How Two Ex-Cops Built a Travel Business Without Ever Planning To

Debra and Tony Thune never expected to become travel entrepreneurs. Their journey began when a cruise they were on got cut short by the pandemic. Stranded at sea for over two weeks, they didn’t panic like most passengers. Instead, they used their background in corrections to organize food, share updates, and keep everyone calm. When they finally returned home, they had 75 clients ready to book trips with them—even though they hadn’t planned to start a business.What started as helping friends plan vacations turned into something much bigger. Today, their travel company has served nearly 2, 500 clients, visited 121 countries, and worked with 32 different cruise lines—all without big advertising budgets. Most of their clients came from word of mouth. They proved that you don’t need a fancy business plan to succeed. Sometimes, unexpected situations can lead to opportunities if you stay flexible and focus on helping people. Their story raises an interesting question: How much of success comes from planning versus adapting? Many people dream of starting their own business, but few expect it to happen by accident. The Thunes’ experience shows that real-world skills—like crisis management and communication—can be just as valuable as industry knowledge. They didn’t set out to build a company, yet they turned a tough situation into a thriving business.