Suite-like comforts and wild settings: These well-appointed tents call campers of all adventure levels to lace up boots in the great outdoors.

Nature, a safe and socially distant refuge, has been the balm of the pandemic. Instagram accounts once devoted to rooftop cocktails and luxury suites went full Sierra Club, with images of people-less sunsets, uncrowded hiking trails, and wildflower-filled plains. But for those who feel sleeping on hard ground and rustling up campfire fare isn’t quite “vacation,” outdoors-focused resorts with tented camp and glamping options step in to remove the discomforts and handle the chores, freeing guests to revel in the splendor of nature.
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As the following places illustrate, opportunities come in a variety of climates and cultures – from the African bush to the Australian Outback, tropical beaches to temperate rain forests, desert canyons to snowcapped peaks – collectively linked by love of the land.

You’ve made it to the ship, through the check in process, and are on board.  It’s somewhat like a hotel, but it moves. What can you expect in this new, yet vaguely familiar, environment? What’s expected of you?

1. Lifeboat Drill (or muster) is a mandatory participation event. On occasion I’ve seen nice couples looking over the rail at those of us dutifully wrapped in our orange jackets. Chuckling to themselves, they’re oblivious to the fact that they are breaking the strict policy of proper adherence to the Mandatory Coast Guard Lifeboat Drill. Many lines actually check ​

Like a baby’s tentative first step and a teenager’s first real kiss, every passenger embarks on a first cruise at least once.  For smooth sailing, these tips can help make your initial embarkation and first evening on board just a little more comfortable.

DO
1.  Bring along some single dollar bills for the luggage handlers at the pier. Of course that is if you’re planning to see the luggage again. They are not cruise line employees but members of the stevedores union.

Have you heard the good news?  Two days ago, on May 25th, President Biden signed the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, legislation that sets the stage for large ships to cruise in Alaska this Summer.  
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To board, all passengers over the age of 16 will be required to show proof that they have been vaccinated 14 days ahead of the cruise's start date. Starting August 1st, every passenger over age 12 will be required to be fully vaccinated to board.  

Europe is opening to US travelers this Summer.  I thought I'd share some common fears I hear from clients who haven't been there before.   
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If I had a dollar for every time a client has asked me if people in Paris really hate Americans, or stated that they might be interested in seeing Europe, but they are afraid they won’t be able to get around since they only speak English, or are afraid of the Euro, or think too many people smoke, or worry that they won’t be able to find any food that they like, etc…I would be long retired in an oceanfront villa on Maui by now, sipping Mai Tais and perfecting my tan. 

• Passport offices across the country are getting backlogged—it’s time to renew now! 
With travel sales surging that means passports are getting backlogged.  If you are thinking about traveling in the next year internationally, make sure to get the passport renewal process started early to avoid travel delay.  
 
If your passport will expire 6 months or less before the end of your return travel date, you need to renew it before you travel.  
 
Renew Now
 
If you don’t have a passport, here is a guide on how to apply
 
A Guide to applying for your passport

In this age of information overload (a Google search of “Where should I stay on Maui?” returns 7.7 million results) and pandemic-related uncertainty, I believe travelers can benefit from personalized vacation-planning help now more than ever. There are thousands of travel advisors around the world (including 22,000 Virtuoso travel advisors in 50 countries, to be exact) who are ready to help make travel dreams come true. Despite what you may have heard, travel advisors aren’t a vanishing breed; they aren’t trying to upsell you; and – trust me – no matter how well traveled you are, Virtuoso travel advisors have way more connections than you do. I’ve uncovered eight of the most common myths about travel advisors, and I’m here to debunk them, once and for all....

Myth #1: A travel advisor is just a fancy name for a travel agent:

Think of travel advisors like financial advisors: They’re trusted, knowledgeable sources who help shape and support big decisions in your life. Travel is an investment, and it can yield an incredible return on life. Deciding where and how to go shouldn’t be taken lightly, whether that’s a years-in-the-making Italian sojourn, a bucket-list world cruise, or a spring break safari with your family. Travel agents can be merely transactional – they’ll book plane tickets and finalize hotel reservations – but travel advisors are transformational. They make it their business to get to know you, and they'll work with you again and again on your travel plans, learning everything from your favorite spa treatment to the go-to bottle of wine you like to have waiting in your hotel room.