I can’t believe it is 2021. We have had a great first year of podcasting. Before we look forward, I want to go over a few highlights from the year.
Travel Talk Episodes
In case you missed it, we had a fantastic first year on the Travel Talk Podcast. We started the year by talking about taking a milestone trip. We talked about ideas for parents and grandparents to celebrate special birthday or graduation milestones with their kids and grandkids by taking them on vacation.
Next, we interviewed one of our amazing MMPs, Jo Garrett. We talked all about traveling with food allergies in our Traveling With Food Allergies 101 Podcast. The most fun part is we recorded this podcast while onboard the Navigator of the Seas.
We also had a podcast about Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and talked all about this incredible land in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. There is lots of great information if you want to plan a trip to Galaxy’s Edge in 2021.
You may also want to revisit our podcast 5 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Vacation. We shared five tips to get the best value from your vacation. Listen for expert tips to get the best value for your vacation dollars.
Of course, we had a podcast on the reopening of Universal Studios Orlando. It was so much fun to be there the week they reopened and we came back with lots of great information to talk about.
When Disney reopened in July we couldn’t get the whole family down there, but I did get to go for One Magical Day at Magic Kingdom. I’ve always wanted to fly down with just a backpack and spend the day in Disney. It was a crazy day, but well worth it.
As things evolved in 2020, we have adapted and decided it was time to talk about Taking a Schoolcation. If you can work or school from home, you can do it from vacation destinations too!
We wrapped up 2020 by talking about some travel gift ideas for the holidays. But don’t worry if you didn’t give or get a 2021 vacation for the holidays, we can still make it happen. Maybe you can even get ahead of your shopping for the holidays next year with our 30 Days of Travel Ideas.
You can check out all our Travel Talk Podcast episodes here.
Travel Outlook for 2021
I can’t say I am sad to see 2020 go. What is our outlook for 2021? It is positive. I am excited to get into a new year and back to more traveling. There is a steady flow of people traveling to Orlando for Universal and Disney vacations. Although things look a little different, we are enjoying the magic and I am looking forward to making my third trip to Disney since the reopening in July.
All-Inclusive Vacations
There is growth in travel to Mexico and other Caribbean islands for all-inclusive vacations. We have one planned for 2021 and are super excited to get back out there. We saw many successful trips to Mexico and have great new videos on our YouTube channel with resort tours including several Palace Resorts in the Cancun area, Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, and Dreams Resorts.
Cruises
The cruise industry was one of the hardest hit in the travel sectors and we have exciting news. According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s “2021 State of the Cruise Industry 2021 Report”, as part of the phased reopening, there were 200 sailings from early July through mid-December 2020. “The success of these initial sailings demonstrates that the new protocols are working as designed.” They believe the industry is on a path to resumption in the United States and elsewhere in 2021. Some other interesting statistics that are very optimistic are that 74% of cruisers are likely to cruise in the next few years and 2 out of 3 cruisers are willing to cruise within a year.
There are many ships being built and they are cleaner and greener than ever. We expect 19 new ships in 2021 including the Carnival Mardi Gras and Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas. We are also very excited for Disney’s newest ship, The Wish, sailing in summer 2022. In 2019, the Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda itinerary was the most popular destination by far and that is very exciting for us because that is our expertise.
Milestone Trips
One of the many sad things about 2020 was the inability to celebrate some of the big milestones. Graduations, birthdays, anniversaries and honeymoons all looked a lot different. Well, now in 2021, you will be able to celebrate those milestones, and we are looking forward to helping. We can help you plan a belated honeymoon to the Caribbean, a family vacation to Disney, or celebrate a graduation at Universal. Want a more private vacation? Consider a private Adventures by Disney Trip.
The travel outlook for 2021 is looking bright. We wish you all a safe and happy 2021!
