Insider Info

Tips

Travel Advisor FAQ

The 5 Most Common Complaints I Fix as a Travel Advisor

By Phillip Ritzenthaler

Travel Tips

7 Lessons I Share with Every Client Traveling to the UK and Ireland

By Cyndi Kirchhoff

Affordable Luxury

Tired of the Mass Market Cruise Experience? These are Your Best Upgrade Options

If you've loved big-ship cruising but crave fewer crowds, better food, and boutique-hotel refinement, affordable luxury lines are the natural next step. Here are your best options — and how to choose the cruise line that fits you.

By Gena Zak

Cruise Guide

From the Archives

Tips

Teenagers on Vacation: How to Keep Them Engaged, Excited, and Off Their Phones (At Least Sometimes)

Teenagers don't want to be managed on vacation — they want to feel included in it. From cycling the Swiss Alps to photography hunts through neon-lit Tokyo alleys, the right experiences transform reluctant travelers into enthusiastic ones.

Tips

Flying with Pets: The Complete Guide to Stress-Free Air Travel with Your Dog or Cat

Bringing your pet on an international trip is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a traveler. It is also one of the easiest things to get wrong. This guide makes sure you get it right.

Tips

The Real Cost of Booking Travel on Your Own—And How to Book Better

From hidden rates and VIP perks to real-time advocacy when plans go sideways, here's why a luxury travel advisor is the highest-leverage move for your next vacation.

Tips

The Family Office Summer Calendar: Building Travel Infrastructure That Can Carry a Legacy

By the time an UHNW family boards that aircraft in June, I have been working their summer calendar since January. This is the framework that separates reactive travel from intentional family legacy.

Tips

Unconventional Conventions and How I Can Help

A travel advisor can transform your next work trip or convention into an unforgettable getaway—often saving you money or upgrading your experience beyond what conference booking links offer.

Tips

Corporate Retreats Are Boring: This is Exactly How I'd Fix Them

Companies spend thousands per person on retreats their teams dread and forget. Here I’ll break down everything wrong with the defaults—and share exactly what I’d book instead.

Tips

Flying for the First Time? Here's How to Make It Feel Like a VIP Experience

Your first flight doesn't have to feel overwhelming. From choosing the right seat to packing like a pro, these insider tips from a luxury travel agent will have you flying with confidence.

Tips

Exploring Europe with Kids Doesn't Have to Be Difficult

From gliding past castles on the Danube to watching your 9-year-old order gelato in Italian, Europe with kids is more doable than you think. Cruises, guided tours, and smart home-basing can eliminate the stress — and turn your daydream into a trip your family talks about for years.

Tips

Ultra-Luxury Travel Secrets I've Learned as an Advisor

True luxury isn't extravagance—it's execution, access, and timing. From quietly resolving weather delays to unlocking after-hours museum visits, these are the lessons I've learned working with UHNW clients across the world.

Tips

The Easy, Empowering Approach to Traveling Internationally with Kids

International travel with young kids doesn't have to be stressful. These are my three simple rules that make every family trip abroad easy, enjoyable, and empowering.

Tips

First Time Abroad? What I Wish I Knew Before My First International Trip

From language basics to navigating foreign transport and staying safe abroad, these are my hard-won lessons from years of international travel—so you don't have to learn the hard way.

Tips

Antarctica Taught Me Why I Need a Travel Advisor—Before I Became One

When COVID disrupted my cruise to Antarctica, I didn't have an advocate to save the highly-anticipated trip. That cruise gone wrong shapes how I now help clients plan with confidence.

Every journey begins with a single conversation.

Don’t worry, it can be through text.

Tips

The 5 Most Common Complaints I Fix as a Travel Advisor

7 Lessons I Share with Every Client Traveling to the UK and Ireland

Tired of the Mass Market Cruise Experience? These are Your Best Upgrade Options

The Crème de la Crème: The Apex of Ultra‑Luxury Yacht‑Style Cruising

5 Family Travel Lessons from a Nurse-Turned-Travel-Advisor

Why the Best Luxury Ski Vacations Are Planned in the Heat of Summer

The 5 Unspoken Travel Rules Every Traveler Needs to Know

Teenagers on Vacation: How to Keep Them Engaged, Excited, and Off Their Phones (At Least Sometimes)

Flying with Pets: The Complete Guide to Stress-Free Air Travel with Your Dog or Cat

The Real Cost of Booking Travel on Your Own—And How to Book Better

The Family Office Summer Calendar: Building Travel Infrastructure That Can Carry a Legacy

Unconventional Conventions and How I Can Help

Corporate Retreats Are Boring: This is Exactly How I'd Fix Them

Flying for the First Time? Here's How to Make It Feel Like a VIP Experience

Exploring Europe with Kids Doesn't Have to Be Difficult

Ultra-Luxury Travel Secrets I've Learned as an Advisor

The Easy, Empowering Approach to Traveling Internationally with Kids

First Time Abroad? What I Wish I Knew Before My First International Trip

Antarctica Taught Me Why I Need a Travel Advisor—Before I Became One