The Countries, Hotels, and Cruises I Booked The Most in 2024
My 2024 Recap
In 2024, I sent travelers to 27 countries! And 12 states!
While eldercare kept me mostly stateside, in 2024, I visited the Netherlands and Belgium with AmaWaterways in March, Mexico for my big milestone birthday in April, and Germany and Austria with my partner Pure Germany in November. Honestly, it’s always stressful to go away. I have to worry about my elderly mom and whether she’ll be taken care of while I’m gone or if something will happen. But it’s always so good to leave the country and get a break from my routine.
Just like we need to recharge our phones, we also need to recharge ourselves.
Travel is an investment in our mental and emotional well-being. It has been my absolute honor to help clients travel to so many places in 2024 and get that break we all deserve.
France was my top seller in 2024
Top 10 Countries Booked (ex-US)
France took the lead over Italy this year! I love booking trips to France. Remember there’s more to France than Paris!
France: Paris is always a good idea, but I organized trips to a lot of the rest of the country too.
Italy: I should really organize this list by city as I probably organized more trips to Rome than any other city! Rome, Florence and Venice never get boring for me. I also did a lot of Sicily this year. (The White Lotus Effect.)
England: My former home cracked the Top 3 in 2024. Most of this is London.
Japan: The strength of the US dollar really propelled Japan up the list this year. It became so popular that many of my travel partners put a stop-sale on Japan packages! This is a destination that you should really book 9 months to a year in advance for max hotel availability, especially for the best ryokans.
Mexico: There are so many beautiful resort properties in Mexico. And not everything is an all-inclusive!
The Dominican Republic: The DR can be a great family-friendly destination. Your money goes a long way here.
Croatia: I absolutely love Croatia. So much to see and do. Sailing charters, private villas, great resorts and more. This is a great honeymoon destination too.
Canada: Vancouver and British Colombia was super popular with clients in 2024.
Spain: Spain can be a tremendously good value if you’re willing to explore beyond Madrid and Barcelona.
The Bahamas: Baha Mar and Atlantis in the Bahamas are two of the properties I sell the the most of. Personally, I prefer Baha Mar but The Cove at Atlantis is nice too.
Now remember, there are still 17 other countries on this list!! Places like Iceland, Costa Rica, Greece, St. Lucia, and Switzerland. Ready to book a trip to one of these destinations? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
Top 5 States Booked
Yes! I do domestic trips as well! I sell a lot of Alaska cruises. These are great family vacations — truly something for everyone. BUT…you really need to plan Alaska at least one year in advance for the best choice of ships, cabins and sailing dates. Ready to book your Alaskan adventure? Book a complimentary vacation consultation here.
Alaska: Everyone loves an Alaskan cruise! This is an especially great option for a multi-gen vacation. Never book a cruise directly with the cruise lines. They will always make it worth your while to book through a travel advisor like me. My challenge with Alaska pre/post cruise stays is that there aren’t a lot of great hotels. Because of its popularity and limited availability, you also need to book Alaska at least 6 months but ideally a year in advance.
Florida: Always a popular fall and spring break destination for families. I have so many properties where I can VIP you. Don’t sleep on booking spring break please. Many families seriously book spring break as soon as they have their school calendar.
New York: I send a lot of small business owners to New York for work, where they love my Virtuoso and Marriott (in particular) VIP perks and benefits.
Texas: Austin is another hotspot for my small business owner clients.
California: California is always a good time. So many great properties.
Top 5 Most Frequently Booked Hotels in 2024
Marriott Cancun, An All Inclusive Resort: When this resort re-opened after a big refurb earlier this year, it was a tremendously good value. Prices have inched up since the opening so now I would suggest it as a good place to burn your miles. This is the first Marriott all inclusive resort in the world. This is a Marriott Luminous property where I can VIP your stay. I’d cap this at a 3 night stay personally unless you are planning a lot of excursions. It is not a large resort.
The Springs Resort & Spa, Costa Rica: I love this resort in Costa Rica so much! Hot springs! Zip lines! A lazy river! Something for everyone. Needs to really be booked 9+ months in advance for max room choice. This is a Virtuoso property where I can VIP your stay.
The Ritz Carlton, Geneva: This is a popular hotel to start or end trips with in Switzerland. This is both a Virtuoso property and a Marriott Stars property where I can VIP your stay.
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa: This is a great family-friendly waterpark destination. This is a Marriott Luminous property where I can VIP your stay.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto: Japan has just been so popular this year! I am a Four Seasons Preferred Partner and can VIP your stay. (Never book a Four Seasons without a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor.)
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of The Seas
Top 3 Cruise Lines Booked
Royal Caribbean: Unsurprisingly, Royal Caribbean was my top cruise line booked this year. RC is just so great for families. But you need to be strategic about which cruise ship you book. Newer is better! Remember…never book a cruise without a travel advisor. The cruise lines will always make it worth your while to book through an agent. Note the newer ships need to be booked at least a year out for best availability. Seriously — people love to book Royal Caribbean way in advance.
Viking Ocean: While I am not always a huge fan of Viking River Cruises (their ships are more crowded than other river cruise lines and they don’t localize their wines to the countries they visit), I love Viking Ocean. These are educational, informative ocean cruises. They are also one of the few cruise lines to have a truly Italy-focused cruise. (Most Italy cruise line itineraries include Barcelona and the south of France or Croatia.)
Regent Seven Seas: Always a class act.
Sommerro, Oslo
Top 3 Favorite Hotel Bookings
When you work in this space, it’s hard not to fall in love with each hotel you book. But here are some of my favorite bookings from this year.
Sommerro, Oslo: I just love this new Virtuoso property in Oslo. The entire place is a vibe!
The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal, Costa Rica: If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am obsessed with this Virtuoso property where I can VIP your stay. This is a great family getaway. Great for multi-gen too.
Les Airelles, Val d’Isere, France: I need to dust off my skis in 2025! This is a beautiful property for early season skiing. (Val d’Isere is high up enough in the French Alps that there is good snow in December.)
Top 3 Most Fun Tours Booked
I have so many tours at my disposal…small group and private. Here are some of my favorite small group tour bookings from 2024.
Setubal Visit and Winery Tour from Lisbon: My clients raved about this wine tour outside Lisbon!
Le Marais Food & Wine Tour, Paris: The best way to experience Paris is through food, and this lively part of town is just such a great place to explore.
5 Day Winter Minibus Tour of Iceland: Did you know that I have a stable of small group tours available for travelers who don’t want to go solo? My clients had a fantastic time on this 5 day whistlestop tour of Iceland.
What I’m Looking Forward to in 2025
In addition to my Virtuoso website where you can book your own hotel stays, I should also be launching a hotel search engine with a much larger variety of hotels where you can self-book if you’d like!
Experiencing an Avalon river cruise in March. I’ve really been wanting to try Avalon. Their excursions seem so fun and interesting! (I like the hands-on stuff.)
Experiencing an Azamara cruise this summer. I love how Azamara spends more time in port!
About Krista
I’m a Virtuoso travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prior to moving to Florida to take care of my elderly mom with Parkinson’s Disease, I spent over 11 years living and working in London, England, selling financial data. My career and personal travel have taken me all over the world. To date, I’ve been to 78 countries. Now I bring the joy of travel to others as a Virtuoso travel advisor. I offer a 30 minute complimentary vacation consultation for anyone looking to plan their next trip.
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Ways I Can Help You
I can offer VIP perks and amenities at thousands of hotels around the world. Virtuoso perks are just the start. I can also VIP you at Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Four Seasons, and Rosewood properties…among others! (See my website footer for all the brands I work with And yes, you can double dip between your hotel status and mine, supercharging your VIP status!)
I have a huge storehouse of luxury cruises: I partner with all the major cruise lines…Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Viking, Ama Waterways, Tauck and more. I can add onboard credits that you cannot get by booking direct.
I have vetted villa rentals with concierge service all around the world
Private jets! Yes, I can do this for you.
All sorts of small group and private touring.
VIP on arrival and VIP on departure airport services. (Get met at the plane door!)
Travel insurance. I know insurance is boring but it’s important!
Knowledge. I’ve been to 78 countries and know a lot about the world of travel.