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Karen Shelton

Waxhaw, North Carolina Travel Agent
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Karen Shelton

Waxhaw, North Carolina Travel Agent
My Path Unwinding Travel, a Internova Travel Group Network affiliate agency
25 Reviews | 100% Recommended
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All Inclusive Resort Expert


An all inclusive resort vacation offers the ultimate in relaxation with a variety of dining, beverage and entertainment options included so that the most difficult decision is pool or beach. Finding the perfect resort can be overwhelming. My extensive experience throughout the Mexico and Caribbean will help you find the perfect match for your vacation whether you are traveling for your honeymoon or special anniversary, a milestone birthday, a family vacation, a group getaway, or a corporate retreat. 

I have personally visited or stayed at dozens of these properties, so I know which ones are the best for a couples retreat or family getaway. I also know which resorts have the best beaches or nightlife, the best food, and luxury amenities. I look forward to getting to know you and planning your perfect vacation. 

Some of the resort specialties I have include:

  • Hyatt All Inclusive Collection (including Secrets, Dreams, Breathless & Zoetry Resorts)
  • Sandals & Beaches Resorts
  • Karisma Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant (including El Dorado and Azul Resorts)
  • Margaritaville Island Reserve Specialist
  • Nickelodeon Resort Specialist
  • Hard Rock All Inclusive Resorts
  • Xcaret Resorts
  • La Casa de la Playa

 

 

CERTIFICATES & AWARDS

Certified ASTA Travel Agent
Certified Luxury Travel Specialist
Riviera Maya Specialist
Caribbean Specialist
Karisma Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Diamond
Hyatt All Inclusive Collection

Related Travel Stories

All Inclusive Resort Highlights

True Mexican Luxury at La Casa de la Playa

La Casa de la Playa is a small boutique property with stunning views, fantastic service, top notch cuisine and beverages, all kinds of VIP inclusions and the benefits of the larger resort steps but worlds away. After my recent vacation there, I can personally recommend it as a unique combination of ... Read more from my True Mexican Luxury at La Casa de la Playa story.

My Reviews

Rating: 5 25 Reviews | 100% Recommended

And I thought I didn't need a travel agent...

Reviewed By Bill L. - Hartford, CT | Traveled to
We did our own research for our trip to Disney World, and we knew pretty much where we wanted to stay on property. Why would we need a travel agent? Karen gave us info about the properties near Epcot that really helped us narrow our decision. We wound up booking concierge level at the Beach Club and loved it, but I am not sure we would have even known about that option or the value it brings if Karen had not presented it to us with some insider tidbits that she had clearly gotten first-hand. I thought we would play our days in the parks by ear according to what the wait times were, but Karen had fantastic tips for which parks to do on which days in order to minimize the crowds. The Fast Pass thing seems like it changes every time we go, but Karen was up to speed on the latest and we were able to get on all the rides the family wanted. We even scored an extra fast pass two of the days that we didn't think we could get anymore! It makes sense that now that more information is available to the average consumer, even more information is available to the travel professionals. Karen is that professional, and as Emeril Lagasse likes to say, she really "kicked our vacation up a notch!"
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
41 of 74 people found this review helpful
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Planned a dream trip - and then saved it from Winter Storm Jonas!

Reviewed By Ivan K. - Great Barrington, MA | Traveled to
When my wife let me know her dream 40th birthday present was a winter trip to the Caribbean, I knew exactly who to call. Karen listened carefully to all of our "must haves" and preferences, helped us figure out exactly which island to go to (Aruba -- why would anyone go anywhere else?), found us the perfect all-inclusive beach-front resort with the exact room layout we asked for, got us the dates we wanted, and did it all at a price that blew us away. As the Passover saying goes, "That would have been enough!" But when winter storm Jonas caused our outgoing flight to be cancelled and the resort had no vacancies for us to add days, that's when Karen swung into high gear. She walked us through all of our options, at our request she found us another great resort at a great price for the added days, coached us through the travel insurance process to get us our reimbursement for the missed days at the first resort, thought through every possible snafu and made sure they wouldn't happen - and tirelessly worked to turn what could have been total disaster right back into the vacation we dreamed of. It was clear to us a every step that our vacation was as important to Karen as it was to us. That is something you can't find from an average travel agent. Simply said, Karen is the best! I couldn't recommend working with her any more highly -- and we will be calling on her for our next getaway for sure.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
38 of 69 people found this review helpful
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Very Knowledgeable, Very Passionate

Reviewed By Thdarragh - Lancaster, PA | Traveled to
I have known Karen for about 2 years now and I can say, without hesitation, that she is one of the most knowledgeable travel advisors I know. She is passionate and extremely helpful, and will make sure you get the absolute best deal on your vacation or travel plans. I would trust her to arrange every detail of my vacation and be completely at ease, knowing her skills and dedication would provide me with the best possible outcome. If you need help in booking your next trip or vacation, give Karen a try.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
41 of 77 people found this review helpful
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Traveling to All Inclusive During Covid

Reviewed By JLussier - Raleigh, NC | Traveled to Cancun ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
We used Karen for the first time on a 5 day trip to Mexico. We had many questions about traveling during Covid and how the resorts were handling everything. Karen did a great job explaining everything she knew and heard about from other travelers. She was spot on with every detail. We decided to extend the trip a few extra days as there was no change fees with the airline. She made all of the changes very quickly. We will be using her for all future travels.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
13 of 22 people found this review helpful
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Fantastic Experience!

Reviewed By Anna - Greenville, SC | Traveled to
Karen recently helped us plan our first no-kid vacation to the Riviera Maya, Mexico! We had been to Mexico previously and loved the resort, but were looking for something new to try. I love researching and spend lots of time on review sites, but it was Karen who found the PERFECT resort for us! She found a resort that met all of our criteria - in budget, great food and drink options, better than nice accommodations, a nice beach, etc. We booked and her recommendation was spot on - she made our vacation exactly what we were hoping for! She also arranged our shuttle to/from the resort, which was helpful. The whole process was extremely easy and Karen was fantastic to work with!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
39 of 74 people found this review helpful
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Wonderful trip!

Reviewed By Chelsea - Indianapolis, IN | Traveled to Mexico
Karen was wonderful to work with! She was thoughtful in her planning and had great recommendations! I can't wait to book with her again!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Five Star Recommendation

Reviewed By Molly OBrien - Cedar Rapids, IA | Traveled to Punta Cana ~ Dominican Republic ~ Caribbean
Hands down the best travel agent I have worked with! We have never had major travel issues and I contemplated trying to book everything on my own without an agent...so glad I didn't and booked through Karen. Our airline had mechanical issues causing us to miss out connecting flight. One message to Karen and she went straight to work. She helped with locating replacement flights, getting approval from resort to have our arrival and departure dates adjusted, rearranging transportation from airport to resort and resort back for return flight. If it were not for Karen I would have spent my entire vacation on the phone trying to rearrange flights, hotels etc. Karen made situations out of our control be as painless as possible and we are forever grateful for the time that we could focus on our family and not on travel details. Never skimp on travel insurance and a good agent!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Karen Shelton responded:
Thank you for your kind words! I was so happy to be able to help you with the travel glitches! Those seem to be happening more and more these days! I appreciate your business and look foward to working with you again.
6 of 9 people found this review helpful
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The Trip of a Lifetime!

Reviewed By Kaley D - Guilford, CT | Traveled to Paris ~ France ~ Europe
Our recent Adventures by Disney and Disneyland Paris trip was seamless and flawless every step of the way. Our trip included international flights, a 7-night AmaAwaterways Seine River Cruise, 2 nights in Paris, and 3 nights at Disneyland Paris. Karen Shelton helped to plan every detail, from flights to transfers to insurance; even with so many moving pieces, nothing was left to chance. Karen has worked tirelessly to help my family plan one wonderful luxury vacation after another in the years we have been working together. No matter the type of trip or the destination, I know that we always have a trusted advocate in her. And while she is an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner,” she can assist with any type of trip, any destination, and on any budget. Her knowledge of the industry, and her patience, and her innovation and expertise make her simply the best! I recommend her entirely and without hesitation.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Karen Shelton responded:
It has always been a pleasure to work with your family! I know this was so much more than a trip for you and I am glad to have been a part of making those memories!
20 of 37 people found this review helpful
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Great trip!

Reviewed By Jennifer S - South Elgin, IL | Traveled to Riviera Maya ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Karen was exceptional in making our vacation the best it could be! She was helpful in answering all of my questions and making sure that every little detail was taken care of. We don't travel much as a family and she took care of the small details that made traveling with our kids so easy. She even took care of things that I didn't realize needed to be done!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Karen Shelton responded:
Thank you for the kind words! So glad you had such a wonderful vacation with your family!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Very Detailed Agent!

Reviewed By Ed - Charlotte, North Carolina | Traveled to Mexico
Karen was great, our trip was planned very well, we didn't have to worry about flights or anything like that. It really allowed us to ignore the details and just enjoy the trip!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
9 of 16 people found this review helpful
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The best week of our lives!

Reviewed By Demi and Chris Barkley - Irmo, SC | Traveled to Mexico
Had a great experience working with Karen! There was some issues with the booking website with our large group at first, but other than that it was a great overall process. Highly recommend doing transportation through their company- it made it super easy once we got there. Our wedding day was perfect and everything we envisioned it to be. Thank you for recommending Secrets Moxche to us for our destination wedding!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Karen Adds Great Value To Our Travel Experience

Reviewed By STHCruising - Plano, Texas | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Frustrated with pandemic era travel, I turned to Karen Shelton at "My Path Unwinding/Luxury Travel PHD". Karen showed us the value of working through a Travel Advisor (TA). All the frustration gone! The added value of a knowledgeable and personable TA who has opened up an array of new travel experiences we had not previously consider. Karen has adds so much value to our overall travel experience, and she has had our back which is important in these times of trying travel. One example was when we missed a cruise during COVID and had to scramble to find a hotel at the embarkation port. Karen was there for us and handled everything. Another example, was after a cruise we knew we would need an extra night in the debarkation port. Rather than put us at the airport hotel, Karen arranged a night at the most splendid, elegant hotel on the Mediterranean Sea. We have booked all of our future travel needs through Karen and would not think of going elsewhere. She is excellent!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Karen Shelton responded:
Thank you for the kind words. I am so glad I have been able to help you and your family navigate all your travel and help you find some new experiences and destinations!
4 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Wonderful Trip!

Reviewed By LA - Charlotte, NC | Traveled to Paradise Island ~ Bahamas ~ Caribbean
Karen is prompt and a great communicator. She makes the effort to understand our interests/wishes and then applies them perfectly to her suggestions for our trips. The extra perks we get from working with her are a huge bonus!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
5 of 10 people found this review helpful
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Alaska adventure

Reviewed By Lindsay - Cincinnati, Ohio | Traveled to Alaska ~ USA
Karen helped us plan an amazing Alaskan Adventure! We were cruise newbies, and had a lot of questions, but Karen made us feel confident that we were well taken care of and going to have an amazing trip. She was in constant contact with us and followed up after our trip to make sure everything went smoothly.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Karen Shelton responded:
So glad you had a wonderful experience!
6 of 14 people found this review helpful
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Perfect trip to Orlando

Reviewed By Tony - Charlotte NC | Traveled to Orlando ~ Florida ~ USA
very easy to work with and responsive. I wasn't sure we were going to be able to do this trip on our budget, but Karen found a way! And it was great.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
8 of 18 people found this review helpful
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Amazing Cruise on Azamara

Reviewed By Anonymous - Phoenix, AZ | Traveled to England ~ Europe
Karen has been accessible and attentive to detail. She introduced us to a new cruise line that has been a great fit for me and my wife.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
19 of 40 people found this review helpful
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Meticulously planned itinerary and a PERFECT vacation!

Reviewed By MamaT - Nashville, TN | Traveled to
Karen has planned several of our family vacations (4 so far) our most recent one being a Disney cruise, concierge level. It was AMAZING!! :) Her attention to detail and ability to plan the latest and greatest activities, dining and events is super impressive. She makes it so easy....we talk about what we want to do and a budget and she comes back with such fun ideas! We spent a few days in WDW after the cruise and she had all of our fast passes pre-programmed into our bracelets all we had to do was show up...and walk past all the people in line! If you want to save time, get the most value for your vacation and experience really fun and unique excursions/activities/dining, Karen is who you need to call!! If I could give her 6 stars I would!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
35 of 74 people found this review helpful
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Eased Anxiety Over Rebooking

Reviewed By Disvillain - Evans, Ga | Traveled to Bahamas ~ Caribbean
Karen was a gift. With the cruise industry's sudden cancelation of almost two additional months of cruises, we were overwhelmed on how to proceed. We hadn't used DCL or a TA to book our cruise, but I had been on a few Facebook groups with Karen. I reached out to her for some guidance. She offered her services and we accepted. Karen helped take our anxiety away, rebooked our cruise, and walked us through changing our travel insurance. We will definitely look to her in the future.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
10 of 25 people found this review helpful
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Shares in the excitement of planning!

Reviewed By Kim - South Carolina | Traveled to
I have been so happy to have Karen take over as my travel agent. While the job was getting done by someone else, I didn't feel like I had open communication with the agent.I love having someone I can run ideas by or gain information about trips . A consumer always wants to have their best interests taken care of and I feel like I have that with Karen. She is just as excited to help me plan a trip as I am to take it. Priceless!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
29 of 63 people found this review helpful
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Karen is the best TA by far

Reviewed By Cruisegrandpa - Marvin, NC | Traveled to
In the past 30+ years, we sailed on over 40 cruises. We always used travel agents to book our trips with different results. Booking with Karen was by far the best experience for us. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication to detail is admirable. Karen takes the time to research all options in order to achieve the ultimate travel experience for the best price.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
29 of 65 people found this review helpful
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Planned an excellent trip for a large group

Reviewed By Gerri K - Waxhaw, NC | Traveled to
Karen planned an excellent vacation for 3 families which included 6 adults and 9 teenagers/ young adults ranging in age from 13-20. We went on vacation over the Christmas holiday and she booked it a few months before the trip. She was able to find us an excellent family all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. We were all on the same flights and flight times were ideal. Before we left on the trip, she was able to make dinner reservations for us as we had such a large group. She also followed up several times with the resort to make sure that the younger teens were placed near adults as they were staying in their own room- in fact, we had 7 rooms and all were right near each other, which was great. The vacation turned out to be fantastic- everyone loved the resort. Karen was excellent to work with, always following through and getting back to us with information that was requested. I would definitely recommend having Karen book your next trip!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
27 of 62 people found this review helpful
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working hard

Reviewed By Janet - SWVA | Traveled to
Karen's working hard to find just the right vacation for us. We are certain she will!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
26 of 60 people found this review helpful
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Disney Made Easy!

Reviewed By V - Cary, NC | Traveled to Orlando ~ Florida ~ USA
Karen planned the best trip for us! She made it so easy and handled everything from hotel reservations, dining reservations and fast passes! She knew just how to schedule our days and gave great advice on how to manage Disney during one of the busiest weeks of the year! My family kept thanking me for such a great vacation but I told them it was Karen they should be thanking!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
31 of 71 people found this review helpful
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Karen was excellent!

Reviewed By KS - Indian Trail, NC | Traveled to
Karen helped us to plan a girls trip to Jamaica. She was quick to respond with answers and recommendations as we narrowed down the details of our trip. She recommended an excellent resort and arranged the details that made the stay even more enjoyable. She coordinated flights from 3 different cities to arrive at the same time and we had transportation waiting for us to go to the resort. When something wasn't right at the resort, she was able to handle it from afar. I highly recommend using Karen for any travel needs you have.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
32 of 77 people found this review helpful
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Excellent Service

Reviewed By RH - Waxhaw, NC | Traveled to
Karen took the time to speak with us to determine exactly what we were looking for in a trip. She is conscientious and everything was set up for us perfectly. Highly recommend Karen!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
30 of 76 people found this review helpful
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My Travel Experience

Places I’ve personally traveled to or destinations I’ve booked for my clients.