This year, I’ve seen more people waiting until the last minute to plan their vacations. Sadly, this often leads to higher prices, fewer options, or missing out on the hotels and experiences they really wanted. The best trips usually aren’t booked on a whim. They’re carefully planned, letting you pick where you want to stay, […]

When I took my first cruise back in 1990, it was a belated honeymoon aboard Premier Cruise Lines’ Big Red Boat (remember them?). More than three years after our wedding, we finally had the chance to celebrate, and I was immediately hooked. Since then, I’ve sailed with Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, […]

I get the question a lot, usually from the same kind of client. They’ve heard me talk about expedition cruising for years. They’ve seen photos from Antarctica. And then they say some version of: “Shannon, I want that. But I get seasick just reading about the ocean.” Fair enough. The Drake Passage has earned its […]

Most of my clients carry a mental list. Machu Picchu is usually on it. So is a safari. The Taj Mahal. The pyramids at Giza. Easter Island, for the adventurous ones who’ve seen the photos and wondered what it actually feels like to stand in front of those stone faces. The problem isn’t ambition — […]

I’ll be honest: India wasn’t on my bucket list. For years, I had filed it under someday, maybe. Too remote. Too vast. Too chaotic. Too far outside my comfort zone. I was convinced I wouldn’t find anything to eat. I’m not a fan of Indian food. Curry isn’t my thing. I genuinely pictured myself picking at […]

There’s a moment that happens in certain places — when you’re sitting at a table you couldn’t have found on your own, eating something you couldn’t have ordered without context, and you realize the food you’re eating is actually an entire history lesson, a conversation about who these people are and what they’ve survived and […]

There’s a moment on every great family trip — usually somewhere between a shared meal and a view that takes your breath away — when you realize: this is what it’s all about. Not the souvenir magnets. Not the Instagram photos. The moment itself. And who you shared it with. Multi-generational travel is booming, and it’s easy […]

If you’ve been thinking about a luxury cruise—whether to Norway’s fjords, Europe’s rivers, or checking the 7th continent (Antarctica) off your bucket list —January is your month. This is the moment the industry releases its strongest annual incentives people wait all year to book. This period, known as Wave Season, is the cruise industry’s version […]

Even the most seasoned travelers are adjusting how they experience the world. Flight routes change without warning, boutique hotels sell out months ahead, and private experiences once available to anyone with a Platinum card now require the right connections. In 2026, the true luxury will belong to those who plan thoughtfully and travel deliberately. Here’s […]

Blue Zones: what they are, why they matter, and how to visit them Have you heard of “Blue Zones”—and more importantly, why should you care? There are five recognized pockets of the world where a surprising number of people live into their 90s and 100s, not bedridden or managing a dozen prescriptions, but walking, socializing, and […]