It was a Latin-style celebration in Miami last week, as travel partners, travel press and the greater Norwegian Cruise Line family—including Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. president and CEO Harry Sommer, NCL CEO David Herrera and new SVP of North America Sales John Chernesky, who joined the team in April—gathered for the official christening of Norwegian Viva.

With more than 15 million people expected to descend on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games, tickets—and hotel rooms—will be tighter than ever. To help travel advisors put together amazing packages, luxury villa company Rental Escapes is offering up packages that include beautiful private accommodations and tickets to the games.

The Rental Escapes collection in France includes:

Pompidou, a 19th-century building built by Gustav Eiffel that has been transformed into a loft with two lounge areas, four bedrooms and a kitchen with a mobile island.

St Didier, a two-bedroom duplex apartment with views of the Eiffel Tower, a library and a luxurious living room with lots of natural light in the 16th district.

Villa BB, in an exclusive residential area of Saint Tropez, a new five-bedroom villa with a private terrace and balconies that accommodates up to 10.

Bastide Des Chenes in Provence, a 17-acre farm with a main house and an attached farmhouse.

Fleurs De Provence in Avignon, a private estate with fruit trees, fountains and streams that can accommodate up to 24 people, with a heated swimming pool, a well-equipped gym and fitness room, a tennis court and plenty of outdoor seating.

Rental Escapes’ concierge service can help arrange a private chef or massage, exclusive tours or special amenities. And for the Olympics, they can provide tickets and transportation, as well as unique experiences like sitting with an expert or an athlete.

As always, Rental Escapes will pay a 10% commission and one reward point for every $1 travel advisors book. And under a Thanksgiving promotion announced this week, advisors who book a client in November for travel before 12/31/2024 will earn a bonus commission via Amazon gift cards valued at up to $5,000.

“Attending the Olympics is a bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the dedicated support Rental Escapes provides will ensure a vacation surpassing those in dreams,” said CEO Brian Schwimmer, co-founder of the Montreal-based company. But, he cautioned, “we encourage travelers to plan well in advance and begin booking now.”

It’s been a good year for Amtrak, or anyone who likes rail travel and would like to see the U.S. gain a little on Europe, Japan and China with their futuristic (to us) high-speed trains. We could be looking at the dawn of a new Golden Age of Rail Travel.

If you have ridden trains in any of those countries with advanced systems, you have an idea of how good they can get. America’s trains have lagged behind, but things are changing. If you haven’t ridden a train in the US for a while, it’s worthy of consideration. It’s a great way to travel Read the rest of this entry »

For travelers who daydream of wandering through streets filled with art, beauty and indulging in delicious Italian cuisine, Florence is a top destination to consider.

As you stroll through the charming city of Florence, you may feel like you have been transported back in time to the Renaissance era, and it is no wonder why it was the birthplace of the Renaissance. The city, nicknamed “the jewel of the Renaissance,” is located in central Italy and attracts millions of visitors each year.

Alaska has become a bucket list destination for many travelers, and the reasons why are pretty clear. The 49^th state is home to awe-inspiring natural beauty, flora and fauna, the northern lights, a rich culture and history, and welcoming locals. With 39 mountain ranges, millions of lakes, and a surface area of nearly 600,000 miles, there’s much to see when you head “North to the Future,” per Alaska’s state motto.

I recently saw a post on Facebook that pointed out 1970 is as far from 2022 as it was from 1918. For those of us who were around in 1970, that mathematical exercise is a pretty good way to estimate the vast scale of change that we are now swept up in. Most of it is still incomprehensible, or invisible to us. It’s easy enough to see the changes of the early 20th century because we have historical perspective. It’s not so easy to make sense of what we are currently immersed in. Given that the pace of change has accelerated, we have to presume that the change in the last 50 years is even greater than in the 50 years before that. It gives us plenty of room to imagine how much change has taken place around us that we cannot yet perceive. Read the rest of this entry »