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Home / Travel TipsFrom the desk of Donnetta Byrd

Travel tips & inspiration

Notes, guides, and straight advice on the trips I plan most, train travel, river cruising, and ocean cruising. Pull up a chair.

The Canadian Rockies by train: what a week really looks likeThe train is two days of it. Here is how the rest of the week actually breaks up, day by day, from an advisor who has ridden it in both service levels.October 27, 2026 A British Isles trip by land and sea: pairing a cruise with time ashoreA British Isles cruise shows you the edges. The land days give you the middle. Here is how I pair the two, and the paperwork Americans now need.October 20, 2026 River cruise vs ocean cruise: which one is right for you?Size decides almost everything: where the ship ties up, what a day looks like, what the fare really covers. Here is how I match people to one or the other.October 13, 2026 Solo river cruise: what one person actually paysThe single supplement on a river cruise runs from nothing to double. Which lines have real single cabins, which waive it, and the catch with a waived supplement.October 3, 2026 Best Caribbean cruises for first timers, and how to chooseEastern, Western or Southern, which month, which ship, and where to sail from. I'm a travel advisor, and here's how I pick a first Caribbean cruise.September 29, 2026 Do I need a travel advisor to book a cruise?You can book a cruise yourself. Here's what actually changes when you use a travel advisor, what it costs you, and when you don't need one.September 22, 2026 Canyon Spirit train: who it's really forCanyon Spirit runs Denver to Moab and Salt Lake City by daylight. I'm a travel advisor who sells it, and here's what the trip is and who it suits.September 15, 2026 Which Alaska cruise line and ship is right for youShip size, Glacier Bay access, and Denali decide your Alaska cruise more than the brand does. I'm a travel advisor, and here's how I match people to ships.September 8, 2026 Christmas markets river cruise: is it too late to book?Is it too late to book a Christmas markets river cruise for 2026? I'm a travel advisor, and here's what's still open, what's already gone, and what it costs.September 1, 2026 Rainforest to Gold Rush ends after 2026Rocky Mountaineer retires the Rainforest to Gold Rush route after 2026. I'm a travel advisor, and here's why, plus what I'd book instead.August 27, 2026 Is a river cruise worth the money?I'm a travel advisor who sells river cruises. Here's what your fare actually covers, who it's worth it for, and who should skip it.August 25, 2026 Alaska cruise 2028: the best time to go and when to book your cabinI book Alaska cruises for a living. Here's the best month to sail in 2028, plus when to lock in your cabin before the good ones sell. Let's talk.August 18, 2026
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