GUILDERLAND — Timothy Whittemore wants to live vicariously through his clients in his new travel business.

Whittemore decided to become what he terms a “vacation specialist” with a franchise called CruiseOne after he left active duty with the United States Air Force.

“I found this franchise opportunity and it was very veteran-friendly,” said Whittemore, who has an office in his home on Sunset Drive in Altamont. “It was also an opportunity to sell something I love, which is travel.”

He said he had traveled all over the world for the past decade with the Air Force.

“I want people to enjoy everything I got to enjoy,” said Whittemore.

As a CruiseOne vacation specialist he organizes vacations for clients, including cruises and all-inclusive resort stays.

“We put hospitality at the forefront,” he said. “We walk people all the way through the process and provide a very personalized service.”

Whittemore said it is hard to find that type of personal touch in businesses because so many people book vacations online.

“Booking online can be confusing because there is so much information,” he said. “Anyone can go online and spend hours doing research and then spend hours on hold on the phone trying to reach representatives.”

Whittemore said he has all the tools he needs at his fingertips to be able to provide people with answers right away.

He also said that CruiseOne has exclusive deals to offer that end up being less expensive than the deals people can find online.

“We have huge buying power,” he said.

There is a fee of $19.95 for each booking, but, said Whittemore, even with that fee, clients’ vacation packages end up being less expensive than if they had booked themselves.

He said, since opening last month, he has already booked several cruises and Caribbean vacations.

“It’s a pleasure of mine to provide these opportunities to my clients,” said Whittemore. “I’m really excited about it.”