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I have been specializing in Disney vacations now for 18 years.   There is a lot that goes into planning a Disney vacation and I really like to help in any way since I know it is a big expense for most families.  The cost is one of the biggest factors and over the years I have learned a few ways to help with that.   I know you have all probably seen many articles about how to save money while you are in Disney like eating breakfast in the room or bringing your own snacks into the parks.   I have 3 easy tips to save money before you leave home and they don't require you to cut back on anything you want to do in order to save.

The #1 tip I have is to use a travel agent that specializes in Disney.    I know I am very bias on this one but I am not just saying you should use me (even though I do think you should) but using any travel agent that knows Disney can help you save money up-front because we know all the offers and stay on top of that for you and will apply any savings possible for you.   If you call Disney and book with them they will happily take your money but they are not going to call you a few months later and say hey guess what we are now offering a discount and we applied it for you.   A good Disney travel agent will do that!  A good Disney travel agent will also be honest and help you figure what you really do need and what you would be wasting money on.  

#2 - Choose a credit card with nice perks.   You might need to start this tip well before planning your vacation to give you enough time to rack up some rewards but they can be well worth it.   If you choose a good reward credit card you can rack some rewards that can help you take money off your vacation cost.  A good airline one might make it so you can fly free.  Disney also has a card that gives you rewards and you can use those rewards to pay towards your vacation or save them to use while on vacation.   A Disney Visa also gives you no interest on Disney vacation package reservations for 6 months so that could also save you some money and give you more time to pay.

#3 - Disney Gift cards.   This is sort of linked with #2 in that you can save money buying Disney gift cards if you have certain credit cards, such as a Target Visa.   You can save 5% when you use your Target Visa to buy Disney gift cards at Target so that can add up.  Warehouse stores like BJs and Sam's also offer discounts on Disney gift cards.   I have had many clients send me multiple gift cards to make payments on their vacations.  I even had one once that paid her whole Disney Cruise using gift cards (that 5% on over $5000 does add up).   Going back to #1 a good Disney agent will be happy to take as many gift cards as you need to use for making payments.

I know there are many other ways you can do things to save on Disney vacations but I think these 3 are the easiest to get what you really want and save a little too.

  You might be asking - what does Shoulder Season mean?  Most travel destinations will have a Peak Season and an Off Season but there will also be a bit of in between time which is the Shoulder Season.  Most popular travel destinations will have some sort of shoulder season.  In some places where year round travel is pretty popular, like here in Central Florida for example,  we don't have much of an off season or shoulder season. 
Cruising in Alaska has such a short Season in total that it offer a great example of Shoulder Season.   Cruise ships can only sail Alaska in May - September (maybe very late April and into very early October but not much).   The Peak Season is Mid-June through Mid-August so that leaves May and September as the Shoulder Season.   The rest of the year is totally Off Season since the ships cannot even go there if they wanted to.  There is some good and bad to choosing shoulder season anywhere.

There are 2 good reasons to cruise Alaska during Shoulder Season - 

#1 - Lower Prices - since it isn't the most popular time the rates are lower to try and entice more visitors.

#2 - Smaller Crowds - Most people either only want to or can only travel during the dates of the Peak Season so there are more crowds at that time leaving smaller crowds in the Shoulder Season.

There are also 2 not so good reason to choose Shoulder Season - 

#1 - Not everything will be open or available.   For example Denali National Park won't open until Mid June so if you want to go there you need to pretty much stick to Peak Season.  Another thing to consider is snow melting over summer will cause some excursions to not be offered in September.

#2 - There won't be as much wildlife.   If you are really going to Alaska for the wildlife the best times for that is going to be Peak Season when the Salmon are running and the Bears are out of hibernation.

You might think that weather would be a reason to choose peak season but in Alaska the weather can be all over the map at anytime of the cruise season.   You should be prepared for rain anytime you cruise Alaska.   It is possible that May and September will be colder than June - August but it might not be.   There is a slight chance you could catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights during shoulder season but you shouldn't plan your trip around that since it isn't very likely. 
 I have cruised Alaska twice - once in May and just this year the end of August so my dates have been shoulder season.   The photo I posted above shows one of the big differences in May and August since you see a lot less snow in the August photo.   As pretty as the snow was in May we almost didn't get close to the glacier because there were still a lot of big ice chunks and frozen water in that area.   I enjoyed both times of year and I think the smaller crowds of shoulder season were nice too but I would still like to try peak season too.

​  Alaska really is an amazing wilderness and one that everyone should have on their must see list.   An Alaska cruise is not your typical cruise though.   There are certain things that are worth the splurge when it comes to an Alaska Cruise. 

  #1 Your room - This is one of those times when splurging for a balcony is really worth it.   There will be a lot to see outside and it is nice to be able to watch some of it from the comfort of your room.  

#2  The excursions.    On some cruises you can get away with just exploring town or finding a beach to relax on but in Alaska the excursions are really worth the splurge.   There are many that can be a bit pricey so it is good to budget for those in advance.   I have done a few that were big splurges and they were all worth every penny.  On this visit I went big with the Helicopter to a glacier to go dog sledding.   It was truly amazing!    There were only a total of 4 adults on our excursion so it felt very private and we got a lot of time on the glacier with the dogs.   This is something you really cannot do anywhere else so it one of those once in a lifetime moments you won't soon forget.  The other big splurge we did last time in Alaska was a flight-seeing ride on a float-plane.   Alaska is really best seen by air and you can only get to some places via a plane.   Our float-plane flew around some fjords and even landed on a lake so we could pop out of plane for a bit.   Again there were only 4 people total in our plane so it was pretty much a private excursion.   If you are into fishing then Alaska is one of those places you must book a fishing excursion.  You can even have the chef back onboard cook up your catch for your for dinner!   You can also ship your big catch home if you prefer.   
   
#3 Private viewing areas.  Find out if you ship offers any private areas that you can reserve for your time in Glacier Bay or whichever glacier you might visit on your cruise.   The top decks can get very crowded on the glacier day so if you ship offers a private area you can reserve a spot it is worth the cost.   For our cruise Princess offers the Sanctuary up on the top deck in the very aft of the ship.   This area is available to reserve anytime during the cruise for a small fee but on glacier day it really it a great place to be.   The lounge chairs are super comfy with extra blankets and attentive service.   You do get to actually reserve a specific chair so you can come and go and not worry about losing your spot.  For our cruise they served pastries, lunch, and tea during our time in Glacier Bay.   They would also bring hot chocolate, coffee and tea or water anytime you needed more.   With the limited number of guests in the Sanctuary it was very easy to get all the perfect photos you wanted while viewing the glaciers.

#4 The right wardrobe.  Packing for Alaska can be tricky as you really do need a little bit of everything since you just never know what kind of weather you might get.  Generally in summer you can pretty much count on rain though.   Having the right gear can really help make sure you get the most out of your vacation.   Depending on where you live you might not get a lot of regular use out of some of these things but they are worth the splurge to have for Alaska.   Number one would be a nice pair of waterproof hiking type shoes.   It is no fun to be walking around in wet shoes with cold feet.   Another item that you might not normally purchase would be some water resistant clothing.    I bought a pair of water resistant hiking pants from Columbia that worked out really well for the wet days.  A good rain jacket is also much easier than carrying an umbrella.   One tip though  when it comes to certain excursions be sure to note if they will provide some gear.  We did a few excursions that did give us boots or other outerwear to keep us protected on the excursion so that was a nice bonus.

#5 Camera - Alaska has a lot of wildlife to catch a glimpse of and if you want to really capture that image your cell phone camera just isn't going to cut it.   This is one of those trips when having a nicer camera is worth it.   Binoculars also come in handy so they are worth picking up a pair before your cruise.  
  
#6 - The spa.   With all the excursions and outdoor activities to choose from in Alaska a spa treatment might be just the splurge you need to recover and also warm up.   Some ship spas will also offer a thermal spa and I cannot think of anywhere better to warm up than a heated lounge chair inside the relaxing atmosphere of the spa.   Some ships will have the thermal spa set up where you can even have an amazing view of the outside while lounging.    You might be able to get just a day passes but many times only length of cruise passes are offered.   There are even some ships that have specific stateroom categories that will come with spa access included with the room.  

 
    I just finished my first cruisetour in Alaska and we are headed for the ship.  You might ask what is a cruisetour?   It is basically a land and sea package where you get to go a bit more in depth somewhere that a cruise ship couldn't go added onto your cruise.  You can choose to do your tour portion either before or after your cruise but for Alaska I recommend doing it before.  The tour portion in Alaska is busy and has lots of early mornings so doing the cruise after allows you to relax and recover.  Most times you will have a few different package options for your Alaska cruisetour to include other things but all will include your cruise and land accommodations along with transportation to your cruisetour hotels.   The big difference between the cruise and the tour is that your land portion doesn't come with food included like the cruise so you would need to choose an add on package if you want meals included on land.   Here are 7 tips I learned from my Alaska cruisetour.

#1 Pack strategically.   This really is key since you need to pack a little bit of everything for a visit to Alaska.  It really is worth it to not have suitcases that are packed too tightly from the beginning since you will be having unpack and pack a few times.   We ended up with 3 checked suitcases for the 2 of us (2 large and one smaller one) even though I probably could have gotten it all into just 2.  I was very happy I chose to bring 3 as it made things easier for me.     Princess does offer an option to send any bag you won't need on land right to the port so it will meet you on the ship instead of having to go to each lodge with you.  That just didn't work for me but that was OK since having the 3 bags did help when we were juggling things from lodge to lodge.   You most likely will only spend 1 or 2 nights at each lodge so it means a lot of living out of suitcases.       
 
#2 Pre-plan your outfits for each day.    This comes  in handy when you have to have your bags out of your room at the crack of dawn.   I recommend using some packing cubes or something that will help you keep your suitcases organized and easy to pull out a day's set of clothes the night before.  In Alaska dressing in layers is key so make sure each day's clothes have you ready for any type weather no matter what the forecast might be predicting.  

#3 Have a day bag plan.   On the days you change lodges you might be on a long bus or train ride between lodges.   You might also be doing a tour or excursion on the way between lodges so you will want to have a day bag with you with a few essentials.   It is also good to keep anything with you that you really couldn't afford to lose or would need before getting to your next room, such as prescriptions or your travel documents.   Be sure to read over your travel documents beforehand as there might be restrictions on the day bag you can carry on with you, for example the train between Denali and Anchorage has pretty strict rule of no wheelie bags can be carried on the train with you.  There are specific size limits for the bag you can take on the train as it needs to fit in a tight space by your seat.   

#4 Be Organized.  Having packing cubes or some type of smaller bags or specific spots in your suitcase for things makes it easier to find things quickly.  This also helps to be sure everything gets packed again each time you change lodges.  The early morning bag pick ups can be hectic so being organized really helps.

#5 Read and reread the schedule for each day in advance.   There will be lots of important times to remember each day so you don't want to miss the bag pick up or worse your bus.   The morning we went into Denali park was a very early bus pick up and they stick to schedule so it would be a bummer to miss that bus.   

#6 There are no guarantees.   In Alaska this applies to a few things.   Remember this is wilderness so there are some things no one can control.   Number one is there are no guarantees that you will get to see a clear view of Mt Denali.   It is said that usually only 30% of visitors get a clear view of the whole mountain just because it is so high that is pretty much has it own weather and will usually be hidden behind clouds. We realized how lucky we were to get a clear view more than one day of our trip.  The second thing that people complain about is not getting to see all of the wildlife they wanted to see.  Again nature doesn't always cooperate so you just might not get that shot of a grizzly or moose or whatever animal you were hoping to see during your Alaska visit.   You should already be prepared for just about any weather as that is just a given with Alaska but weather can also affect other things like your mode of transportation.  This is a little more unusual but happened during our trip that weather caused the train tracks to be impassable in spots due to rock slides and trees down so our scenic train ride from one lodge to the next was cancelled and we had to take the bus.   I was really looking forward to the train experience and I know for most people that is a big part of what they want as part of their   Alaska land portion.   Hopefully you will get to see and do everything you really wanted to on your visit but if you don't there is always next time.  

#7 Get enough sleep and drink plenty of water.   There is a lot to do on your tour so getting a good amount of sleep and staying hydrated is important to being able to really enjoy everything.   Alaska is 4 hours behind our East Coast time zone and along with the longer hours of daylight this far north it was easy to stay up way later than you intended and that 6 am bags out time sneaks up on you real quick.  It is also very dry in parts of Alaska so be sure to drink enough water.

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When you think of summer vacations do you picture sitting on a beach or by a pool somewhere?  I know those of you that live somewhere that gets cold in winter look forward to summer vacation and think about laying in the sun but then summer comes and some of you might be complaining it is too hot.  Sure you could cool off a little with a dip in the ocean or pool but why not go somewhere really cool like Alaska or Norway?  Would I go to these places in winter - NO WAY!   However summer is a great time to head North to escape the heat and enjoy a literally cool vacation.   Another bonus is the longer hours of daylight make you feel like you get so much more vacation time.   There is just something really memorable about looking outside at midnight and the sun is still out.

There are 4 cool places to cruise that are only available in summer.

#1 Alaska
   If you had asked me about 5 years ago what I thought about traveling anywhere that is considered a colder climate I would have said no way.   That was before I actually sucked it up and went to Alaska for the first time.  I admit I was worried that I was going to be too cold to enjoy it.   I did prepare by buying a cold weather wardrobe but was happily surprised to find that Alaska really wasn't that cold in summer.  I actually found it a nice break from the Florida heat.  After that I started thinking where else can we cruise in summer that will offer a refreshing break from summer sizzle.
Alaska really is huge with so many breathtaking things to see and explore.  Most cruise lines offer the typical 7 night round trip cruise out of either Seattle or Vancouver.   Some cruise lines have been in Alaska longer and they offer some stops that the others cannot.   Princess and Holland America have both been in Alaska for 50 years so they really are the experts and offer the best options.   If you are just doing a 7 night cruise your really want to be sure it includes one of the big glaciers - Glacier Bay really is the BIG one but the other is Hubbard Glacier.  Doing just a cruise only lets you see the very edge of Alaska.  If you really want to get more in depth into Alaska you would want to book a cruise along with a cruisetour.   The cruisetour portion will be either before or after your cruise and you can choose the number of nights.   Holland America and Princess have their own lodges but the other cruise lines will offer some type of cruisetour.   I am actually headed up to Alaska next week to do a cruise tour before my cruise so stay tuned for my trip report and  hopefully some live updates.  

#2 Norwegian Fjords
   After cruising Alaska and realizing that cooler locations make a nice summer break we started looking at other options.  The Norwegian Fjords always looked so picture perfect with all the waterfalls and cute villages.    It did not disappoint!  I loved every stop and even though weather conditions caused the ship to cancel our 2 stops above the Arctic circle it was still very cool to be able to say I have been above the Arctic Circle.   We went in May and even though that isn't Peak season we had wonderful weather with even a bit of a heat wave where it was in the 80s.  For those of us on the East Coast we are kind of in the middle of either Alaska or Norway so it would a tough call as to which to pick as they are similar but also different.  If you really want wildlife I think Alaska offers more options but Norway seemed to have more waterfalls. 

#3 British Isles  
  You might think the British Isles are too small to warrant their own cruises but trust me they are not!   The typical British Isles cruise is 10 - 14 days.   You might think that means you are only visiting British ports but you will usually have some that are not as well.    Some cruises might even include Iceland.   Our British Isles cruise mostly focused on Ireland but we also had a few UK stops and we started and ended in Amsterdam.    Generally smaller ships do these cruises which is what I love since that means you never really feel overcrowded even when visiting some of the big cities.  Our cruise stopped at the big ones like Dublin, Cork, Belfast, and Liverpool but we also had some smaller stops too.   I really enjoyed the smaller ports where you could walk to the local pub from the ship and really feel like you were part of this small town even if only for the day.  The North Atlantic can be a little rough on the West Coast of Ireland though and on our cruise it was so rough we had to turn around and go back around the other way.   I guess they don't call it the Wild Atlantic Way for nothing. 

#4 The Baltics
  A Baltic cruise is also sometimes called Northern Europe and will typically include Scandinavia and Russia.   You might stop in places like Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn, and St Petersburg.   If you have always wanted to visit Russia a Baltic cruise is one of the easiest ways to do it.   The Visa requirements for Russia can be tricky but booking a cruise shore excursion will usually take care of all of that for you.   You really get to see a wide range of cultures and histories on these cruises since you are visiting so many countries.   A Baltic cruise can be pretty port intensive for that reason so that is important to take into consideration.  

 Cruise lines only sail these locations April - October.  Peak season for these really is June  and July.   Earlier or Later in the season can offer less crowds and lower prices but might also not have the best weather.  School vacations also mean more kids during those peak dates.
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Bermuda and Canada/New England are also places that have a limited summer window for cruising but may not offer the same cooling effect as the others.   Generally  Bermuda cruises are April - November with with June - August being peak season.   For Canada/New England cruises will run May - October with August - October being the time to leaf peep.  
If you are sweating right now and thinking how can I cool off why not start thinking about planning a cool cruise for next summer (there might still be some last minute deals for cool cruises this summer too - just contact me to find out).

you    I am writing this while sitting in the Philadelphia airport and an announcement just came on saying the airport is under a ground stop.   That is never a good thing and since it is weather related there isn't much you can do it about it.   You might think you have more of a chance of weather delay during winter when snow and ice are an issue but summer weather can be just as disruptive.
  I think it is pretty safe to say that everyone has encountered a flight delay at one time or another.  It could be weather related, mechanical issues, crew delays, or something you might never have thought of before.   Nobody likes to be delayed but being prepared can be make a big difference.   There are a few apps that can come in handy when  flying.

#1 - Airline's app.  I always make sure I have the app for the airline I am flying on that day.   The airline app comes in handy for things like checking in for your flight and watching the status of your flight.  One time we were already sitting in the plane out on the tarmac and were delayed.  We had a connecting flight that day so after an initial delay boarding the plane and then sitting out on the tarmac another hour we realized there was no way we were going to make that connection.  I was able to use the airline's app to make changes to our connecting flight and find another option to move us to.  We almost didn't make that connection but luckily we did.   Unfortunately our luggage did not but we were also able to sort of track our bags using the airline app as well.   

#2 Flight Aware - While the airline's app is good, flight aware offers a bit more information.   Flight aware offers real time tracking for all airlines and you can check the status of airports too so you get more information.  They even have something called the misery map (you can take a guess at what that will show you).  You can see where your plane is coming from and get notifications when it takes off from there and when it lands at your airport.  You can also check on the status of the airports you are headed to which can be good to know as well.  If your flight is connecting and that airport you are going to connect through is also having delays you might not have to worry as much about missing your connection.   

#3 Air Help - I haven't actually tried this one out yet but after reading about it I think it is good to have just in case you need it.   Have you ever wondered if you might be entitled to some type of compensation due to the flight delay?   You don't need to wonder anymore this app will tell you. They say they can even check on flights from up to 3 years ago so who knows you might have money to collect.

#4 Grab - If you get hungry or thirsty while waiting on your flight but have no idea what food options are in the airport this app can help.  This came in handy when I wanted Starbucks in the Philly airport and wasn't sure where I could find one.   

If you read my previous blog about what I pack in my carry on you know that I do have everything I need in my carry on in case of delays.   The lady sitting behind me today wasn't so prepared and I just heard her say her phone is almost dead and she didn't pack her charging cord in her carry on so now she has to go find one to buy.  Another tip is try to find a comfy spot to hang out but don't go too far from your gate because I have learned in the past that even though your flight says an hour delayed now it could actually go back to being on time again without much notice.   The airlines really do want to stay on time as much as possible so sometimes they will make some changes in order to avoid delays.  So if they are able to do something that keeps you pretty close to on time they will want to get that plane boarded and off the ground as soon as possible.  

Travel delays can be a bummer since they might also affect some of your vacation plans that you have already set up for your arrival.  That is when having a travel agent can really come in handy.  I can jump into action for you to start rearranging things as needed.    Worst case you might also need help finding a last minute hotel room if your flight delay turns into needing somewhere to sleep for the night unexpectedly.  
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Lucky for us I see flight aware is now showing that our plane has arrived so we should be on our way shortly, only about 45 minutes late.  

I don't know about you but I love reward programs!  These days you can pretty much sign up for some type of rewards program just about anywhere you do business.  Some of the bigger ones are credit card rewards, frequent flyer programs, and hotel loyalty.  Even your small business like your local nail shop probably offers some type of loyalty program though.   Sure I get it that the idea behind them is to build brand loyalty but it is also nice to feel valued by a company (and free stuff doesn't hurt).   Some of the key points for loyalty programs to me are - is it easy to join (free is key),  is it easy to understand the system for earning points/miles (or whatever they call it),  do you get rewarded often.
Here is my look at 3 of the main travel related rewards programs:

Frequent Flier
First let's look at one of most of thought of loyalty programs, frequent flyer.  We all want to get those miles to earn things like free flights or maybe a first class upgrade, however if you are just a regular person that usually only flies for vacation you can end up feeling pretty unimportant to an airline.  Personally I might travel on vacation a little more than most people because you know I have to do research (it is a tough job) but I certainly am not coming close to getting above the entry level for most airline programs.  Even though I have taken 3 international flights with Delta in the past 4 years I still have yet to even earn enough miles for a free domestic flight or any kind of upgrade deal mainly because I do not do a high volume within one year.    I am a big fan of Southwest and Jet Blue and while they are not taking me anywhere international I have actually earned free flights from them.   I earned free flights though both of them by just simply flying with them not anything else. You can try to boost your miles with some airlines by getting their credit card or booking hotels and other things through them but I rarely do that.   Now I did make one exception this year and I took advantage of the Southwest credit card offer that gave you a free companion pass for the year once you spent a certain amount.   I knew I had a big purchase coming up so the timing was perfect and I  hit that spending mark with just that one purchase in February so that meant 10 months of a companion pass which I am taking advantage of the best that I can.   In this case I kind of look at this one as a dual reward program - one I am getting stuff from Southwest but the card is through Chase so I think of it as their program too.  In the future I will mostly only use the card for purchasing Southwest flights since that is what I get the most bang for my buck with that card.  We cannot always go out and open new credit cards just to get rewards but that is also another type of reward program to consider when it makes sense.  

Hotel Rewards
To me signing up for a hotel member program is a no-brainer as they tend to always offer you something easy to obtain like maybe free wi-fi or member only rates even with your first booking.  Personally I sign up mostly for the extras you get with that first stay and I cannot think of any hotel program that really makes choose their hotel over another when I am shopping for a hotel.  I will almost always sign my clients up for a hotel's program when booking them too so that I know they are getting the freebies.   Hotel program are generally easy and straightforward and similar from brand to brand.  For the most part hotels are like the airlines and you are only ever going to get to the upper levels by staying a lot of hotel nights in one year.  Also many hotel points tend to expire after a year if you are not active.  I tend to look at these programs as an in the moment type of reward and I am not in these for the long haul.   
Here is a link to a US News comparison of airline and hotel rewards programs
   
Cruise Line Rewards
These days just about all the cruise lines offer some type of loyalty program and for the most part you will be enrolled just by going on your first cruise with that line.   Some are really easy like Disney, who calls theirs Castaway Club, your cruise counts as 1 point no matter the length of the cruise or price you paid.   Disney has 3 levels - Silver, Gold, and Platinum.  You are silver for 1 - 4 cruises, after your 5th you become Gold, and then Platinum after your 10th cruise.  The rewards are simple but do the trick.   You feel important getting to book things earlier based on your level and get a freebie onboard.  Other cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL, mainly give you one point per day of your cruise and they have 5 - 6 levels that you can move up to earn more stuff.  Again pretty easy to follow and I like that you get rewarded based on the total number of nights you have sailed vs just how many cruises you take.  MSC has the most complicated where you earn points based on multiple things such as your room type and experience add on you choose.  So you end up needing 10,000 points to top out on their program vs the 10 needed on Disney.  One interesting thing about MSC is they offer to level match you based on the other loyalty programs you might be long to.   So if you are let's say Diamond level on Carnival, then MSC might make you automatically Gold with them on your first cruise.  Some of the other cruise companies have multiple cruise line in their family and might also offer reciprocity with their sister line's program.   For example if you have sailed on Royal Caribbean many times and are Emerald level but decide to try out Royal's other line Celebrity you could enjoy upper level program benefits on Celebrity even though it is your first cruise with them.   Even though they all offer something pretty different I think they are all great programs and to me more interesting then the airline or hotel ones, but that could just be because I really like cruising most!

OK so now I have to admit there was a little more motive behind this article than just talking about my feelings on reward programs.  If you have read this far you will be first to hear that  I am excited to announce that I am rolling out a reward program for my own business!  I am working on all the details now and I have put a good amount of research in to hopefully have a program that really makes my clients feel like a VIP!  I will post all the information on the website soon and don't worry if you have been booking with me for years you won't be starting from scratch.  If you have anything you would like to suggest for a reward please feel free to comment or send me an email (you might get bonus points too).

The more the merrier can be the theme for your next vacation but it is not as easy as it sounds.   There are some vacation options that work better for a group such as cruises and all inclusive resorts but you can plan a group vacation just about anywhere.   Here are some of the pros and cons to traveling as a group.

PROS
1. You get to enjoy a vacation and you get to hang out with a lot of friends or family that you might not see very often.  Being on vacation together means you can really spend some quality time catching up and making new memories.  
2. Save money.   Most times you can score some nice group discounts for traveling together.   I highly recommend working with a travel agent, not just because I am one, because an agent will know the ins and out of a group rate so that you don't end up paying more.  I have worked with many groups over the years and it can sometimes get tricky making sure the group qualifications get met.  
3. You might do something you never would have done if it wasn't for the group deciding to do it.  There are also some things that might only be available to a group that you couldn't do if you were traveling on your own.  


CONS
1. It takes a lot more planning.  It can be hard to get a large group to decide on when and where to travel.  Getting everyone to find dates they can agree on is one step then you have to agree on where to go too.   Even once you are on vacation there might be more issues getting everyone to agree one what to do each day, like where to eat.   As long as you plan far enough in advance you can avoid some of these headaches. Again this is where a good travel agent comes in.  If you have one main contact person, like a travel agent, for the group that can help make sure no one feels like one family member is making all the decisions  or having to do all the work.
2. You might have to do something you do not want to because you get out voted by the group.  Sometimes in a group the majority rules so might end up going with the group to do something you don't want or it might take twice as long to do something because not everyone moves at the same speed.  One way to deal with this is by picking a vacation that might offer multiple options to do each day so the group can split up if not everyone wants to do the same thing all the time.  
3. More drama.   With more people all spending time together there is bound to be more drama than your normal vacation.   Let's face it spending a lot of time all together is just bound to end up in a disagreement or two.  Planning for some downtime and having options for everyone so that you are not all together all the time can help diffuse the drama. 

Some ideas for group trip can be family reunions, school reunions, milestone birthday or anniversary celebration, bachelor/bachelorette party,  shared hobby or interest, or just a bunch of people that want to get together and vacation together.  You can have a big group or a small group but either way the key to a successful group trip is planning.   

Celebrate your independence!  Solo traveling is becoming more and more popular as people realize the freedom to do your own thing on vacation is really nice.   I have traveled solo a few times and I will admit the first time I was really nervous but then I realized you are never really alone when traveling.

  There are a lot of pros and cons to traveling alone and here are a few that I ran into and how I dealt with them:
Pros

• 1. You get to pick where and when you will travel without having to compromise with anyone else.  It was nice not having to work with around else's schedule.
• 2. While on vacation you can choose what you want to do.   It is just nice to be able to decide I want to walk over here and look at this right now and not have to drag anyone else or have to skip it because the others don't want to see it.  
• 3.  You only have to keep track of your own things.  As a mom I loved not having pack for someone else or be responsible for carrying anyone else's stuff while exploring.  
• 4. Sometimes there is only room for one more.    There can be advantages especially while visiting a theme park solo where you can get in a shorter line as a solo.   You might also be able to score last minute tickets to a show or on an excursion because there was only one seat left.  
• 5. Meet new people.  You are more likely to talk to strangers when traveling alone just because you don't have anyone else to talk to.  

Cons

• 1. It can get a little lonely.  Sometimes you might just wish you had a certain someone with you to share in this special moment.  I was usually most lonely when it is bedtime and you are in a strange room alone.  I would usually call someone or just keep TV or Music on so that it wasn't too quiet.
  
• 2. It can sometimes cost more.  Certain suppliers might charge a single supplement which means you end up paying almost as much as being 2 people when you are just 1.   You can shop around to look for deals or options that do not charge a single supplement.  Many cruise lines now even offer studio rooms where they are designed for just one person.  Some tour suppliers might even offer to match you up with a roommate if you want to save money that way (personally I cannot see myself ever going for that option but some people don't mind).  
• 3. Eating alone can be awkward.   I admit I never like eating out alone and will do whatever I can to make myself look busy while eating.  If you are part of a tour group or on a cruise you are usually seated with others for meals so that can help.
• 4. You have to remember everything because there is no one else to remind you if you forget.   I am very good at forgetting things like how to get back to the hotel or where I parked so without someone to ask it can be a little challenging.  
• 5.  May not always get the best photos with you in them.  I stink at taking selfies and also really don't like asking strangers to take my photo so my solo trips just don't have as many photos with me in them.

​My favorite travel options for going solo are a tour group, cruise, and theme parks.   In a tour group there will usually be a bunch of people and not everyone will know each other but you will all be going to the same locations throughout your vacation. Tour guides are usually very good at making the group all feel like they know each other really well after the first day and you will never feel alone.  On a cruise you won't get as personal with all your shipmates as on a tour group, but there is always plenty to do and others doing the same things that you feel like part of a group.   In theme parks there is just so much to do where you are always on the move so being solo is actually super easy.  

If you have ever thought about traveling solo go for it - you won't regret it!