Summer may be coming, but this morning we’ve got the holidays on the brain. Christmas is always a magical time of year, and its a holiday that truly comes alive in Europe, especially at the Christmas Markets in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. And there are lots of great ways that travelers can catch the Christmas spirit all across the continent this December. Read more...

Summer’s quickly approaching and that’s the season to see Alaska. So many Alaska tours jump off from Seattle on their way to Alaska which is a destination unto itself. So a lot of people spend an extra day in the Pacific Northwest, and with so much to see and do, we thought we’d help narrow down the options to the very best that the city has to offer. Read more...

I admit it. I love “Dancing with the Stars.”  I always look forward to hearing who the new guest celebrities will be on the popular TV show and learning which pro dancer will be paired up with which new partner forthe season.

I also love cruising.  So I was doubly happy when I heard that Holland America is combining the two for an exciting new cruise theme – “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea.” Read more...

Fun in the sun and sea is something that we love here at the office. We dream about getting away on a daily basis… after all, selling vacations all day can do that to a guy. With the weather finally turning warmer, our mind has turned to the beach – and specifically finding the best beaches for a Caribbean vacation. We’ve found five beaches that we think are just outstanding and help make the perfect Caribbean getaway. Read more...

Cruise lines seem to be in a continual game of one-upmanship. Royal Caribbean built an ice-skating rink aboard their vessels, Norwegian Cruise Line countered with a bar made entirely of ice. Carnival added a ropes course, and then Princess built a ship that has a glass-floored walkway that juts out over the ocean. With the latest announcements regarding the Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is upping the bar yet again. Read more...

When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to be a writer. Mission accomplished. When Marce Branniff was a youngster, her goal was to travel the world. Exactly what she is doing.

The two of us met on an Alaskan cruise aboard the Wilderness Explorer. I was writing about my adventure and Marce was the ship captain. Read more...

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. And the delicious breakfasts served on the American Queen make it easier to roll out of a comfy bed each morning on the river.

The library is a popular spot on the Carnival Breeze. Not only for the books, magazines and games, but also for the card-key operated wine dispensers and literary cocktails.

Maybe sip a Hemingway’s Papa Doble while enjoying a good novel?

Surprised? The Carnival Breeze does indeed have a bar in the library, along with a first for Carnival Cruise Lines – card-key operated wine dispensers. Makes sense to me. Read more...

We’ve been featuring the travel snapshots of the agents who work in our office. After all, we can talk about a destination til we’re blue in the face, but sometimes its just easier to share what we’ve experienced in pictures. Our travel consultant, Veronica, just got back stateside after an extended stay in Greece, and she fell in love with the country – and after seeing her pictures, its not hard to see why. Read more...

The woman next to me described it as climbing into a gigantic clothes dryer and slamming the door shut. She had a point.

In fact, visitors have been known to balk when it came time to scrunch into the space-capsule-looking gadget. Some prospective riders have turned and walked away when faced with the claustrophobic prospect. So why do it? Read more...