Seas'n Sun

08/31/2026

Apart from seeing a bear, my #1 goal for the trip was to pick up a lumberjack show! I know that Ketchikan has a great one, but I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to see the one in Vancouver. It was a fun experience. Pictured here is the "tourist" who got "stuck" at the top of the climbing logs. He juggled, he did headstands, and eventually he "fell" off, ultimately ziplining to safety behind us. Great fun to watch!

08/29/2026

08/27/2026

A few months before your cruise, you may get an email from the cruise line offering to let you bid on upgrades to your room.

This is a decision that you should make carefully. If you picked your cabin out intentionally, then DO NOT BID. This includes connecting or adjacent rooms to family, staying away from the noise of the elevators, or minimizing the flights of stairs between you and dinner. If you win an upgrade, you cannot choose which specific cabin you get within that new category; the cruise line will choose for you.

However, if you are flexible about the location of your cabin, then bidding is a fantastic way to experience a new type of cabin at an affordable rate! It is never a guarantee, but I have won bids many times with my family, even though I always make low bids that the cruise lines consider "weak". Be careful, though, sweet upgrades (and especially suite upgrades) can be highly addictive. It can be hard to go back to your "usual" room type!

08/25/2026

Travel. It's always an adventure!

We just got back from almost two weeks in Alaska (2 days in Vancouver, 7-night cruise up the coast, 2 days in Seward, then a train to Anchorage to fly home). WHAT an adventure!

I was hoping to see a bear on this trip. We were sailing in August, so I had low expectations for most wildlife, but we booked a trip to Grouse Mountain while in Vancouver, and they have two resident bears for a nice, safe encounter. Well. Unfortunately, one the bears got sick and passed away quite suddenly the week before our trip. 😪 The other was napping during our visit, no doubt grieving the loss of its friend of 25 years. So I did not, in fact, see a bear on this visit. Unless you count pictures like this one! 🤣

Maybe next time...

08/20/2026

Do you pay your cruise all at once or use a payment plan? Cruise bookings are very flexible about when you pay the balance for your vacation. You owe a small deposit when you reserve your room (usually ~$100 per person, or around 10% for suites), and then the remainder can be paid anytime up until the final payment date (usually ~3 months before you travel). If you are booking your cruise in advance, you can take advantage of the delay before the final payment date to arrange your own payment plan! I've set up automatic monthly payments for my clients, or arranged custom schedules to perfectly align with paycheck dates and make sure that you are ready to sail away without a big one-time bill waiting for you.

Three steps:
1. At booking: pay the deposit (~$100 per person)
2. Break up the remaining cost by the number of months before the deadline, and set up recurring monthly payments
3. After paying your full balance, take those "monthly payments" and apply them to extras like your pre-cruise hotel, shore excursions, or a drink package on board!

08/18/2026

This is one of my favorite views in the world. Blue skies, clear waters... ahhh!

08/13/2026

How early should you book a cruise? The answer is... as early as you are sure you want the vacation! New cruise itineraries come out each fall and extend about 2.5 years into the future, giving you plenty of time to plan ahead. Booking in advance gives you access to great rates, and with many cruise lines, you can automatically reprice these early bookings if a better sale happens to come later.

Not to mention, you can place a low deposit up front (think ~$100 per person) and the remaining balance is not due until just a few months before you sail, leaving you room to set up monthly payments or to make a plan for that Christmas bonus!

08/11/2026

Six months to... Valentine's Day!

Six months from today, will you be scrambling for the perfect Valentine's Day plans? Start now, and there's still time to plan something really special. 😉

https://www.virginvoyages.com/book/voyage-planner/find-a-voyage?cabins=1¤cyCode=USD&agentId=248706&agencyId=589&bookingChannel=FMLINK&dateFrom=2027-02-01&dateTo=2027-02-28