New bonus commission opportunities for travel partners are running until February 17—and to make things easier to sell, Royal Caribbean on Wednesday announced details of the planned expansion of its popular private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and its newest ship, Icon of the Seas. Read the rest of this entry »

With many small destinations protesting against over-tourism, here’s no better time than now for a small-ship cruise, says the team at Windstar Cruises. With just 350 guests, their “nimble and unobtrusive” ships “leave a softer footprint on the beaches, national parks, and streets of these fabled destinations.”

That’s especially important in seven ports: Dubrovnik, Venice, Bar Harbor, Key West, French Polynesia, Santorini and Juneau. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a year for new ships to new destinations—and Princess Cruises is following the trend, today announcing it will be the first major cruise line to call at Yorktown, Virginia.

The stop will enable day-long shore excursions to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown via the 2,220-guest Island Princess and the 3,080-guest Emerald Princess.

Princess is now working out the details of the itineraries, which will become available in the next few weeks, the company said.

Princess president John Padgett, a native Virginian, noted in the press release that the new itineraries play into the growing interest in the state, which will be hosting celebrations to commemorate the 250^th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence.

True story: I once asked directions from a man I met in Dublin.  I asked him how to get to a particular address in the city.  He told me, and I quote, “You can’t get there from here.”  For a moment, however brief, I thought all was lost.

Many of your clients feel the same way. They can’t travel because it costs too much.  They can’t travel because they don’t have passports. They can’t travel because they are afraid of terrorism, foreigners, all things German, and strange food. They need some new appliances. Really!

No, not really. In reality, they can’t travel because of you.  They don’t think they can get there from here.  Read the rest of this entry »

During his career in the travel industry, Richard has enjoyed leadership roles in both the retail and wholesale sides of the industry. Beginning in retail agency sales and management, Richard transitioned into the luxury wholesale tour operator space, focusing on product development and market share expansion. As Director of Sky Vacations, Richard leads a dynamic team, dedicated to developing programs that offer a unique opportunity for a traveler to connect with a place and its people, specifically to India and “waiting to be discovered” destinations. Richard serves on a number of industry committees and is a current Board member of IGLTA.

Twelve years ago, I wrote an article that caught the attention of more than a few readers. I thought it might serve another purpose today. Here goes:

The scene was Annapolis, Maryland, the home of the United States Naval Academy. Annapolis is one pretty town—especially on a bright, clear Saturday morning in late May. Weather-wise, my wife and I hit a home run as we sauntered in and out of the cute little shops along the main drag.

Last week, I read Richard Earls’s column about pulling out of a slump, and it resonated with me.  We all have slumps and must know how to pull out of them. But what happens when the slump is the economy?  Currently, in my agency, I am seeing the pent-up demand for travel in a post-COVID world, but the uncertainty in the economy is offsetting it. My clients (single parents) are a different demographic than most, so I am concerned. And I have been through a few financial valleys in my business in the past, and I know that now is NOT the time to pull back on marketing!

In times of economic downturn, it’s easy to take a “belt-tightening” approach by cutting costs. And let’s be honest; marketing is a low-hanging fruit. However, research has shown that increasing marketing spending during a recession can lead to significant benefits for businesses in the short and long term.

Here are some of the reasons why. Read the rest of this entry »

River cruising to or from Amsterdam? Why not do what the Dutch do and straddle a saddle? Hop on a bike and pedal your way through Amsterdam and the beautiful countryside to experience this fascinating region the way the locals do.

Most river cruise companies make bikes available to guests – at no additional charge. All you need to do is ask your ship’s front desk staff to prepare a bike for you. You’ll likely need to sign a release of liability, and you may be required to wear a helmet, which many cruise company provides.

There were four interesting takeaways from the Travel Leaders Network press conference in New York last week, but this one really caught my eye: An air booking system, already in beta testing at new TLN member Avoya Travel, that holds the promise of increasing airline commissions and making it possible to build and price your own resort packages.

Also on the agenda were membership numbers that keep on growing, a new cruise booking tool, and more education around potentially profitable niches.

With interest in French river cruising running high, Viking has announced it will add a new Longship® purpose-built for the Seine River to its fleet in 2025.

Following the Viking tradition, the new ship will be identical to the four existing Viking longships on the Seine, which have been sailing since 2022. Each has 84 staterooms and an Aquavit Terrace and is equipped with solar panels and batteries that can be recharged when in port. Read the rest of this entry »

For me, it took some longevity to learn to really appreciate geology. When I was in school, geology textbooks were pretty dull-looking. Someone gave me a rock collection with rocks glued to a posterboard, each one identified with the name of the type of rock: granite, pyrite, or sandstone. One of them was an amethyst, a purple gemstone, rough and uncut, as it looked when it was dug from the earth, shaped like a tiny crystalline rocket. I found them fascinating but that was about the extent of my appreciation of geology at that time.

If Margaritaville can do it, why not Tommy Bahama?

Soon your wedding party will be able to put on those $100 Hawaiian shirts and sleep on colorful Tommy sheets in California’s Coachella Valley, at the upscale retail brand’s first hotel, the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. Read the rest of this entry »

The uproar following this winter’s flight cancellations has found its way onto the floor of the Senate, where two new bills promise restitution, free hotels and flights home on competitors’ airlines when things go wrong. And while they’re at it, they address airline fees as well. Read the rest of this entry »

(Artist rendering of the recently acquired Global Dream)

That rumor you may have heard is true. Disney Cruise Line has confirmed it is buying a partially complete mega cruise ship, Global Dream, that has been sitting in the Meyer Werft shipyard since Genting Hong Kong ceased operations early this year.

The purchase, at an undisclosed “favorable price,” finally ended speculation that the ship might have to be scrapped, despite the estimated 1.6 billion euros spent on it so far. Read the rest of this entry »

Mais non, say it ain’t so. French air and train services are buckling down in anticipation of heavy delays on Tuesday, caused by one more in a long series of labor actions, and even the ski resorts expect disruptions. Read the rest of this entry »

Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community, today announced the appointment of four leaders to helm its Strategic Trade Advisory and Review Board (STARBoard) and Trade Relations Committee (TRC) in North America. 

Anita Pagliasso, Vice President of Industry Relations with KHM Travel Group, and Skip Fortier, Vice President of Network Expansion with Avoya Travel, will serve as STARBoard co-chairs. Dondra Ritzenthaler, ECC, Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support & Service, The Americas with Celebrity Cruises, will serve as TRC chair, and John Diorio, Vice President, North American Sales with Virgin Voyages, will serve as TRC vice-chair. The two-year terms for the four leaders will run through December 31, 2024.  Read the rest of this entry »

Just when you think you have all the letter shortcut meanings down pat, up pop a few new ones. You already know what TGIF infers. LOL in text refers to something that triggers your funny bone. ASAP is another way of implying that sooner is better than later. One of my recent favorites was CAVU. You aircraft pilots out there might recognize this as a sign of good news. (Ceiling and visibility unlimited.) Then there is the ever-popular FOMO* and, for you travel professionals, let’s not forget TWA and KLM. *FOMO = Fear of missing out.

Are you using  CRM? A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is essential for any travel professional—solo or working as a team. Your CRM will help to manage and streamline the entire sales process, improve your customer service, and actually increase sales.

Here are my seven reasons why a CRM is so critical: Read the rest of this entry »

Every travel agency seeks visibility in its marketplace. Through advertising, niche marketing, and solid networking, agency owners work to raise the profile of their travel practice above the crowd so the public immediately associates the agency’s brand with the word “travel.” Creating an association strong enough to be top of mind anytime someone thinks of “travel” is no small feat but, especially on a community level, it is achievable. No doubt, in your own community, there is at least one travel agency with more than its proportionate percentage of “mindshare” – people immediately think of that agency when they think of their next cruise or vacation. Read the rest of this entry »

Hashtags are an essential, but sometimes misunderstood, tool for growing an Instagram following as they allow users to discover new content and increase the visibility of their own posts. Hashtags work by categorizing posts under specific topics, making them more discoverable to users interested in those topics. Instagram creators use hashtags to track trends and enhance search. Simply speaking, hashtags are words or phrases about a specific topic, with a hash (#) before it, e.g. #traveltuesday. Read the rest of this entry »

A powerful cold front is set to sweep across the entire Northeastern United States by Friday morning, bringing a preview of winter’s chill to the region. As temperatures drop, dangerous wind chills are expected throughout New England and parts of the Northeast, causing the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue numerous wind chill warnings and advisories for the area. Temperatures in New York City and other northeastern cities will hit in the low teens to single-digit temperatures by Saturday but recover by the end of the weekend.

This glancing shot of arctic air comes as part of a larger winter storm system that is follows on the snowfall and icy conditions in Texas and other southern states before it dissipates late Saturday. While this blast of cold weather will not last long, residents can expect extreme conditions in its wake. More than 6,000 flights have been canceled this week as a result of the weather in the deep South. The impact of the Northeastern cold front is likely to be less impactful.

The NWS has warned that anyone venturing outside should dress warmly with multiple layers, hats, scarves, gloves and boots. Residents should also keep an eye out for any signs of frostbite or hypothermia. Wind chills could reach as low as 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in some areas on Friday night into Saturday morning due to strong winds gusting up over 30 miles per hour.

In addition to chillier temperatures during this time, travelers may experience significant delays due to hazardous road conditions throughout the region. Motorists should plan extra time if they’re driving near snow-covered ground or icy surfaces such as bridges and overpasses. Extra caution should be taken when driving in these areas as even short periods of exposure at these extreme temperatures can cause vehicles’ tires and brake lines to freeze up.

Further north in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and other New England states, residents can expect several inches of snow accumulation along with gusty winds that could make visibility poor at times as well as icy roadways from blowing snow drifts. Meanwhile those living closer to major urban centers such as Boston and New York City are more likely to see rain showers rather than snowfall but still face strong wind gusts which could reach speeds up over 40 mph at times on Friday night.

Power outages may occur in areas where ice accumulates on power lines while flooding or significant sea level rise may occur in coastal communities due to higher tides associated with stronger winds offshore pushing water ashore in a phenomenon known as “storm surge”.

The NWS urges all residents living in impacted states along the East Coast from Georgia through Maine to pay attention and prepare adequately for this upcoming winter storm system before it arrives on Friday morning so they can stay safe during its brief yet potentially dangerous impact through Saturday afternoon.