Best Destinations We Traveled to in 2025
A year of stamps, ships, sisterhood, grief, joy, and grown-woman travel
A Year That Changed Us
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s this: travel isn’t just about pretty views and passport stamps. It’s about who you become along the way.
This year took us across oceans, into new countries, onto brand-new ships, and straight into moments that stretched our hearts in every direction. We celebrated career highs, hosted unforgettable group trips, crossed continents solo, danced with strangers who became friends, and yes, we also navigated deep personal loss. Travel didn’t stop. It held us.
So this post isn’t just a list of places. It’s a 2025 recap, the kind you’d put music behind and watch with misty eyes. If you love cruises, culture, cocktails, or you’re just dreaming about where to go next, this one’s for you.
Let’s run it back, month by month.
January: Kicking Off 2025 at Sea (and in South America!)
January came in loud, luxurious, and unapologetic.
Being goofy with Nirmal, CEO of Virgin Voyages
We started the year attending the Top 100 First Mate Spectacular Soirée with Virgin Voyages, which already had us feeling blessed and booked. But the real magic was our first group trip of the year.
group dinner at Pink Agave
Cartagena & the Southern Caribbean
We sailed out of San Juan and hit:
Cartagena – our first time in South America
Willemstad
St. John's
Oranjestad
Cartagena alone deserves a whole love letter. The colors, the history, the music in the streets. And yes, we made it to Alquimico, one of the Top 50 Bars in the World. Cocktails in the midst of Cartagena nightlife? Life-altering.
This trip set the tone: 2025 was not about playing small.
March: First Solo Sail Energy
March was a milestone moment for Terry.
Terry’s First Solo Cruise
Terry and the Happening Cast Mermaids at the Beach Club at Bimini
During spring break, Terry took his first-ever solo cruise with Virgin Voyages, and listen… solo travel hits different. There’s clarity in waking up on your own schedule, meeting new people, and realizing you actually enjoy your own company at sea.
It was confidence-building, freeing, and honestly overdue.
April: Big Ships and Bigger Firsts
April said, “Let me show off.”
MSC World America Naming Ceremony
We were invited to the naming ceremony of the brand-new MSC World America, and whew… MSC did not come to play. Think celebrity guests, nonstop parties, and a full preview of a ship that’s about to change the cruise game.
Solo Transatlantic on Virgin Voyages
Right after that, I boarded my solo transatlantic cruise with Virgin Voyages, and this one lives rent-free in my spirit.
10 glorious sea days
Space to rest, reflect, and reset
Ports I’d never visited before
We stopped in:
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Casablanca – my first time ever in Africa
Valencia
Palma de Mallorca
Standing in Morocco, feet on African soil, was emotional in ways I didn’t expect. That trip reminded me why solo travel is powerful. You hear yourself again.
May: Jamaica with the Homies
In May, we linked up with our friends LifewithUsTV and Damion & Quanda Exp in Montego Bay.
This trip was all about:
Friendship
Laughter
Late nights and early beach mornings
Sometimes the destination matters less than who you’re sharing it with, and Jamaica showed out as the perfect backdrop for connection.
June: Grief, Chicago, and Greek Island Glow
June was layered.
Chicago
We traveled to Chicago for the funeral of a loved one. It was heavy, but the city gave us moments of comfort. Good food, familiar streets, and space to breathe.
Sistahood at Sea: Greek Island Glow 2025
Then came joy in full color.
Our second group trip of the year was Sistahood at Sea 2025, our third year running this experience, sailing from Athens.
We explored:
Santorini
Rhodes
Bodrum
Mykonos
Forty-five women from across the U.S. showed up, showed out, and showed love. This trip wasn’t just travel. It was community, healing, and sisterhood wrapped in Mediterranean sunlight.
July: Havana and Holding Family Close
July gave us one of the most impactful trips we’ve ever done.
Havana, Cuba
Our third group trip of the year took 13 incredible people to Havana.
This trip was:
Eye-opening
Emotional
Deeply cultural
We ate amazing food, smoked real Cuban cigars, drank rum like locals, and connected with artists, dancers, and everyday people whose stories stay with you.
St. Paul
We also traveled to St. Paul to check on my mom. Life was already shifting, even if we didn’t know how much yet.
August: Loss, Love, and Leaning on Friends
August was the hardest month of the year.
We lost my mother at the beginning of the month, and honestly, there are no words that fully cover that kind of loss. Grief doesn’t care about your calendar.
But our good friends stepped in and helped lift our spirits aboard the brand-new Star of the Seas. Being at sea didn’t erase the pain, but it gave us room to exhale.
Sometimes travel doesn’t fix things. It just holds you while you heal.
Sometimes travel doesn’t fix things. It just holds you while you heal.
September: New York Nights and Brilliant Lady
September brought us to New York City to preview the brand-new Brilliant Lady.
And yes, we did what we do best. We pulled an all-nighter, hopping from one Top 50 bar to another. Equal parts research and vibes.
Brilliant Lady is shaping up to be something special, and NYC was the perfect place to toast to what’s coming.
October: NCL Aqua and Caribbean Classics
October was group trip number four.
NCL Aqua Group Cruise
We took 15 travelers on the brand-new Norwegian Aqua, stopping in:
Puerto Plata
Charlotte Amalie
Road Town
New ship energy plus classic Caribbean ports is always a winning combo. This trip was smooth, fun, and full of first-timers on NCL seeing why Terry and I love the brand.
November: Carnival, Celebrity, and Celebration Key
November surprised us.
Back on Carnival
We sailed Carnival Glory for the first time in three years for a weekend seminar and got a sneak peek at Celebration Key. Carnival has been busy, and it shows.
Celebrity Xcel with LifewithUsTV
Then we joined LifewithUsTV again aboard the brand-new Celebrity Xcel, visiting:
Puerto Plata
St. Thomas
Philipsburg
Celebrity Xcel is polished, modern, and absolutely one to watch.
December: Closing the Year with Princess (and NYE!)
We’re closing out 2025 sailing into the New Year aboard the brand-new Star Princess with Princess Cruises.
This is our first Princess sailing since before the pandemic, and the itinerary is chef’s kiss:
Belize
Cozumel
Mahogany Bay
New year. New ship. Full circle moment.
What 2025 Taught Us About Travel
2025 wasn’t perfect. But it was powerful.
We learned that:
Group trips create lifelong bonds
Solo travel restores your voice
New destinations stretch your worldview
Travel can coexist with grief
And joy doesn’t need permission to show up again
These destinations weren’t just places. They were chapters. Thank you for giving us space and patience and allowing us to share as much or as little as we grieve.
Let’s Plan Your Chapter Next
If any of these trips sparked something in you, don’t ignore that feeling.
✨ Drop a comment and tell us which destination you loved most
✨ Sign up for our email list for upcoming group trips and travel gems
✨ Or reach out and let us help you plan your own unforgettable journey
Because if 2025 proved anything, it’s this:
Life is too short to stay home dreaming. Let’s go.
