Amity - 417 Travel

🚢 Did you know that river levels can actually change your entire cruise itinerary?

I'm getting ready to sail the Rhine River with Avalon Waterways, and we've already received an update that low water levels are going to change part of our trip!

Unlike ocean cruises, river cruises depend on having enough water to safely navigate certain stretches of the river. When water levels get too low, ships may not be able to pass through.

For our sailing, that means a few changes:
🚢 We'll actually switch ships partway through our trip.
🏨 We'll spend one night in a hotel instead of onboard.
🚌 Some of our travel between destinations will be by motorcoach rather than sailing.

What I appreciate is that Avalon has already arranged alternative sightseeing, accommodations, and transportation to keep our trip moving. They've also offered a partial refund to account for the changes.

It's a good reminder that even the best-planned vacations can be affected by Mother Nature!

I'm looking forward to experiencing how Avalon handles these changes firsthand, and I'll be sharing updates along the way.

Have you ever had Mother Nature change your vacation plans?

Forget ghosts. THIS is the stuff that keeps us travel advisors up at night... 😂👻

I’ve been to 12 countries. Here are 3 I’d go back to TOMORROW. ✈️

✈️Dominican Republic
Give me a good drink, a beautiful beach and amazing service and I am HAPPY. There’s a reason I keep going back, especially to Secrets Royal Beach!

✈️Ecuador — specifically the Galápagos
The wildlife is just insane. Seeing animals that close, in their natural habitat, is one of those travel experiences that’s hard to even explain until you’ve done it.

✈️Costa Rica
This one brings out my adventurous side. Whitewater rafting, exploring, being outside—I loved that there was always something to DO.

And apparently my ideal vacation is either handing me a drink on the beach or throwing me into a raft. 😂

What’s one country you’ve visited that you’d go back to tomorrow?

One of my favorite parts of this job is that my passport keeps changing how I sell travel.

Every time I visit somewhere new, I come home asking my clients better questions.

It’s one thing to know which resort has the better reviews or which itinerary checks the most boxes. It’s another to experience a destination yourself and realize the little things that can completely change a trip.

Would I stay here again?
Was that excursion actually worth it?
Did I wish I had more time in one place?
Who would LOVE this trip — and who probably wouldn’t?
And I’m not done learning yet!

Next month, I’ll experience the Rhine on a river cruise for the first time, and in January I’m headed to Finland. Two completely different trips and a whole lot more firsthand knowledge coming home with me. ✈️

The more of the world I see, the better I can help you see it.

In September, I helped plan 28 different trips—and I love how completely different they all are.

✨ Ireland + Scotland
🏔️ Alaska
🌴 Punta Cana
🩵 Mexico
🚢 Caribbean cruises
✈️ London
🌺 St. Lucia
🍁 Canada + New England
🏝️ The Bahamas
💎 Finland

There’s a family spending Christmas in Mexico, a birthday cruise, a big incentive trip to the Dominican Republic, a bucket-list Ireland + Scotland tour, Alaska adventures and plenty of warm-weather escapes.

And I think this is one of the best parts of being a travel advisor.

There isn't one “right” way to vacation.

Some of my clients want a beach and absolutely nothing on the agenda. Some want to see as much as humanly possible. Some want a cruise. Some want Europe. Some are celebrating something big, and some just really need to get away.

My job is figuring out which trip makes sense for YOU.

So now I'm curious: What kind of trip are you dreaming about right now?

I’ve stayed at every Princess Wilderness Lodge. Here’s one thing I wish more Alaska travelers understood:

The time of year you visit can change your ENTIRE experience.

And Denali is a perfect example.

You can stay near Denali National Park and never actually get a clear view of Denali itself. Weather and cloud cover have a huge impact on visibility — and conditions can change quickly.

That’s part of Alaska. You can plan the perfect itinerary, but Mother Nature is still running the show. 😂

The month you choose can affect your daylight, temperatures, wildlife opportunities, scenery and even what Alaska looks and feels like.

That’s why when someone asks me, “What’s the best month to go to Alaska?” I don’t have one answer.

My first question is: “What do you most want to see and experience?”

Because the best time to go to Alaska depends on what you want out of the trip. 🏔️

One thing I will almost always tell my clients to buy?

Travel insurance.

It’s not the exciting part of planning a vacation-- Nobody calls me excited about protecting their trip. 😂

But I’ve had clients come home and THANK me for recommending it after delayed flights, cancellations, missed connections and unexpected situations.

You can plan an incredible vacation down to every last detail, but you can’t plan for everything.

Travel insurance is one of those things you hope you never need — but when you do, you’re really glad you have it with me!

It took me 35 years to make it to Mexico.

It only took my grandson ONE. 😂🌴

Safe to say he’s already doing this travel thing better than I did!

We celebrated his first birthday in Mexico, and getting to experience a place I love with my family made this trip even sweeter.

Starting him young — and setting the birthday trip expectations VERY high from here on out. 😂

DM me to create these once in a lifetime memories!✈️🎂