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Not sure where you are headed yet? Start with the destinations.
The ship isn't the first decision. Here's what I actually look at first when choosing an Alaska cruise itinerary, and why it changes everything downstream.
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I have been aboard more than 20 river ships, starting with AmaStella on my first Christmas market cruise. Here is what I compare before I recommend one.
The Rhine and Danube both make a wonderful Christmas market cruise, but they create very different trips. Here is how I help travelers choose.
Glacier Bay gets most of the attention, but it isn't automatically the better choice. Here's how the two compare, and when each one wins.
Christine Scheeler on why visiting all 50 states, 27 countries, and more than 40 cruise ships changed how she plans travel for other people.
If you love Christmas, European cities, and unpacking once while visiting several holiday markets, a Christmas market river cruise may be your next trip. Here is what these sailings are really like and how to decide if one is right for you.
You can see a lot of London in two days, but not all of it. Here is how I would spend the time on a first visit, including what I would skip.
A practical guide to choosing your first European river cruise (Rhine, Danube, Seine, Rhône, or Douro) based on what you actually want to experience.
AI can help you dream up a trip, but it does not replace experience, supplier relationships, or judgment. Here is how a travel advisor still fits into the picture.
There is no single best cruise line. The right one depends on where you are going, who is traveling, what you like to do, and what you want the trip to feel like. Here is how I actually work through the decision with clients.
Planning your first trip to Paris? Here are five things I would not miss, plus the practical advice I give my own clients to keep the trip manageable and memorable.
How many cities can you realistically fit into a first trip to Italy? Here is how I think about bases, travel time, and pace when I plan Italy itineraries.
How many nights should you add before and after a Mediterranean cruise? Two nights minimum, three if you want to see the city, and four to seven when you want a true cruise-and-land trip.
A seven-night Alaska cruise can be a complete trip. Adding Denali and Interior Alaska changes the whole shape of it. Here is how I decide which one fits.
Six Alaska journeys with very different travelers taught me that the ship and the ports matter far less than the people taking the trip. Here is how I choose the right Alaska cruise.
A round-trip Alaska cruise is easier to manage. A one-way route can connect the Inside Passage with Southcentral and Interior Alaska. Here's how I help travelers choose.
Ship size shapes the whole experience, sometimes more than the destination itself. Here's how to figure out which one actually fits you.
A guide to the Cairo sites worth your time, from Old Cairo to the Pyramids, plus how a Nile cruise turns the rest of Egypt into something you feel.
Two ships on the same itinerary can deliver completely different vacations. Here is how to match cruise line and ship to the way you actually like to travel.
Forty hours of DIY research, a trip that felt like a project, and the five things I wish someone had told me before I tried to plan it all alone.
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