I Passed My Princess Certification. What It Means for Booking Your Cruise

I want to tell you I finished my Princess Cruises certification with grace and quiet confidence.

What actually happened is I finished it at 9:47pm on a Thursday, in the same chair I've been in for three straight weeks, muttering itinerary codes like a very tired auctioneer.

But I finished it. And now that I've caught my breath, I actually want to talk about why this matters — not just for me, but for you.

Here's the thing about being a travel advisor nobody tells you: it's not one certification and you're done. It's an ongoing rotation. Train on a vendor, open bookings for that vendor, repeat. Princess was next up. Royal Caribbean's training is the one after that. It never really stops, and honestly? I like it that way. I'd rather know a cruise line inside and out before I hand you a quote for it than fake my way through a brochure.

So what does finishing Princess actually change for you? Now,  I'll be able to book individual Princess cruises for you directly, not just our hosted group trips. If a Princess itinerary has been living rent-free in your head (two, in particular, have been living in mine — this is the part where I say: tell me about it.

I won't pretend the studying was glamorous. It was a lot of modules, a lot of coffee, and one memorable moment where I 100% forgot which ship does the Panama Canal and which one doesn't. But it's done, and I'm already looking at my next research project — which, fun fact, isn't even for me this time. A friend asked me to help plan an African safari, which is a completely different kind of trip than anything I've booked before, and I am so here for it. More on that as it develops.

If you've got a Princess cruise you've been quietly Googling at midnight, you're in excellent company. Just wave — I've got tabs open for you too.

And if Alaska has been the one calling your name specifically? Our 2027 hosted group cruise is still open. Come find out what everyone keeps talking about. Send me an email Tracy@harmonyhorizon360.com and we can chat.

Or you can fill out this short form and I will create you a quote—Alaska Qualification Form — Harmony Horizon 360 Travel

Other posts that may interest or inspire you:

What We're Actually Looking For in a Short Caribbean Cruise (Trip Not Booked Yet) — Harmony Horizon 360 Travel

Alaska Cruise vs. Caribbean Cruise: Which One Is Right for You? — Harmony Horizon 360 Travel

I Haven't Even Told You About the Real Wish List Yet. Help Me Pick What's Next.

My browser currently has fewer open tabs than my brain.

Right now, I'm thinking about at least three trips in very different stages of real. The Alaska 2027 group cruise, which is very real and very much happening and just needs a few more cabins. The Caribbean, which is still just a maybe — the kind where I've done the initial digging but haven't committed to a single thing. And the Mediterranean, which isn't even a daydream so much as unfinished business — we've already been once, and it's the kind of trip that keeps quietly tapping me on the shoulder to go back.

(If you're catching up — here's where things stand with We're Choosing Alaska Cruise Excursions (The Great Glacier Nap Debate) — Harmony Horizon 360 Travel and here's What We're Actually Looking For in a Short Caribbean Cruise (Trip Not Booked Yet) — Harmony Horizon 360 Travel.)

And that's not even the full list. That's just the stuff I've actually mentioned to you.

Here's what I haven't told you about yet: the real wish list. The ones further out — the ones I think about at a stop light and then immediately talk myself out of because "not yet." Ireland. An actual, honest-to-goodness world cruise. The Panama Canal. And — because I'm currently knee-deep in Princess certification training — Greenland and New England have both recently shown up uninvited and made themselves at home.

None of these are close to being planned. Some of them might not happen for years. But I'd rather tell you about the whole pile than pretend I only think about the three trips I've already written blog posts on.

So here's my actual question, and it's not rhetorical: of that wish list — Ireland, a world cruise, the Panama Canal, Greenland, or New England — which one do you want me to actually start seriously researching first? Not just daydreaming about. Actually digging into: itineraries, timing, whether it works as a group trip.

Comment below and tell me which one you'd pick. And if you'd rather get this kind of behind-the-scenes planning before it ever makes it to the blog, join the newsletter — that's where the real-time version happens.

CTA: Join the Roam Newsletter →Join the Journey

More soon. Possibly at a stop light, still deciding.

— Tracy

Travel Isn’t Our Escape — It’s How We Maintain Our Marriage

There was a time when we thought travel was an escape.

A reward after a busy season. Something fun to look forward to when life slowed down.

But somewhere along the way, Jamie and I realized something different.

Travel isn’t our escape anymore.

It’s our maintenance plan.

Life has been busy lately. Really busy.

Work has been intense. Our house has been full. There are schedules, responsibilities, family things, and the quiet emotional weight that comes with trying to support the people you love.

None of those things are bad. In fact, many of them are the things we care about most.

But when life gets full like that, something subtle can happen in a relationship.

You start running side by side instead of actually being together.

You pass each other in the hallway.
You talk about logistics.
You solve problems.

But the space for long conversations, laughter, and noticing each other gets smaller.

That’s where travel comes in for us.

Not as an escape.

As maintenance.

When we travel, the noise of everyday life gets quieter.

There are no laundry baskets waiting.
No dishes in the sink.
No reminders popping up on our phones.

Just time.

Time to talk.

Time to wander.

Time to sit somewhere with coffee and ask each other the kinds of questions we don’t always ask at home.

Sometimes those conversations are light.

Sometimes they’re bigger ones.

Questions like:

Are we doing too much right now?
Is this pace sustainable?
What actually matters most in this season of life?

Travel creates the space for those conversations.

And honestly, those conversations are one of the most valuable parts of the trip.

Right now we’re getting excited for our upcoming cruise.

It’s not about checking destinations off a list. It’s about something much simpler.

A few days to reset.

A few days to remember what it feels like to slow down together.

A few days where we can reconnect without the constant pull of everyday responsibilities.

Over the years we’ve learned something important.

Connection doesn’t maintain itself automatically.

You have to protect it.

For us, travel is one of the ways we do that.

It’s not an escape plan.

It’s our maintenance plan.

And honestly, that realization is part of what has made us start thinking differently about the kinds of trips we want to plan in the future.

Trips that make space for connection.

Trips where people can slow down, laugh together, and remember why they like each other in the first place.

We’re even starting to explore a few ideas like that this year, including a small Reds baseball weekend in Cincinnati.

Nothing complicated. Just a fun, relaxed trip with good people.

If that kind of travel sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can join the newsletter and I’ll share details when they come together.

But whether you ever travel with us or not, I’ll leave you with the question Jamie and I ask ourselves often.

What protects connection in your busiest season?

Because whatever that thing is for you…

It’s probably worth protecting.

💛 If you enjoy thoughtful travel and connection-first trips, join the newsletter here.

How I Plan Trips Without Overplanning Them ✈️

Travel planning used to feel like a performance. I thought being “prepared” meant having every hour accounted for, every option researched, every moment optimized. And honestly, it stole a lot of joy. I was so focused on doing it right that I forgot to let myself actually look forward to the trip. 

These days, planning looks different. Softer. More human. 

This week was a perfect example. Jamie and I spent a few evenings tossing around ideas — maybe a quick night away somewhere close, maybe a cozy couples hot‑tub room, maybe a weekend trip a little farther out. Nothing urgent. Nothing forced. Just exploring possibilities the way you’d wander through a store without needing to buy anything 🛍️. 

And the next day we’ll sit down and book our excursions and flights for our April cruise. Even that feels lighter than it used to. Instead of treating it like a task to check off, it feels like a small moment of anticipation ✨. A reminder that something good is coming. 

Where Overplanning Used to Steal Joy 😣 

For years, I believed the only way to avoid stress was to plan everything. But the truth was the opposite. The more I tried to control every detail, the more pressure I put on myself — and the less present I was once the trip actually started. 

I’d get so wrapped up in the schedule that I’d miss the moment right in front of me. 

The Boundary I Build Into Every Trip Now 🚧 

Now, I give myself one simple boundary: 

If a plan starts feeling like a rule, I loosen it. 

That’s it. 

 If something feels heavy, I step back. 

 If something feels rushed, I slow down. 

 If something feels like an obligation, I let it go. 

It’s the gentlest boundary I’ve ever set, and somehow the most effective. 

Leaving Space for Things to Unfold 🌙 

One of my favorite parts of travel now is the space I leave open on purpose. Not empty time — open time. 

Like the night Jamie and I wandered into a tiny café on a whim because the lights looked warm and the music sounded good. That moment wasn’t on any itinerary. It wasn’t researched or bookmarked or saved on a list. It just happened because we weren’t rushing to the next thing. 

That’s the kind of magic I want more of. 

Planning Without Turning It Into a Job 🧘‍♀️ 

Planning can support joy without suffocating it. It can give you a sense of direction without boxing you in. It can help you feel prepared without demanding perfection. 

And sometimes the lightest planning moments are the sweetest — like scrolling through hotel rooms and laughing together at the ones with hilariously dramatic décor. (Why do so many places have neon lights behind the bed now? Who decided that was the vibe 😂) 

Travel doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful. 

It just has to feel like you. 

You’re allowed to leave room for magic. ✨ 

💛 If you enjoy thoughtful travel and connection-first trips, join the newsletter here.