Mountain City's Travel Blog

Marriott hotels and resorts are inviting you to escape and unwind in the Caribbean and Latin America through personalized treatments, healing rituals, therapies using natural ingredients, immersive sensory experiences, and holistic lifestyle activities that help you balance body, mind, and spirit. Reset, rejuvenate, and relax in coveted destinations, relying on modern wellness experts who also tap into local, regional and sometimes...

During the shortest days and longest nights of the year, ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn is shining a spotlight on ways it gives guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the primal allure of the night, as part of the growing ‘noctourism’ trend of exploring destinations after dark and connecting with destinations in new and meaningful ways. Select sailings feature experiences from...

Indonesia’s most storied island, Bali, has been a symbol of uniquely tropical Asian exotic culture, romance and adventure for centuries. A generation of backpackers and surfers brought Bali’s beaches to ever greater fame, but today, Bali’s being reborn as a bucket list travel destination that’s so much more than beach culture. Beaches: Surf, Serenity, and Sea TemplesEven Bali’s beaches are more...

You might say it’s a tale of two ships – all wrapped into one! Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours made waves recently with its announcement of its new class of Discovery Yacht. We’ve sailed aboard the existing Scenic Eclipse in both Antarctica and in the Med – literally ‘polar extremes’ in cruising! Here’s a tour of the ship from both cruising...

Scenic Group has announced the launch of Scenic Ikon, a new class of ‘Discovery Yachts’- and the opening of bookings at special pre-release pricing. Scenic Ikon joins the luxury cruise line’s ocean fleet – currently Scenic Eclipse I and II - in polar waters and its primary base of the Mediterranean, beginning in spring of 2028. Three years in development, Scenic Ikon...

New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel is one of just a handful of hotels around the globe that’s a household name synonymous with luxury, society and history. After closing in 2017, the legendary hotel has resumed its place at the apex of New York and global hospitality following a transformational restoration of ballrooms, suites, dining venues and more. The Waldorf Astoria, named...

The hotels for the hip are joining the all-inclusive trend. W Hotels, known for avant-garde design, luxurious amenities, music, fashion, and art scenes that create buzzy social hubs for creatives and stylish professionals, is bringing its "Whatever/Whenever" service, distinctive local programming and iconic bars and restaurants to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in its first all-inclusive location. W Hotels is just the...

They say ’50 is the new 30!’ And now there’s a new brand of travel experiences - designed just for this new generation of travelers - with maturity, busy lives, high expectations, established tastes and as active as ever. Upscale guided travel company Tauck is tapping into the energy of travelers in their 40s and 50s looking for flexibility, soft...

Private, after-hours Scenic Enrich cultural events, just for guests of Scenic ocean and river cruises, take a luxury voyage to next-level privilege. Here are my experiences of three Scenic Enrich events from recent ocean and river journeys. By: Lynn Elmhirst, cruise/ travel journalist and expert. Travel in any way makes us feel special and takes us out of our ordinary lives. A...

Foodies take note! The Riverside Mozart has broken the mould when it comes to river cruise dining! It has more restaurants than I've ever seen on a river cruise ship. And that's a game changer for the gastronomically minded, who believe that when it comes to cruise ship dining, variety truly is the spice of life. I'm often asked about dining...

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has revealed the Skyview Regent Suite on the upcoming Seven Seas Prestige… and it’s the biggest – and the priciest – suite in cruise ship history! Fares for the nearly 8,800-square-foot, 2-level suite start at (!) $25,000 – per night! Regent welcomes the 822-guest Seven Seas Prestige in late 2026. The new ship marks the ultra-luxury, all-inclusive...

Competition between airlines is heating up, and a U.S.-based airline is the latest to up the ante to attract guests, especially to its premium cabins. We’ve heard lots about lavish life in the skies on some Asian and Middle Eastern airlines – now, United Airlines is giving the famously luxe airlines a taste of their own medicine. Well, a taste of...

On August 12, 2026, we are in for a rare and remarkable celestial event – a total solar eclipse - and a cruise may be the best place for you to experience it. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe this millennium!  When you combine an extraordinary natural spectacle that may be best viewed at sea,...

Four Seasons Yachts is set to debut in January 2026, and when its first small-ship, ultra-luxury vessel takes to the seas, it will be helmed by a very familiar figure. One might even say, a “Celebrity.” Captain Kate McCue has moved from Celebrity Cruises to the new cruise line. Even cruise aficionados who have never sailed on Celebrity have likely heard...

It’s been a hundred years since the masterworks of American literary luminaries living in France in the roaring 20s epitomized and inspired the modern era of American travel to Europe. Between F. Scott Fitzgerald and close friend Ernest Hemingway and others, we have a treasure trove of accounts of the glamour and allure of life after WW1 in Europe, including...

From Hawaii to Sicily, and now to Thailand, the hit HBO dramatic series The White Lotus has captivated viewers and inspired travelers with its double appeal of intrigue in luxury hotels and their location in exotic destinations. Season 3 shines a spotlight on the Thai destinations of Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok as the exotic backdrops of the intrigues of this...

What’s better than a mid-winter getaway? The chance to test-drive a new resort before any of your friends, or try a new, tropical destination. Ask us about your best options for escaping to any of these three new resorts, in three favorite Caribbean locales - with three very different beach vacation styles! And the best part? All three belong to resort...

It's the first time ever that a cruise ship has navigated the frozen St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada - in the WINTER! Carving new horizons for small-ship, luxury expedition cruising even more than Antarctic and Arctic cruises, which are held during the summer months. CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Ponant's CEO Herve Gastinel, on board Ponant's...

There’s magic in the word ‘Tahiti.’ It conjures up visions of the ultimate tropical escape and sailing serenely through pristine, jewel-toned waters that kiss the undeveloped, palm-lined shores and reflect dramatic peaks. Part of one of the most remote and romanticized regions of the world, the mere mention of Tahiti evokes fantasies of cruising through an exotic paradise – isolated...

Travelers are looking for more than sun and sand from their all-inclusive vacations – and Sandals and Beaches Resorts has its finger on the pulse of your island holiday fantasies. Their parent company, Sandals Resorts International, has revealed the most in-demand practices and innovations that are transforming Caribbean vacations – and where they’re already being implemented in resorts you can...