It is commonly said that the person who leaves for a trip is not the same person who returns. Travelling is one of the most transformative human experiences. Even if you prepare for it reading, researching and asking people for advice and tips, more often than not, the reality surpasses any preconceived notion. The trip…
Who doesn’t love some showtunes on the Seine? Or a little drag on the Danube? On a Brand g European river cruise, every night is opening night. Our cruises always include two featured acts (occasionally three) who provide nightly entertainment throughout the cruise. These entertainers have become so popular, some guests leave dinner early…
24-year-old Instagram models in onesies making fun of everyone over 30. Leather men eating dinner in assless chaps. These are the images that many people conjure when picturing a gay cruise or land tour. And while those aren’t entirely objectionable (who doesn’t love a little eye candy), those are people you will rarely meet on…
In the past, all that’s been required for a jaunt to Europe is your passport, with that delightful police-lineup photo that looks like you’re fresh from a night out with Charlie Sheen. But starting January 1st, 2021, Europe will require Americans and other foreigners to take an extra step prior to arriving on the…
“I’m going to India.” “Ewww….really?” Sadly, you get that response a lot when you tell people you’re traveling to this amazing country. After all, the only images many people have are those of overcrowding, pollution, poverty, and hurling from some delightfully unsanitary water or food. But, as our guests can attest, while India is not…
Okay, so you’re ready to start applying for credit cards to earn hundreds of thousands of miles/points! (If you haven’t read our simple primer for earning credit card bonuses, check it out, here: https://bit.ly/2NXMtJz Now, here are some tips to make the most of your time and effort: Do multiple card applications on the same…
We hope you enjoy this guest post by frequent Brand g guest and world traveler, Neal Williams. It’s filled with incredibly useful tips! — Eric I don’t remember the first overnight trip I ever took as a child with my family, but I do remember the one suitcase I shared with my brothers. It…
We’ve all seen the social posts. Friends posing in their glamorous business class seats, holding a glass of champagne, with some caption like, “Our home for the next 12 hours.” Sure, you want to slap them. But better yet, why not join them? International business class tickets can be hideously expensive. But there are simple…
Cannes. Nice. Monaco. So much glamour packed into so small an area. Everywhere you turn there are celebrities and stupid-hot model types making this gorgeous little stretch of French coastline even more beautiful. No matter which city you’re staying in – Cannes (which is where our 2020 Royal Clipper Mediterranean cruise sails from), Nice or…
Let’s say your passport was stolen and you had to get a new one. OR you’re renewing your passport for the 8th time (hey, it’s possible, and if that’s you, you GO, girl). ANY time you get a fresh new passport in the mail, there’s one thing you have to do to avoid a cluster****…
Who hasn’t fantasized about having a “King of the World” moment at the bow of a masted sailing ship? Okay, maybe that fantasy is mostly about Leo DeCaprio, and sure, he was on an ocean cruise sailing that didn’t end very well, but still. Sailing is a totally unique experience, unlike either big ocean cruises…
Lounges make life prettier. Everyone eventually tires of sitting around departure gates that look like detention centers, where one guy’s eating smelly tuna fish and another is clipping his toenails. Most of us have limited tolerance for unhappy infants shrieking like banshees, or people who yell at gate agents, “Do you know who I am?”…
Hat tip to our friends and frequent guests Neal Williams and John Berger for recommending this excellent article! 10 Tips on Purchasing Souvenirs Here are some additional thoughts from them: Tip #8: If we’re wanting to purchase multiples of some item, we politely ask, “What could you do if we bought two (or three)?” Even…
(photo credit: One Mile at a Time) When you’re flying 8 or 10 or 12 hours, who doesn’t want to fly business class? Lie-flat “pod” seats. Big screen TV’s. Unlimited food and drink, served by flight attendants who don’t look at you like you should have udders and a tag on your ear. International business…
Think a gay trip to South Africa is just lions and tigers…and bears taking pictures of the lions and tigers? Then you’ve barely scratched the surface of what this amazing country has to offer. South Africa has fabulous safaris, to be sure. But it also has amazing sights – there are 153 UNESCO World Heritage…
Girls make every trip more fun. And while female guests typically make up only 15-20% of any given Brand g trip, we couldn’t be happier to have them. They make the group more diverse, more interesting, and more fabulous (although some guys will try to go toe to toe with them on the fabulous quotient).…
Check out this fascinating blog of what it’s like to tour Japan, from two of our delightful guests, Dan Evans and Jim Kelly-Evans. https://hardtoport.blogspot.com/2019/05/sunday-in-tokyo.html Note: This is the initial post; click “Newer posts” at the bottom of the blog entry to read their posts from subsequent days!
To put it succinctly, it means this: We only want you to pull out your wallet to buy that fabulous piece of art or to tip a stripper. We include just about everything else. From the moment you arrive at the destination airport, you’re under our care. Airport transfers are included, of course, and these…
No, it’s not a driver’s license where they replace your picture with someone hotter. Nor is it where a stylist does your hair and your photo is taken with Vaseline on the lens. (Although I’d pay extra for that. My current driver’s license photo looks like I drove to the DMV straight from a fraternity…
NOTE: We have no relationship with companies mentioned in this post! I have friends who were in Cabo when one of them had a medical issue and had to be airlifted to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles for treatment. (If you’ve ever been in a hospital in Mexico, you don’t have to ask why.) That Medivac…