The Gilded Horizon

From the foggy mountains of Zagreb, with its strong Central European influences, to the sun-drenched terraces of Dubrovnik, every day in Croatia feels like walking through time.

Let’s be honest—packing for a luxury cruise can feel like prepping for a floating fashion show that also doubles as a beach resort, a five-star restaurant, and your grandmother’s living room. The good news? You don’t need to bring five pairs of heels or a suitcase full of “just in case” outfits.

Some places are simply meant to be explored by boat, where the journey is just as breathtaking as the destination itself. From the sun-drenched islands of the Mediterranean to the dramatic fjords of Norway, cruising allows you to effortlessly visit stunning ports, all while unpacking once and skipping the airport shuffle. Sunkissed Bliss Travel can guide you to the perfect cruise line, itinerary, and even the ideal stateroom for your needs.

If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a travel insider, here’s your moment: let’s talk about Wave Season.

It sounds like something surfers dream about, but in the travel world, it’s all about scoring the best deals on cruises and other vacations. Think of it as the Black Friday of travel, only longer, calmer, and way more fun.

At the end of last month, I accepted an invitation to experience a day aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Famous for being the largest cruise ship in the world, Icon can carry over 5,500 passengers, it’s nearly 1,200 feet long, 159 feet wide, and it debuted the Ultimate Family Townhouse Suite, a 3-story suite that sleeps up to 8 and includes state-of-the-art interactive features. Icon sails out of Miami on 7-night sailings alternating between an itinerary with stops in Honduras, Mexico, and another itinerary with stops in St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Thomas. Both itineraries spend a day at CoCoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.

From the moment I started designing travel, I knew that I wanted to try Virgin Voyages. They are racking up awards left and right, shaking up the cruise industry, and I kept hearing that they are unlike any other cruise line on the market.

So when three of my girlfriends expressed the desire to take a trip together, it wasn’t hard to convince them to try a Virgin Voyages sailing with me. We sailed out of Miami on the Scarlet Lady and went to Key West and Bimini, The Bahamas. Here are some of things that set Virgin apart from the pack, or should I say fleet?

Spring Break sneaks up on families quickly. While you’re laser-focused on holiday festivities, managing children who are off their routines, and (hopefully) enjoying a few days off work, everyone gets to January and naturally looks ahead to what the new year has in store for them. Travel plans float into your mind and you ask yourself, “When is the next school break? Let’s go somewhere.” And bam! You realize that you have 8 to 10 weeks to research, plan, and book a family vacation during a peak time for travel.

This phenomenon is called “wave season” in travel. In short, you are not alone. Millions of other people (with and without children) around the world turn over the calendar page to the new year and are ready to plan their vacations for the year within the first quarter. Sunkissed Bliss Travel is here to help you plan your trip no matter when it is, but we have some tricks up our sleeve for planning spring break on a tight timeline. We’ve got the industry knowledge and insider perks to turn your “let’s take a break” vacation into an unforgettable experience that will leave lasting memories for you and your family. Whether you want to get away for the entire week or a few nights, we can help. Here are some of our favorite spring break destinations for families.

River Cruising is fast becoming one of the most popular ways to experience Europe, and more recently Asia, Africa, and South America. Commonly stereotyped as a vacation for retirees, river cruises are for people of all ages. Sure, there are specific cruise lines that cater to the baby boomers, but when you work with Sunkissed Bliss Travel, we can point you in the right direction based on your preferences. There are even options for river cruising with kids. Here are some benefits to river cruising: