Testimonials

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  “I’ve worked closely with Christen since September 2017, when I hired her to organize and serve as tour director for my May 2018 group tour to Scotland and Ireland. It was a complex tour, comprised of both college students and members of the community from ages 18-80. It included my group from Northwest Florida State College and the group of another professor from the University of Indianapolis. Yet Christen was able to handle a multitude of diverse transportation, food, and accommodation needs with precision and grace. 

My colleague at the University of Indianapolis, Rhonda Wolverton, and I gave Christen a list of the sites we wanted to visit in both Scotland and Ireland. From that, Christen fashioned an invigorating itinerary. We were grateful for her knowledge of not only sites and tour guides, but also of off-the-path hikes, movie-shooting locations, and fun local eateries. 

Christen is calm under pressure. When unplanned events would occur, she would quickly find a solution. But even more, Christen is kind. I saw her, many times, talking with great empathy to tour participants and putting their needs first. I look forward to working with her again on future tours.”

~Dr. David C. Simmons 

Prof. of Humanities & Film Studies 

- Northwest Florida State College

"Christen is a joy to work with -- her enthusiasm for international travel is infectious!  Students respond well to her energy and approachability, and I highly recommend bringing her along as a co-leader if you possibly can: she handled all of the day-to-day details so that I could relax and enjoy the trip!   Unlike some travel companies, Christen works with her clients to put together an itinerary unique to that individual or group: she was always open to my input and suggested excursions based on my interests; I appreciated that she was willing to make the itinerary as flexible or as regimented as I wanted, and we were able to include a perfect mix of group activities and time for independent exploring.  Traveling with students poses its own challenges, and I was grateful for Christen's thoughtful consideration of safety and security. I'm impressed by the range of properties and itineraries she works with: I've asked Christen to work within a very small budget, and she's worked miracles with hostel and dorm accommodations, public transportation, and free admission days; she's equally able to plan a "splurge" trip complete with deluxe hotels, private transportation and guided tours. For our past three trips, her careful planning and research has brought each trip in under budget despite some high-ticket items like centrally-located London and Edinburgh hotels,  fabulous hotels in Wales, private coach transportation, and pricey admissions." 

~Dr. Jennifer Camden, Prof. of English/Assoc. Department Chair - University of Indianapolis

"I have led some 15 or so Travel Abroad Courses over my career during our January Term.  For years I would arrange everything—flights, itinerary, van rental, accommodations, as well as site tours.  I’m a stickler for keeping costs low and affordable for students.  In 2015 I had the privilege to meet Christen, as I was planning a Travel Course on the Holocaust for January, 2016.  I knew I wanted us to spend time is Prague, Berlin, and Krakow.  With a large group of students and these more complex logistics, I was hopeful that Christen could “save the day.”  Having been involved in higher education, in designing and leading such short-term courses, Christen was a real god-send.  She knew exactly how to think through a maze of different ways to route us, arriving and leaving Europe from different cities so as to minimize our travel time between cities in Europe, and maximize our time spent learning in places like Terezin, Auschwitz, Lidice, and Berlin.  Her prices were always super.  Christen’s efficiencies made it possible to plan another Holocaust Travel Course in January 2017.  In addition, she has been the perfect agent for a number of personal flights to Europe.  How she finds such low air fares is a mystery, and a delight!"

~Dr. David H Chandler, Prof. of Philosophy, Emeritus - Franklin College

"Christen is a fantastic tour guide. Our trip was packed with every bit of education and fun we could fit in and I loved every minute of it. The parts of Scottish and Irish history we heard about and the sites we saw were so beautiful that I was already planning to go back by the time I made it home!

As everyone knows, every trip has its little slip ups, whether from inside or outside sources. Christen handled everything with the grace and prudence of a master. She always made sure everyone was happy and made the trip more enjoyable than it would have been with anyone else!  I know I'll be enlisting her for my next trip abroad."

~Zach L.  - University of Indianapolis

 “In May 2017 I got to travel to Scotland and England. This trip was planned wonderfully, from airfare to lodging to the best places to devour meals. Having someone plan the trip who is knowledgeable of the country’s history and cultural is a plus, in which Christen was a huge help with. The itinerary started in Edinburgh, Scotland and continued throughout the beautiful highlands to cities such as Loch Ness, Glencoe, and other towns throughout the journey. Taking a bus to all of these locations was one of my favorite parts as I got to see so much scenery along the way.  Ending in London, England was a great way to wrap up the trip. The cost of the trip made it that much better with having meals included as well as admissions to castles and museums. It made the trip so much more enjoyable not having to worry about purchasing tickets at all of the stops we made along the way! Last but not least, the lodging locations were wonderful and places I would love to stay again! They reflected the traditional Scottish design as well as the more modern style we are used too! I can not wait to start planning my next adventure with Christen!” 

~Grace K.  - University of Indianapolis 

"My trip to Wales, England, and Ireland that Ms. Oganowski lead us on was an exciting adventure that I will never forget. During the two weeks I was abroad, every single day was an adventure and the trip ran without a single hitch. There was a great balance of scheduled activities and free time for us to do our own exploring. As an added bonus, I found that similar trips cost almost half again the rate I paid with even less activities. Going to the UK and Ireland was an experience I will never forget and hope to repeat again and again." 

~Robbie H.  - University of Indianapolis 

STUDY ABROAD STAFF

 "Christen has a natural talent for organizing safe, culturally immersive and transformational international travel programs.  She has extensive experience working with faculty and staff to create affordable and amazing itineraries.  Having served as an academic advisor and an instructor for freshman seminars, Christen understands student needs and how to create a meaningful international experience.  I receive consistent feedback from our travel leaders that they appreciate and value the excellent travel options and services Christen is able to provide them in planning international trips for the university." ~Marilyn Chase, Director of International Services - University of Indianapolis 

Christen is amazing!! We got married July 17, 2021 & booked our honeymoon December 2020. Christen was sooo responsive from the beginning. She wants to help. She really invests in her clients. My wife & I had a lot of anxiety about COVID tests coming in in time to leave for our out of the country honeymoon. Christen calmed our nerves & made sure we had the correct tests done on the right day in order to travel. Our connecting flight was cancelled & christen was on a trip herself, with a huge time difference. It did not matter the time where she was, she was up replying & helping us find a way to our destination! She is your person, if you’re looking for the perfect travel agent !! She goes above & beyond. We will continue to use her everytime we travel. ~Kenny R.

 Life Tip: work with a GOOD travel agent whenever you plan to book a trip. I have booked several vacations with Christen to various destinations and have NEVER been disappointed. However, a true testament to the amazing customer service you'll experience when using MAVtravel has been during the craziness of COVID-19. This year I had a trip scheduled for the first week of May and like many others, our trip was cancelled due to COVID-19.  Luckily, the stress of rescheduling or fighting for a refund was not something I had to do myself. I was originally offered flight credit vouchers + a refund on the resort by the vendors, but with the uncertainty of travel during this time and the foreseeable future Christen felt that wasn't good enough. She fought for us and was able to get a full refund (absolutely no money lost). Sure... there are other resources to book a vacation, but they will not fight to make sure you're taken care of and do it with a smile on their face. Save yourself from any potential headaches and have the peace of mind that you're being taken care of by booking your travel with MAVtravel. You will not be disappointed. ~Dakota G.

 We wanted to go to Hawaii but we just did not want to book this vacation "DIY". Christen's knowledge of Hawaii was outstanding and her network of contacts on the islands was invaluable. We ended up doing two islands, Oahu to go to Pearl Harbor and then spent the most relaxing week on Kauai. Our excursions where amazing and our rooms exactly what we wanted. Can't wait to book the next adventure with Christen! ~Lance J.

 Working with Christen Oganowski of MAVtravel has been a true joy.  I hope she will be in the travel business for many years to come.  Christen is professional, a great communicator, timely, and very knowledgeable of the travel industry.  She arranged a rather complicated trip to England for me and my daughter in 2018, and all of the travel was effortless and smooth for us.  We traveled on our own throughout England for two weeks, both by air and extensively by train, and joined multiple tour groups along the way.    It was a memorable trip, and I credit Christen's professionalism for a good share of those memories.  My daughter and I have also scheduled a cruise from Norway to Iceland through Christen for July 2022.  It was originally scheduled for July 2021, but we requested to reschedule due to uncertainties involving the COVID-19 pandemic.  Christen was able to achieve this for us quickly, and we did not incur any additional cost.  She did the same for me and my husband by rescheduling our September 2020 cruise to the fall of 2021 for the same reason.  It was a more complex reschedule, involving changing reservations for the cruise as well as hotel and train reservations, but Christen took care of everything without any additional cost to us.  She is awesome!  I highly recommend her for all of your travel needs. ~Cynthia D.

 Christen has always done an amazing job at making our travels both exciting and hassle-free. She goes above and beyond to fight for you when a hotel or airline makes a mistake. She also has an especially deep level of expertise in European travel. You need her to be your travel agent! ~Don L.