental in getting in touch with the travel insurance company to make sure the couple got a credit for future travel.

The Brannan's also had another problem during their trip: The cruise line didn't provide the Braille material they said they would. Echevarria again stepped in and worked with the cruise line's customer service department to make sure the same problem wouldn't happen with other visually impaired travelers.

"She's just been fantastic," Brannan said.

What's Echevarria's favorite destination? Walt Disney World<http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/>. "I cannot get enough of it before and after losing my vision

Leading the Way in Independent Travel

Cheryl Echevarria
http://www.Echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/> 
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>



Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel, Inc.