Magical Vacation Planner by Linda Stephens

08/24/2026

Treasured friends: If you could wake up anywhere (on earth) tomorrow morning, where would it be?

08/11/2026

MANY of you have been asking about Kids Sail Free pricing on Royal Caribbean.

IT'S HERE! For a limited time...Don't miss it.

08/10/2026

Good Morning! Your favorite port stop of all time was __________. (share!)

08/08/2026

Why partner with a vacation planner? So many reasons! One solid reason is how we provide helpful information about the differences in the brands.

I just returned from experiencing the Celebrity Edge in Alaska and, in addition to the relaxed beauty of the ship, the elevated offerings (food and beverage) I really enjoyed:

VENUE: The Club! From the moment I walked in...I could see that trivia, game shows and late night parties were going to be SPECIAL. The most fun we had onboard was being seated in comfortable seats (not crammed in like sardines) for trivia and game shows. There were multiple levels of seating, places for introverts, places for extroverts and a bar with friendly helpful servers. Don't get me wrong, I love Royal Caribbean's Schooner Bar; but, The Club venue onboard the Edge class ships was thoughtfully planned for ALL to enjoy!

ARTWORK: Granted, some of it could be called "weird" but there were SO MANY great art pieces to enjoy...like a floating museum. And, again, something for everyone.

08/08/2026

So excited about this!!

🏁🚨 BIG NEWS: Magical Vacation Planner Is Joining Chase Briscoe Racing!

Magical Vacation Planner is officially heading to the dirt track!

Chase Briscoe Racing has reached an agreement to acquire Brent Marks Racing, establishing CBR as a full-time High Limit Racing team, with Magical Vacation Planner joining as the team’s first new sponsor. Brent Marks will remain the primary driver and will also serve as general manager.

For NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe, this move brings him back to where his racing journey began. Sprint car racing has been part of the Briscoe family for three generations and 50 years, and this acquisition gives him a full-time presence on the national sprint car racing stage.

🏁 What’s next?

Chase Briscoe Racing will compete nationally with High Limit Racing, with events streamed on FloRacing and select races available across FS1, Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel and Fubo.

We’re excited to be along for the ride and can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes us!

07/31/2026

POST CRUISE SURVEY:

Besides being generous with tips, there is another really important way you can show love and appreciation for the cruise ship crew members.

When you give them a “shout out” on the survey by name they are more likely to be promoted when they apply for their next desired position on board the ship.

I take a screenshot of their name badges and make notes for that photo so I can remember to be specific about what they did well.

07/31/2026

And just like that….its over.

Vivi said, “it feels like we experienced a months worth of relaxation in a handful of days”. Well said.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND: after spending nearly $100 to Uber from the airport to hotel near the ship, I opted to use Seattle Express to take us to the airport after the cruise. We paid $31.50 each and waited only 10 minutes after walking off the ship.

My favorite part about this was enjoying one last leisurely breakfast without watching the clock, needing to meet a shuttle at a particular time. Seattle express carries guests to the airport every 30 minutes.

07/31/2026

ADORABLE: on many of the Celebrity ships, in the French restaurant, is an immersive experience called La Petite Chef. You are seated at a table that is solid white with plates before you, also completely white, and the lights are dimmed. Suddenly a tiny man begins running through farmland that is projected onto your table and this tiny animated man collects all of the necessary ingredients for your first course. I don’t want to spoil it, but some hilarious things happen along the way and the exact moment the tiny man is finished assembling all the ingredients for your meal the wait stuff places the plate on your table as if the meal actually came to life!

This continues until all four courses are enjoyed. And, in our case, there was someone enjoying a birthday in the restaurant and the little chef appeared on our table with fireworks to celebrate the birthday guest.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

07/28/2026

Layers Layers Layers… this is the most important thing when packing for Alaska. In Ketchikan we were wearing a base layer of fleece lined leggings and long sleeve top and a sweater and jeans over that.  we finished off these layers with a raincoat and we were glad we had it. So much easier to pull a raincoat hood over your head then pull out an umbrella.

Today, in Skagway, we could have worn sleeveless and Capri pants. So, having a backpack with room to stuff the outer layers is also key.

PS. So far I am “winning” with my carry on only packing of layers and 3 pairs of shoes.

07/27/2026

It’s the little things that sets a modern luxury ship apart. It’s 6 AM and we are headed into the Endicott arm fjord to see the Dawes glacier.

In addition to towels being stacked up and offered without needing to check them out using your room key, there are snuggly blankets available.

Our morning will be spent in awe of the untouched wilderness and giant chunks of ice in the water that have colors we cannot name.