Travel Tip Thursday Ep 9 | Stay Connected with an eSIM
Traveling internationally? 🌎 Stay connected with ease! In Episode 9 of Travel Tip Thursday, Amanda from Swan Family Travel shares how an eSIM can help you stay connected while traveling...
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Royal Caribbean Group Buys 50% of Sandals Resorts- A Game Changer for the Caribbean and Global Cruising?
Caribbean cruising - and beyond! - may have changed forever. Royal Caribbean Group -which also owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea - and Sandals Resorts International announced that the cruise company...
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The Only Country Celebrating the Autumn Equinox as a National Holiday
Many cultures have fall festivals, but only one makes the arrival of astronomical autumn a national holiday: Shubun no Hi. What’s more, Japan does it twice a year, also making...
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Italian Wine Beyond Tuscany: 3 Other Regions Worth Drinking In
We love Tuscany, too. But Italy has 20 wine-producing regions. Why should Chianti have all the fun? Head north, east, and very south from Tuscany for three deliciously different wine...
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Amanda Swan Decodes the Virgin Voyages Difference
After five days aboard Resilient Lady, I finally understand what "different" means in cruising. Here's what I discovered about this adults-only experience.
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From Epic to Film to Real Life: How to Take your Own Greek Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey put one of the world’s oldest travel stories back on the big screen in 2026—and launched Greek voyages back into our travel imaginations. It might be...
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2 New Openings Continue to Redefine All-Inclusive Resort Vacations
Two new Caribbean resort openings show travelers just how far the concept of the all-inclusive holiday is stretching, with lifestyle hotels translating their unique identities into all-inclusives and focusing less...
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Baroque to Biohacking: the New Wellness Scene in Vienna's Luxury Hotels
Vienna has spent centuries perfecting the art of living well. Coffee and cake in chandeliered cafés. Music, art and architecture on an imperial scale. And, increasingly, some serious pampering behind...
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Amanda Swan Discovers St. Thomas Beyond the Shopping
I used to think St. Thomas was just a shopping stop. Then I found the snorkeling, the secret beaches, and the local food tours that changed everything.
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Amanda's Guide to Ringing in the New Year at Sea
After cruising into the New Year multiple times, I've discovered why celebrating at sea offers the best of both worlds: festive energy and total flexibility.
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New Zealand Attracts a New Generation of Lord of the Rings Fans on 25th Anniversary of Film
Twenty-five years ago, moviegoers got their first glimpse of Middle-earth — and savvy travelers discovered that it looked remarkably like New Zealand. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the...
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Lights Out on One of the Hottest New Travel Trends
For generations, travelers have organized their days around daylight. Get up. See the sights. Take the photos. Then, as the sun sets, the day starts wrapping up. One of travel’s fastest-growing...
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European Cruising After the Christmas Markets: River and Ocean
What cruises give you the warmest welcome in Europe’s coolest months? River and coastal ocean cruising doesn’t completely stop when the Christmas holidays start. In fact, Europe’s “quiet season” is...
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Rob Swan's Late-Night Discovery in San Juan
When a long wait for dinner led our group to wander the streets of San Juan, I stumbled onto a culinary experience that changed how I think about adventure.
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Amanda's Go-To Pre/Post-Cruise Stop Near Fort Lauderdale
Most cruisers overlook Dania Pointe entirely. After multiple stays and countless meals, I've made it my personal favorite spot to extend the vacation feeling.
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D-Day Landing Beaches Achieve Overdue Milestone; How to Make Your Own Pilgrimage
82 years after what Winston Churchill called “the most complicated and difficult” military operation in world history, Normandy’s D-Day Landing Beaches finally achieved long overdue recognition of their place in...
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Attention Cycling Fans: Tour de France Rolls Across the English Channel in 2027
In July 2027, the Tour de France will make cycling history in the UK. Three men’s stages and three women’s stages will put Britain on the cycling world stage. In...
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How Low Can They Go? Historic Water Levels and the Future of River Cruising in Europe
I adore river cruising. I constantly recommend river cruises to viewers and followers. But river cruising is facing an industry-changing crisis. And I think it’s time to face it head-on with...
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Walk on the Wild Side: Animal Encounters on the Beaches of the Caribbean
You came to the Caribbean for the beach. So did the wildlife. Throughout the islands, some stretches of sand come with company: two legs or four, from birds to beasts...
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St. Kitts Stole My Heart, Thanks to a Guide Named Royston
After six visits and counting, I've learned that the best way to experience this Caribbean island is through the eyes of a local who runs toward every pickup with pure...
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Rob Swan: How One Cruise Converted a Total Skeptic
I'd seen Titanic and wanted nothing to do with cruising. Fourteen sailings later, I've discovered insider tricks that transform first-timers into lifelong fans.
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Mexico Discovery: Why Sandos Playacar Surprised Me
After reading mixed reviews online, I decided to see this resort for myself. What I found changed everything I thought I knew about value and experience.
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Spain’s Summer Spectacles
For most travelers, summer in Spain means lazy days on Mediterranean beaches, late-night tapas and sangria in sunny plazas. Summer is also Spain’s festival season – with two events famous...
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Top “Coolcation” Travel Destinations
Record-breaking summer heatwaves throughout Europe have more travelers looking for cooler destinations to spend the holidays. I have some favorites. By: Lynn Elmhirst, travel journalist and expert Some like it hot! And...
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