For many people, travel is more than just a pleasurable pastime; it’s a way to chase their dreams and turn their vision into reality. And in the case of Ilja Chapman, her passion for travel vision has also become a successful business, Voyage Blue Travel, based in Key Largo.
Chapman and her husband, Brad, came to the Keys in April 2014. The couple met in 2003 in St. Lucia, and it’s still their favorite island. Chapman was taking care of her friend’s dogs while her friend was away, and Brad ended up staying at the house during the same time. Walking the dogs every day, they became best friends and married two years later. They connected over their mutual love and passion for travel and started working on a plan that has played out with fun, adventure and business.
They regularly infuse travel into their business so they can best help their clients with suggestions. For example, earlier this spring, the Chapmans were on a three-day Appreciation Cruise with Holland America Cruise Line — Rotterdam. Chapman worked on the Rotterdam before Holland America retired, rebuilt and rebranded her.
“It was emotionally exciting to be back on that ship and be treated like guests,” Ilja said. “I used to work on that ship while Brad worked in Grand Cayman. After we were married, we both took separate jobs to save money and then became scuba instructors. So, after that, we both went to Windstar Cruises as scuba instructors.”
They must have enjoyed their time with Windstar, as they organized a seven-day cruise to Tahiti Oct. 6 aboard the Wind Spirit.
“Tahiti has still been on our bucket list,” she said. “We are very excited about this trip.”
After their time on the Wind Spirit, they moved to the states and ran an inn together in New Hampshire for six years. Now, Chapman owns Voyage Blue Travel, where she treasures helping her clients make travel choices that best fit their needs, desires and expectations.
“I help people weed out the noise of the internet. It’s important to feel comfortable where you spend your money, so your vacation meets your expectations,” she said. “It can be hard to make a good decision. And you want to book what you have in your mind. If someone books a trip to the Florida Keys and wants to go for a long beach walk, it won’t meet their expectations. I help people with that knowledge.
“I ask clients questions like ‘What do you want to do during the day? Do you want to be on the road every day or emerge in the location?’”
Questions like these help her understand what clients are looking for so she can present ideas. It also helps eliminate “people coming back exhausted as they traveled so much in one week.”
Some popular destinations right now are St. Lucia and the islands of Azores, which are in Portugal. When asked if there were any bad destinations, she said, “There are no bad destinations; it’s just what you are looking for. Not all destinations are for everyone.”
Chapman added, “People get disappointed because they didn’t do their research. Every place is nice to go to as long as you’ve done your research. No real bad places to go.”
Her favorite destination is Antarctica, and she loves to send her clients there in a very sustainable way. It’s not a weekend get-away, as the starting price could be about $10,000 a person, and the travel time could be at least 2 1/2 weeks. “There is some travel time that you have to factor in,” she said. “However, it’s magical like nothing else. The sounds, lack of smell, the air — it’s the most amazing place for me in the world.”
In addition to her thriving travel business, Chapman is a member of the Upper Keys Business and Professional Women and most recently became the president of BPW at the state level. She fondly remembers her early BPW meetings, “As we all know, when you come to a new community, you put your feet on the ground but are hesitant. … I walked into the Christmas party at Della Wheaton’s house, and it was welcoming and wonderful.”
In the spring of 2015, the vice president of membership left the board, and Chapman was asked to take that position. She then became the Upper Keys BPW president for over two years and has served on the local board ever since.
“Then was the Council of Presidents for BPW Florida in the last year, and as the committee chair for the state, we increased our membership significantly statewide — over 100 new members,” she said. In 2021, she was voted in to be the vice president of the statewide organization and now is taking the president role. More information on Voyage Blue Travel is at 305-998-8348, via email to travel@voyageblue.com, on Facebook at travelvoyageblue and at voyageblue.com. Tickets for Tahiti available through May 30 at voyagebluescuba.com.
