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...

Blog contributor Jackie Sheckler Finch loves river cruising, and recently spent some extra time in Memphis before her American Queen river sailing.

Since Memphis is the American Queen’s new homeport and Priscilla Presley is the boat’s godmother, I thought I’d visit the home of the city’s most famous son when I arrived a day early for my cruise. Read more...

That red-eye finally got into JFK. Somehow that coach seat was actually comfortable, and here it is 7 AM, and there’s a full day to kill before the cruise and no need for a nap. But having such a short time to spend in such a huge city is a little overwhelming. Need to know the major things to hit in the city that never sleeps? Here’s our best 24 hour schedule for New York City. Read more...

The rumors are true, and Royal Caribbean made it official. Look for another Oasis of the Seas type ship to hit the waters in 2016. The cruise line made the announcement last week in St. Nazaire, France where the ship will be built. It’s going to be an exciting few years for the cruise line too, as the list of new ships for Royal Caribbean seems to be growing pretty rapidly! 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...

It’s the big open secret in US travel these days. Not enough people know about it, but they should. American travelers can see Cuba again, despite the general embargo on our neighbor to the south. Now, there is a catch – this isn’t going to be the normal “fun in the sun” beach holiday that most Caribbean travel becomes. Cuba is open for US citizens to see, but only in person-to-person cultural exchange programs. 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...

Let’s be honest, Disney offers magical experiences for every age and every person. They do this through a number of different venues, Disneyland in California – the original Disney destination, Aulani resort in Hawaii, a state which is also on our must-see list for 2013 to name just a couple. But it’s Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida that is really the item that every Disney fan needs to see. And for those who have been there before, so much has changed in the last twelve months that a new visit would be like visiting a brand new destination. Read more...

It’s a taste of the South Pacific without needing to bring the passport along. Hawaii easily makes our list of top destinations for 2013. Frankly, there’s so much to see and do that it would arguably make our list year after year. But this year in particular, there are so many great ways to see our 50th state, and birthplace of President Obama that it only makes sense to visit. Read more...

London’s isn’t a well kept secret. Of course, how can one of the world’s most important cities ever be a secret? Hidden treasure or not, there is plenty to see and love in London. And with the 2012 Olympics out of the way, the coming year is a great time to visit the city! Read more...