Nikki's News- March 2026
Nikki's Travel News - March 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! On a side note, I wrote this all out and somehow didn't save it, so some of my news/life updates may be spoilers of things that actually happened in April!
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, things started to slow down, which is normal as spring starts and several clients are traveling with spring break trips. My overall top supplier was Royal Caribbean, with Princess in second, but I also booked Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, and Celebrity. The bookings were pretty much even between the rest of 2026 and 2027, with one booking for 2028.
I'm pretty excited for my Virgin Voyages client. Next February, all four Virgin ships will meet up in the Caribbean, with founder Richard Branson making an appearance on all four ships. What a cool experience!
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!
In March, we had several clients take transatlantic sailings from the US to Europe. As the winter season ends, many cruise lines move their ships from the Caribbean to Alaska and Europe for the summer, which creates some different itineraries.
Some day I would love to try this out- what could be better? Lots of sea days with the perfect combination of relaxing and fun, with all my meals taken care of and loads of entertainment in the evenings! Sign me up!
Here's an example of an itinerary on the Harmony of the Seas...
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16-Night Transatlantic - Eastbound (Galveston to Barcelona)
Harmony of the Seas - 03/16/2026
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From My Travel Journal
I've been teasing for a couple of months about our March adventure, and it finally came! We flew to Buenos Aires and took a 7-night cruise, ending in Rio de Janeiro on the amazing Scenic Eclipse.
First, let's talk about the destination. We flew in a few days early since sometimes with the longer international flights, there can be issues with connections. And we are so glad we did! Quite a few people in our group experienced delays and couldn't arrive until a day later than they had planned, and one couple missed the trip completely. A large storm had flights all over the country delayed or cancelled, and with limited flights from the US to South America each day, it created some problems.
Will and I stayed at the Intercontinental and loved it. It was in a great location, easy to walk to different places, had a shuttle that would take you to restaurants for dinner, and spacious rooms. On our first day, we took the Hop On Hop Off bus to get an overview of the city (we love doing this in cities we visit for the first time!)
To see more details about this amazing hotel, click HERE.
Over the next few days, we worked at the hotel during the day and then explored the city at lunchtime and in the evening. We ate at two unique steakhouses and loved them both for different reasons. We had heard the warnings before coming, but generally felt as safe as we do in other large cities such as New York or Chicago. You could see the Spanish and especially Italian (which surprised us!) influences. The architecture was a neat blend of old and new. And I had songs from Evita playing through my head the whole time!
Check out ALL our pictures while we were in Buenos Aires, check out our picture repository at https://magnifiedvacations.smugmug.com/Buenos-Aires-2026
Once on board the cruise, we enjoyed several ports in Uruguay and Brazil. First up was Montevideo, where we visited Estancia La Rabida, a family-owned ranch. Though I had to be careful with my asthma (lots of hay, which can send me to the hospital in a flash), we really enjoyed learning about their life and work. They also prepared a delicious lunch for us!
The next day, we were in Punta del Este, a resort city that actually reminded us of Miami. While in port this day, we took a tour of Casa Pueblo, a building constructed by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro, and felt very much like being in Santorini with its white and blue coloring.
After a couple of sea days to enjoy the ship, our next stop was Porto Belo, Brazil, where we drove to Camboriu and rode a cable car to see the amazing views. This was followed by some time at the beach, where we could also grab some lunch.
The next day, we were in Ilhabela, where Will and I chose to go snorkeling. We saw quite a few fish, but the real highlight was our guide! She made that area of the world come to life for us! The next day, we were in Paraty, and Will and I took a boat tour of the Mamangua Fjord- the world's only tropical fjord! We saw a sea turtle, and had some beach/snorkeling stops where we saw tons of starfish.
We disembarked in Rio de Janeiro, where we took a private tour with some friends of ours. While we didn't go to Christ the Redeemer (our friends had been there and told us it's crazy packed and HOT!) we did experience Sugar Loaf Mountain. After that came my highlight- eating at a Brazilian steakhouse right off of Copacabana Beach! We then walked over and went through part of the Copacabana Palace Hotel- owned by Louis Vuitton. We then had some shopping time before being dropped off at the airport. We did feel that we needed to be more cautious in Rio, with warnings of not wearing expensive jewelry or watches, and to keep our phones put away. But overall, we enjoyed our time there a lot!
Now let's talk about our time on Scenic Eclipse- all I can say is WOW! From the moment we walked up and saw this luxury yacht, she took our breath away. Our stateroom was extremely spacious with nice touches like a walk-in closet, amazing bathroom, large balcony, and adjustable beds (haven't seen that on a cruise before!)
This ship was built for expedition and has two helicopters and a submersible onboard. Sadly, we weren't able to experience those on our cruise, but we did get a good tour of the helicopter and hangar. There's a spa onboard, and amenities such as the sauna, steam room, cold plunge pool, and geothermal chairs were included.
The meals were all delicious, and each person had the opportunity to eat at three specialty dining experiences (all included). Our favorite was The Night Market- 8 guests with an interactive meal inspired by night markets across the world. Ours was Asian themed, and my favorite meal onboard, which had a HIGH bar! I would LOVE to be back on this ship for an Antarctica cruise!
Check out ALL our pictures while we were in Buenos Aires, check out our picture repository at https://magnifiedvacations.smugmug.com/Scenic-Eclipse
Travel Updates You'll Want to Know
The new Norwegian Luna made her debut in the US! This ship is a sister ship of the Aqua and has "Elton: A Celebration of Elton John" as its headline show. The Luna will be doing 7-night Caribbean sailings out of Miami for the rest of this year.
Mexico implemented a nationwide ban on the import, sale, and marketing of vapes and e-cigarettes. The law applies at cruise ports and resorts. Travelers found in possession of these items while in Mexico may face confiscation, fines, or other penalties, even if the devices are for personal use.
Life Lately
I am still loving my treadmill walking times with my buddies!
Will and I are still working through episodes of The West Wing (if you've seen it- no spoilers!), and so far still loving it. We are up to season 5 now!
We had some fun watching the Big 10 do well in March Madness!
I found a GREAT website called www.tripfiction.com that gives you book ideas based on destinations. I've enjoyed a couple of recommendations from there with books about South America!
We are still loving our Hektor updates (our daughter's new dog). Here's some cuteness for you this month!
Thanks for reading, and have a great month!
Nikki Gott
