84. Discover Which Cruise Line Fits Your Luxury Travel Style (Wave Season Travel Tips)

Get ready to score the best luxury travel deals during wave season! In this episode, you'll discover which cruise lines match your personal style and narrow down your options. And, if you think you're not a cruiser, you just might be surprised...I cover some cruise lines and experiences that you've probably never heard of!

Connect with Michele on IG: @jetsettingwithmichele or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/MMTinsiders

Contact Michele to plan your next vacation: www.makinmemoriestravel.co/contact

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

Hello, jetsetters. Welcome to a series on how you can get ready or really how we can get ready together for the upcoming wave season. Now you've heard me mention wave season before. I often refer to it as the Black Friday for travel, basically for 8 weeks starting right now. Wave season used to start in January and was for cruises to try and fill as many berths as possible in the beginning of the year. But just like Black Friday actually started a full 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and just isn't for retail anymore because, you know, we have Amazon and Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday, wave season seemingly started with Black Friday when Black Friday actually started and is including all travel, not just cruises. Everyone is competing for your travel time experiences and, yes, your treasure. So let's get started prepping you to get the most out of wave season.

And first, let's figure out what kind of cruise traveler you are. Now before you tell me, I feel it, You're saying it in your head right now that you aren't a cruiser. Stay with me and take this fun little 5 question quiz anyway. You might just find out that you're like Mikey and life serial and with the right crews on your calendar in 2025 that you too could be shouting I like it from the top of your lungs. So let's choose the right size ship. Which sounds to you like a dreamier weekend? A bustling city street fair filled with craft vendors, music stages, food fans, and rides. If you're from Austin, not quite ACL or Pecan Street Festival, but you get the drift. Or, again, if you're from Austin, a country drive to Fredericksburg with lunch, a little shopping, and enjoying the locals and the chess pie in a very quaint rural town.

You all get the picture, even if you're not from Austin. And if you're like me and they both sound fabulous, depending on if you're going with your plus one or your gaggle of friends, think of the one that you would choose to do 3 out of the 4 weekends in any given month. If you picked that street fair, consider an ocean going vessel. Take for example Virgin Voyages with its always going live DJ playlists, the all included specialty dining and longer times overnights in port cities that have a bustling nightlife like Ibiza and Mykonos not to mention Red Knight with its famous or should I say infamous, pool party? I see you red dressed in the pool. Oh, wait. That was me. No photographic evidence, though, because I was the only one there, So you'll just have to trust me on that. Or did you pick that country drive? You have river cruise written all over your vacation.

Imagine lying in bed with open patio doors of your Juliet balcony, watching the small villages as you float by them that look like they are steeped in a long time ago, where real castles, Christmas markets, and local talks featuring Austrian musicians, Regency era authors, or World War 2 historians come on board and share their knowledge with you? Those are real things that happen on a river cruise. And guess what? There's absolutely no seasickness to go with it cause you're on a river. Question 2, when scrolling through Instagram, what do you double tap? How boujee am I? I love the pics of the luxury cabins, the spas, the great food and beverage options, and a pool with a great view of the beach? Or do you love those adventure pics that show sledding, the northern lights, wildlife, like the penguins, polar bears, or eagles? Again, if your answer is both, you might be like me and have a healthy travel addiction. Let's chat. But if you picked your most extra AF self, we're talking mainstream cruise itinerary like Oceania. Great itineraries, longer cruises like the ones I've been lucky enough to do where we cruise the Mediterranean visiting places like Barcelona, known for its art and its architecture, Positano in Italy with its homemade gelato pasta and small store shopping that made my heart go pitter pat. I purchased the most beautiful scarf I own from Positano or wine tasting in Bordeaux, all a part of that same longer, slower travel on the Mediterranean with an ocean going vessel like Oceania. Or do you prefer those wildlife and northern lights pick? An expedition cruise might be for you.

Consider a seaborne expedition cruise where you don't just visit extraordinary places, you actually live them on purpose built expedition ships. They feature inclusive experiences at every stop, guided zodiac cruises, hikes, nature walks, plenty of deck space for that phenomenal wildlife viewing and photography, and included events like caviar on the ice and the polar plunge, which a friend just did last week and posted on her Instagram and added the caveat that you have to add it to your one and done bucket list. So obviously it's on my now. Question 3. Let's talk mental health. Now I've always been upfront about my mental health struggles and how travel, any travel is a solid treatment option. What about you? When you're craving a mental health boost, we all know the adage about putting your own oxygen mask on first. Do you picture yourself like the Braemans from parenthood on the patio with the family patriarch at the grill? Or do you dream of unleashing your inner Carrie Bradshaw? Or are you needing the ultimate me time like missus Harris goes to Paris? If you said braver men's style, a cruise like Disney that caters to the multi generational family with Broadway style entertainment, rotational dining, where you can all eat in the same restaurant every night of the cruise while trying all the different restaurant options, the best kids club at sea, where once you drop off your kids, it's hard to get them to come out and play with you.

Not to mention private island locations that have kids area, adults only areas with a barbecue or cabanas where your family of 10 can have beach access with butler service. Want to unleash your inner carry and or bring the big in your life or all your gal pals? I should say all of your pals. Luxury cruise liners don't have kids clubs and they scream adults only like the aforementioned Seabourn and Virgin Voyages, which is the first cruise line to demand that everyone be 18 or older by design. A good river cruise to the vineyards of France, a sea cloud itinerary from Venice, or a charter vessel in Croatia, those will also create memories in the places that you'll visit that are lifelong and almost a 100% kids free. Guess what? All of these different types of cruises and ships now cater to single travelers. Okay. Cater may be a bit much, but the days of the penalties for solo travel are gone. NCL just recently made a huge splash announcing that across their 19 ship fleet, they were adding over a 1000 new solo cabins.

All cruise lines also now have solo traveler meetups. I actually just had a solo traveler in her eighties go on a fall foliage cruise. It was on her bucket list. She was a first time cruiser, and I made sure that we booked her on a cruise line where she would be able to mix and mingle with people her own age. Now guess what? She can't wait to go again with the new friends that she met on board. Question 4. Hope you're still hanging in with me. It's only 5 questions.

Are you an all you can eat buffet or you can't ever eat enough to make that price fixed meal worth the money? Do you wanna explore the all you can eat options without tracking every penny with a beverage package to match? You need an all inclusive cruise price where you can order that specialty coffee in the morning without having to do the math before you've had your first sip. And if you prefer the only pay for what you consume, then a pay as you go option is more cost effective. And see my previous pod on can you make your Royal Caribbean cruise luxury if you need a better explanation of that concept. Okay. Last question. When you wake up in the morning, which would you prefer to see out your window? A beautiful sunrise view with your included room service delivery coffee and your perfectly toasted bagel with cream cheese, or are you not ever in your cabin? And what's a red hammock on my veranda anyway? Not in on the red hammock choke? You can splurge for a nicer cruise line and be happy in a more limited view cabin. Need to see that sunrise come up over the Sydney Opera House? True story, I did that. Book a lower price ship and splurge on your cabin type.

Now does all of this have you realizing that there are more cruise options than you even knew about? It's time to contact me. I have a secret superpower that is matching you to the best way to invest your hard earned vacation time to the best vacation product for you and your dreams, whether that be the ocean cruise, the river cruise, the world's best beach in Hawaii, my latest favorite place on earth, seeing Europe, or an all inclusive in the Dominican Republic. I have done them all, and I promise you that I can help you decide which one is gonna help you make the memories of your lifetime. Until next time. Safe travels, jet centers.