Nikki's Travel News - January 2026

Welcome back to my monthly blog post, where I share a little bit of travel and a little bit of life to give some insight to what it's like to be part of our agency!

Trips I've Been Planning

Obviously, every trip is important to us, as we love our clients and want them to have the best experience! But sometimes hearing what other people are doing provides great inspiration, and so I will try to do that in this section. 

This month, the cruise line I booked the most was Royal Caribbean, which isn't uncommon, and Princess was my second most booked cruise line.  But there was a variety this month with bookings for Celebrity, Carnival, Viking (ocean and river), Holland America, Norwegian, AmaWaterways, American Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Sandals, and Apple Vacations!  This month's most bookings were for 4-11 months out, although I also had 17 bookings for 2027 and one for 2028.  

The American Cruise Line booking was my first time booking this company, so it's been fun digging deeper into what they offer!  ACL is a luxury small ship cruise line that offers unique itineraries in the US.  This is the one my client booked for Alaska...

For more information about this specific cruise and the American Cruise Line, click HERE.  

Trips I Can't Stop Thinking About

Again, I love to travel (hence why I chose this profession), but sometimes there's a trip I plan that I have to add to my bucket list!  This month, I had some clients on the Pride of America sailing around the islands of Hawaii.  This is on my short list of cruises to do (and SOON!) as it's the perfect way to get a taste of Hawaii without having to keep packing and unpacking! 

You can learn more about the Pride of America and the current cruise itineraries available by checking out our website by clicking HERE. 

From My Travel Journal

January is our busiest month for booking vacations, so it's a very difficult time to travel.   Stay tuned, though, because we did use some of our spare time to work on our South America trip on Scenic this March!

Travel Updates You'll Want to Know 

This month, Oceania Cruise Line announced it will become adults-only! 

Royal Caribbean announced a new, smaller ship class that will debut in 2029. 

Life Lately

I am determined to be healthier in 2026!  I signed up for a gym membership and did the level where I can bring a friend.  That has been a big source of joy this month as I got to walk and talk with a couple of different friends.  I'm looking forward to this trend!

I also read the historical fiction book Jacqueline in Paris for a book club through our franchise network.  It was a fascinating part of Jackie Kennedy's life that I didn't know much about before. To read a summary or purchase your own book, check it out on Amazon.  

Will and I also started watching The West Wing (if you've seen it- no spoilers!), and so far we are really enjoying it, although it's weird to think that the first episode aired right before we were married! 

We also had a HUGE celebration while watching Indiana University win the College Football Championship (and the opposite reaction at the thought of the Patriots in the Super Bowl- YUCK!)

Stay warm until next time!

Nikki Gott