Travel Advisor Julie - Keeping It Real Travel

08/03/2026

Every second a family just like yours is…………

Picking an unplugged family vacation because they are tired of “just 5 more minutes” ….. “I am in the middle of a game”……. When telling their kids device time is over.

What they are doing is finding out that taking a cruise as a family is the number one way to create real connections that social media has destroyed.

To be able to Snapchat or post yet another TikTok Mom or Dad has to pay EXTRA for WiFi which is not considered a “need” in the vacation budget for today’s families wanting more meaningful time together. Double Mom Award for you!

Research is showing that unplugged family vacations are on the rise and no plans to stop.

Families are craving this much needed device free vacation. You are not alone in this thinking.

BONUS those device addicted kids and teens can sail AT ZERO cost when sailing with paying adults in the Summer of 2027😲😮

✨Got a 2027 graduate?
✨Plan now and make payments!
✨Celebrate a special milestone with the ones you love.
✨2027 Family Reunion at Sea…..now THIS sounds like the best idea of them all!!!

Here are 3 unique experiences your family will experience on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

Check out this Real Estate Flyer designed by Julie Harrington.

07/20/2026

What to look for in a pre-cruise hotel, in order of what actually matters:

1️⃣ Distance to the terminal. Under 3 miles is the sweet spot. Close enough that embarkation morning is boring, and boring is the goal.

2️⃣ Park and cruise packages if you're driving. Bundled parking for your whole sailing often beats port parking prices.

3️⃣ Free breakfast. You want real food in you before embarkation day. Ship lunch is coming but the boarding process can run long.

4️⃣ Shuttle OR cheap rideshare distance. Do the math. Hotel shuttles run $10 to $15 per person while an Uber for the whole family might cost less. Two people? Toss up. Family of five? Uber usually wins.

5️⃣ Late checkout flexibility. Boarding usually starts late morning. A hotel that doesn't rush you out at 10am is a gift.

Save this for your next cruise. Or better yet, let me handle it and you just show up.

07/18/2026

FORT LAUDERDALE. Port Everglades is one of the easiest ports in the country because the airport is basically next door. But that doesn't mean you should fly in day of. It means your pre-night is EASY.

My two picks:

🛏️ Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port. Recently renovated, free airport shuttle, free breakfast, and suites with kitchens. The whole package, about 15 minutes from the ships.

🛏️ Embassy Suites 17th Street. The longtime cruiser favorite. Two room suites, cooked to order breakfast, and you're minutes from the terminal. There's a reason cruisers book it again and again.

Sailing out of Port Everglades? Message me and I'll make the whole thing, hotel included, painless. 📩

07/16/2026

Don’t just book your cruise and pray. I have created with 15 years of helping families plan cruises, a cruise playbook guide for Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line. Just drop GUIDE and you get to pick the one you want. BONUS If you would rather someone else handle all these details & get your family booked. Let me know and I will link you to my quote form. Have a great day!

07/16/2026

Can we talk about Norwegian for a second? Because this cruise line does not get the love it deserves and I'm tired of pretending otherwise.

Everyone hypes Royal. Everyone loses their minds over Disney. Meanwhile Norwegian is over here quietly doing its thing and nobody's talking about it.

If you've never cruised before, here's what you need to know. Norwegian basically invented not being told what to do on vacation. No assigned dinner time. No dress code drama. You eat when you're hungry, wear what you want, and do it all on your own schedule. It's called Freestyle Cruising and it's exactly what it sounds like.

The food options are ridiculous in the best way. The entertainment is legit. And their newer ships? Gorgeous.

I've sailed Norwegian and I'd do it again tomorrow. If you've been on the fence about your first cruise because you think cruising means stuffy dinners and forced fun, Norwegian might be exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.

Looking for someone to help you plan your cruise without all the stress and researching all the details.....fill out my quick cruise quote form 👇

https://forms.gle/bDRLJi9Eiocamg8t9

07/15/2026

A question I ask every cruise client, and now I'm asking you.

For your pre-cruise night, which one are you?

A) As close to the port as humanly possible. Wake up, see ship, board ship. Zero adventure, zero risk.

B) Somewhere fun 15 to 20 minutes away. Good dinner, a little exploring, treat the pre-night like part of the vacation.

There's no wrong answer, and knowing which one you are is exactly how I match clients to the right hotel. A or B in the comments. 👇

07/14/2026

MIAMI. Where the ships are massive, the traffic is a personality test, and the right hotel makes all the difference.

My two picks:

🛏️ InterContinental Miami. Downtown, waterfront, and they know exactly what cruise passengers need. Walk to Bayside Marketplace for dinner with a view of your ship. This is the treat yourself option.

🛏️ CitizenM Miami Worldcenter. Trendy, surprisingly affordable, and you can literally see the cruise ships from the rooftop pool. The port ride is a cheap, quick Uber.

Miami tip: build in buffer time no matter where you stay. The port entrance backs up on busy sailing days like you would not believe.

Sailing from PortMiami this year? Let's get your pre-night locked in before the good rates disappear. 📩

07/13/2026

"But Julie, a hotel the night before adds cost to my trip."

Let's do the math together.

Pre-night hotel near the port: roughly $120 to $200.

Missing your ship: the entire cruise fare, gone. Plus last minute flights to the first port of call if you want to chase the ship down, which can run $400 to $1,000 or more PER PERSON. Plus a hotel that night anyway. Plus the special kind of rage that never fully leaves your body.

The hotel is not an added cost. It's the cheapest insurance policy in all of travel.

And here's the part nobody tells you: many port hotels have park and cruise packages where the parking for your whole cruise is bundled in. Sometimes the package costs barely more than port parking alone. You're basically getting the room for free.

This is the stuff I do for my clients so they don't have to spreadsheet their own vacation.

07/12/2026

GALVESTON, TEXAS. The biggest cruise port outside of Florida, and one of my favorite pre-cruise towns because there's actual stuff to do here.

My two picks:

🛏️ Harbor House at Pier 21. This one is NEXT DOOR to the cruise terminals. You can look out and see your ship. Roll out of bed, grab coffee, walk to vacation. Bonus: The Strand district with all its restaurants and shops is right there.

🛏️ Hotel Lucine. The cool kid on the Seawall. Retro vibes, rooftop bar, courtyard pool, and reviews so good it's almost suspicious. About a mile from the ships.

Heads up if you're flying in: Houston's airports are 60 to 90 minutes from the port. That pre-night stay isn't a suggestion here. It's a requirement.

Sailing out of Galveston? I can build the hotel, the transfers, and the whole trip so all you do is show up. 📩