Lacey Pfalz travel tips

Adventures by Disney and National Geographic Expeditions provided an update on the two tour brands this fall, showcasing some of their most popular trips and providing an insight into their new offerings. 

Universal Studios Hollywood’s seasonal Christmas and winter holiday favorites, “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” and “Grinchmas,” are beginning November 24, 2023 and will continue through January 1, 2024, with holiday activities included in the price of theme park admission during this period. 

A new trends report by Hilton predicts that the main driver for travelers of all generations to enjoy leisure trips in 2024 will be a desire to rest and relax. 

AmaWaterways is offering a new selection of combination cruises in Europe for 2025, which connects two popular 7-night cruises along two different rivers to provide travelers with an extended cruise experience. 

Riviera River Cruises is offering a $500 per person discount on a selection of European river cruise departures in April and May of 2024 for those who book by October 31, 2023.

Rivers have long been the lifeblood of civilizations’ past and present, and today, travelers can visit some of the bastions of history and local heritage on a river cruise with AmaWaterways. 

The AHLA Foundation, run by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), announced a new ForWard initiative to support women in hospitality, especially in leadership positions. 

Fans of the Netflix series ‘Emily in Paris’ can now indulge their love for the show and explore Paris for the first time with a partnership between Paramount Global and DHARMA, a travel startup offering trips hosted by iconic people and brands. 

Explora Journeys has ordered two new hydrogen-powered ships from the Italian shipbuilding company, Fincantieri, expected to debut in 2027 and 2028 as the last in the six-ship fleet. 

Intrepid Travel, the certified B-Corp and carbon neutral tour operator, is now offering carbon labeling on over 500 itineraries, including its most popular trips, to offer greater transparency in how a trip impacts the Earth. 

Brightline and Mears Transportation announced a partnership that will provide transportation between the Brightline Orlando Station with popular destinations such as Walt Disney World Resorts. 

Job openings for the leisure and hospitality segment of the U.S. economy remain disproportionately high compared to other industries, which could slow the travel industry’s growth as the country considers its future following its post-pandemic recovery period.

Young traveler tour operator Contiki is offering new trips to Europe in 2024 for travelers ages 18 to 35 years of age. 

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Hotelbeds shared insights at an event called “Global Trends in the Tourism Sector,” in the growing Spanish destination of Palma de Mallorca. 

Journaling is known to reduce stress, enhance a sense of clarity and personal growth and is a great way to catalog your thoughts, moods and memories in a system that you can review again and again throughout your lifetime. 

Air Canada is expanding its international flying schedule for the summer of 2024, especially to destinations across Europe, including a new year-round route between Montreal and Madrid. 

Disney Cruise Line has unveiled the first renderings and information about the new Disney Treasure cruise ship, which is expected to debut in December 2024 as the second in the line’s new Wish-class ships. 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expanding its TSA PreCheck expedited screening program to add four new airlines to its list of participating domestic and international carriers. The four new airlines are Cayman Airways, French bee, Titan Airways and Zipair. There are currently 90 TSA PreCheck air carriers. The PreCheck system is a way for travelers to expedite their security screenings. The majority of PreCheck passengers wait less than ten minutes at airport security checkpoints around the world. These passengers also don’t have to take anything out of their bags as they go through security and are not required to take off their shoes, jackets or other items. Travelers are eligible to apply for the program if they are U.S. citizens, nations or lawful permanent residents. They have to enroll at tsa.gov/precheck, complete the online application, then schedule a ten-minute in-person appointment. Travelers, once approved, receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) that allows them to use TSA PreCheck lanes. Most often receive their KTN within three to five days. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the United States named its acting head of aviation safety, David Boulter, as the permanent head of aviation safety as the administration puts more focus on investigating the recent near-misses and other safety concerns the industry has seen. 

Paul Gauguin Cruises, the luxury cruise line specializing in French Polynesia and the South Pacific, is launching three new itineraries as part of its Boutique Crossing Collection for 2025, focusing on transits between Fiji, Bali, Singapore and Australia. 

When traveling to Tobago, you’ll find that the Caribbean ocean and the balmy tropical temperatures aren’t the only warm things on the island: the people are, too!