My Top 5 Tips for Significantly Increasing the Joy You Get from Planning and Experiencing Vacations

Here’s something useful you probably didn’t know: we are only a few weeks from “National Plan for Vacation Day 2019.”

Yep, there is such a day, and it’s the last Tuesday in January every year. In 2019 that falls on January 29.

So, to get you into the right mindset I’d like to share my Top 5 Tips for the Do’s and Don’ts of Vacation Planning.

Tip #1: Enjoy the Planning Phase

Recent neurological research shows that anticipation of a positive event such as a vacation can not only give you greater joy from the whole experience but can also help mentally prepare you for the event itself. Researchers recruited 40 right-handed adult males (I’m not sure why right-handedness mattered to the researchers) to view images of positive and neutral topics and then conducted magnetic imaging exams of their brains using MRI technology. The research showed that not only do people experience greater joy when anticipating positive experiences, but also their brains appear to prepare them in advance for the event itself.

Tip #2: Don’t Procrastinate

The best time to plan a vacation is six to nine months ahead of the trip. That’s one of the primary reasons why National Plan for Vacation Day comes in January. Most people take at least one vacation during summer, so January is prime vacation planning time. And aside from getting the task done and out of the way without significant time pressures, planning a summer vacation so early in the year gives vacation planners – and those involved in the planning with them – some great side benefits. In the cruise industry, we enter what we call “wave period” starting just about now and going through the first three months of the year. There are some great money-saving and fun-enhancing incentives to book now, during the wave period.

Tip #3: Book a Trip During a “Shoulder Season”

If you have flexibility as to when you take a vacation then you’d do well to give serious consideration to taking a vacation during one of the travel industry’s “shoulder seasons.” The travel industry defines shoulder seasons as the non-peak periods – think April/May and October/November. The availability of ship cabins, flights, and rooms is much higher; prices are lower; and in many cases the lines for major attractions are much shorter (or non-existent).

Tip #4: Plan at least 8 days

Out of all the sub-topics I’ve looked into in my research about vacations my absolute favorite is the sub-topic of “optimum vacation length:” how long your vacation should be in order to get the maximum benefits from it. We all know it takes time, once it starts, to really get into your vacation. To a degree, you have to unwind from your work and daily routines in order to reach the point where you can experience peak enjoyment. Then, inevitably, as your vacation nears its end you begin to feel the anxiety of going back to work and everyday life. What I’ve learned from research is that the optimum length for a vacation is at least eight days. So, how about a 7 day cruise with travel time on either end? Sounds good to me!

Tip #5: Remember what Socrates says

One of great Greek philosopher Socrates’ most famous quotes is “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” We all live busy lives. Most of us feel like we have never been busier. Last year, over 600 million vacation days were wasted because people who earned them were too busy – or at least they believed they were too busy – to take them. But I don’t buy it.  Socrates lived way back, around 470 BC. That’s nearly 2,500 years ago. Yet he warned of a busy life. Feeling busy has nothing to do with work, or technology, or future progress. It is a basic human condition. It’s nothing new and it’s not an excuse to avoid a vacation. At least it’s not a valid one.

So begin planning your next vacation. If you are well organized, you could even get a jump start on National Vacation Day 2019 – while you still have time.

See you on the water.