Flying is stressful enough. Unpredictable weather and delays can turn a dream trip into a nightmare quickly, especially if baggage gets misplaced or lost. There’s no worse feeling than sitting in a hotel without much besides what came with you on the plane, waiting for a bag to show up so that you can get a change of clothes or take care of something else essential. Here in the office, we’ve thought quite a bit about this lately – and we’ve come up with a list of some of the essential items that every carry-on bag should have that can be lifesavers when the checked bag doesn’t make it to your destination when you do. Read more...

The cruise is booked and you are set to sail for the very first time! Cruises are a really excellent way to see the world in a relaxing, stress-free environment, but its a very different type of travel than a guided tour or something on your own. There are secrets and strategies that make an experience extra special, and we want to share them with you. So without further ado, here are five tips to help you cruise like a pro! Read more...

This week, Carnival Cruise Line announced a restructuring of their fare system to take effect at the end of October. After a challenging year, for one of the world’s largest cruise lines, Carnival decided to simplify and streamline the pricing process. It isn’t without precedent. Read more...

The economy might feel a bit shaky, and the finances may not be strong enough to jet away right this second, but its still a great day to start planning a vacation. We get the question in the office a lot, “when is the best time to plan our next trip?” The answer: “Today!” In most cases, locking down a trip early helps guarantee good rates, good availability and has very little downside. And in the last few months of the year, the time is especially right to plan ahead. With fewer people looking to travel, tour companies and cruise lines are giving some of their best prices of the year, coupled with amazing amenity offers. Read more...

Winter weather is really starting to make a comeback this week and is stranding people across Europe, Asia and the midwest United States. It made us wonder in the office – where are the best places to get stuck? Fortunately, for me – someone’s already made this list so there was no in-person research necessary. MissTravel.com surveyed over 5000 travelers to get their answers, and some of the answers may surprise you. Read more...

One of the must-see destinations in Italy is the Vatican. The world’s smallest sovereign state, it is home to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and countless priceless treasures worth a day in the Vatican Museums. But as of December 31, access is cash-only. Read more...

With the new year set to begin in just a couple days, vacation planning season is about to begin. Given the strength (or lack of it) of the economy these days, a lot of travelers are looking to get the best value possible on their upcoming vacation. As always, we’re here to help, and our advice? Book today! Some of the best deals are available when booking early, and there are plenty of good reasons to book far ahead of time, we’ve just got three of the best reasons why the best deal is today’s deal. Read more...

A few years back the US government introduced the REAL ID act. This was an effort to get states to place enhancements in state identification that would make forgeries more difficult to make, and provide more information to law enforcement agencies more easily. The government refers to these as “Secure Drivers Licenses.” Coming next month, it is supposed to get a bit more difficult for travelers without these secure identification cards to fly or travel by ship. This could be a problem because 37 states do not currently meet the requirements set in the REAL ID act. Read more...

A lot of people are talking about Carnival’s new pricing promotions. Starting today (December 3), Carnival is making changes to the way that they structure fares. What’s changing? Not a lot, but the change in how things price might be a little confusing – so we thought we’d help! Here’s a handy guide to the new types of fares that Carnival is offering beginning today. Read more...

There’s finally a new answer to one of the most common cruising questions. We get a lot of guests asking us if they can bring their own alcohol aboard ship to enjoy in the room without having to pay the mark-up of bar prices. The answer has almost always been, no. There have been some exceptions, of course, but they often involved corking fees that cost as much as buying the bottle of wine on the ship to begin with. Read more...