Lisa Cazes, Key to the World Travel

06/02/2026

I recently gave an interview about my Mediterranean cruise. I had a great time talking with Jaime. Have a listen 😍

Podcast Episode · Travel Adventures with Jaime · June 2 · 1h 35m

05/25/2026

Will you catch me up in the North Star, 300 feet above sea level? Absolutely not! Will I book a cruise on a Quantum class Royal Caribbean ship so that you can do it? Absolutely yes!

05/19/2026

These photos are gorgeous and make me want to cruise to Alaska ASAP!! Thank you Maya for choosing me to help plan your vacation ❤️

05/17/2026

A roller coaster on a cruise ship???

05/14/2026

My final post from our Mediterranean vacation ✈️🌍:

Our flight home left around 7 AM, and by the time we walked through our front door at 9:45 PM EST, we had been up for over 24 hours 😅 I had also picked up a head cold on our Mykonos day, so I wasn’t feeling my best—but honestly? I wouldn’t change a single thing.

We came home with over 1,000 photos… but it’s the little moments in between those pictures that I’ll remember the most ❤️

Rich and I both agreed that Princess Cruises is absolutely our vibe. It does tend to skew a bit older, and we were definitely on the younger side—but we’re old souls, so it worked perfectly for us. The Sun Princess is a beautiful ship—bright, thoughtfully designed, and never felt overcrowded. Even on sea days, we could always find a quiet spot to relax.

One of my favorite details? Every bar had its own unique theme and signature drinks, which made each one feel like a totally different experience. It’s those little touches that really stood out.

But more than anything—TAKE THE TRIP!

This had been a bucket list vacation for years. Yes, we splurged—but there are absolutely ways to do a trip like this on a more modest budget and still have an incredible experience.

Getting to do this with my parents made it even more meaningful. These are memories I will hold onto for the rest of my life, and it’s honestly hard to put into words just how much this trip meant to me.

If you’ve been dreaming about your own bucket list vacation—this is your sign 💫

I’d love to help you make it happen. Whether you’re just starting to think about it or ready to start planning, I’m here for you every step of the way.

📩 Comment below, send me a DM, or email me at [email protected]
Let’s create something unforgettable for you and the people you love ❤️

05/12/2026

Continuing my trip report—today was disembarkation in Athens 🇬🇷:

This was hands down the smoothest and quickest disembarkation I’ve ever experienced. We packed up, headed to the Eatery for breakfast, and took our time since our transfer wasn’t scheduled until 9:30. When it was time, we literally just… walked off the ship. No crowds, no delays, no issues with security or customs—so easy!

Our driver had a bit of a mix-up and went to the wrong port at first, but we quickly sorted it out. Once we were on our way, he made up for it by being super chatty and even giving us a bit of an impromptu tour on the drive to our hotel.

We stayed one night at Monastik Living in Athina. I had booked a two-bedroom suite, which ended up being two separate suites that could be closed off from the rest of the floor—perfect for giving us our own space while still being connected. The rooms were spacious and really comfortable.
Our room was ready when we arrived around 11 AM, but my parents’ room wasn’t quite ready yet. So we dropped everything in our suite and headed out for lunch. There was even less English spoken here, but we made it work—and the food was amazing. I had one of the best Greek salads of the trip… topped with an entire block of feta cheese!

Once we got back, my parents’ room was ready, so we all settled in before heading out again to meet our driver, Christiano, for our Best of Athens Half-Day Private Tour (booked through Viator).

This was exactly what we needed on day 10—someone else doing the driving while we soaked it all in. And we got incredibly lucky: April 18th was World Heritage Day, so admission to the sites was free!

We started at the Acropolis… and wow, just wow. The site itself is incredible, and the views are absolutely breathtaking. Fun fact: construction in Athens is heavily regulated to preserve unobstructed views of the Acropolis.

From there, we visited the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium, the Academy of Athens, the Roman Agora, the Ancient Agora of Athens, and even caught the Changing of the Guards at the Hellenic Parliament.

We packed a lot into a short amount of time, and the weather could not have been more perfect. It truly felt like the perfect way to wrap up such an unforgettable trip.

Tomorrow… back to reality ✈️

05/10/2026

Continuing my trip report—our next port stop was Mykonos 🇬🇷:

There was actually a chance we weren’t going to make it into port at all due to the wind. Our tour guide later mentioned multiple times how impressive it was that the captain was able to dock the ship in sustained 45 mph winds, with gusts up to 60 mph—pretty incredible!

For this stop, I booked a half-day tour through Shore Excursions Group: Exclusive Mykonos Old and New. Our guide, Amy, ended up being our second favorite of the entire trip. She was born and raised on Mykonos and had such a deep knowledge and love for her home—it really came through in everything she shared.

The tour started with a bus ride around much of the island. Our first stop was a local café, where we were treated to loukomades (Greek donuts) and frappé—Amy said it’s tradition to welcome visitors with something sweet, which I fully support! 😄

Next, we visited the beautiful Monastery of Panagia Tourliani, known as the protector of the island—absolutely stunning inside. We also made a quick stop for photos at the beach (even though it definitely wasn’t beach weather!).

From there, we were dropped off in Mykonos Town, where we learned about the iconic Mykonos Windmills, strolled past Little Venice, and saw the Old Port. After some free time to explore and have our first gyro, we made the call to head back early—the ship wasn’t leaving until 8 PM, but between the chilly temps and the intense wind, we were ready to warm up!

We took the Sea Bus back to the dock, which was quick and easy.

I would absolutely love to come back to Mykonos when it’s sunny, warm, and a little less… windy 😅 Who’s coming with me? ✈️🌊

05/10/2026

To all the moms ❤️

05/08/2026

Continuing my trip report—our next port stop was Kuşadası, Türkiye 🇹🇷:

For this stop, I booked a tour through Shore Excursions Group: Overview of Ephesus and Temple of Artemis Remains.

This was scheduled as a 4-hour half-day tour… but ended up being closer to 6.5 hours. 😅 I appreciated that our guide, Arif, wanted to make the most of our time, but it definitely turned into another long day.

Unfortunately, my mom wasn’t feeling well that morning and decided to stay back and rest. In hindsight, it was probably for the best—this was easily the most challenging terrain we encountered on the trip, with uneven, slippery, and inclined paths throughout.

Arif was a good guide, but he also didn’t use a headset, which made it difficult at times to catch everything he was sharing. Luckily, our group was small (just 9 people), so we managed.

That said—Ephesus was absolutely incredible. Another standout archaeological site. And the moment when the Library of Celsus came into view at the end of the street… just wow. One of those sights that really sticks with you.

After Ephesus, we stopped at a local weaving village. I had read ahead of time that this part of the tour could be a bit sales-heavy, and while there wasn’t really a way to skip it, it actually ended up being really interesting. Even better—they weren’t overly pushy about selling rugs (although someone in our group came very close to spending $3,000 before Arif stepped in just in time 😄).

Our final stop was a Turkish Delight factory, where we sampled what felt like every flavor imaginable—seriously, there had to be dozens! I think most of us walked away with at least a few boxes to bring home. Rich and I loved them… our kids, not so much 😂

Have you ever tried Turkish Delight? What’s your favorite flavor?