In a meeting about 30 years ago, the executives of United MileagePlus reported an internal survey indicated their best business customers were also their best leisure customers. It came as no shock to me, as I understand well the travel bug bites hard; and when you travel for business, you are always looking for that other place to discover on your own. Same goes with bleisure: Long before the term became widely used by the industry, we were using it and living it at Global Traveler. Often my business trips to California, Florida and all over the world included a weekend of golf, usually with clients.

Connectivity blurs the lines between real time off and checking in with the office when on a leisure trip. Before I travel anywhere, I want to know how good the WiFi is, and cruising often presents challenges, though service is improving. This past fall, during the Global Traveler-hosted cruise on the AmaMagna, we had perfect WiFi service, which I used every evening and morning to catch up on things, allowing me to explore hidden cities in Europe while keeping up with business.

In the May issue you can read my review of the AmaMagna cruise curated by AmaWaterways. Our group, mainly members of our subscriber Globility Board, has stayed connected since the cruise through WhatsApp, sharing our pictures and often funny images of our global travel since the hosted trip. It was such a wonderful time with a terrific group, we plan to host another outing this fall.

This November the group (and other interested folks) will cruise again, this time flying to Tahiti and catching Windstar’s Star Breeze for an 11-day cruise of some of the lesser-known islands. Use the code GLOBAL TRAVELER when you connect to Windstar to make your booking. Our package includes a special rate and special incentives and onboard credits. Best of all, you will be cruising with yours truly and traveling like a Global Traveler subscriber extraordinaire!

Don’t miss our announcement of the best providers in leisure travel you voted for on page 28 of the May issue. Special shout out to United Airlines for taking the Best Eco-Friendly Airline award for 2024. Other highlights include AmaWaterways with its personal and almost family approach to river cruising, PONANT with its luxury exploration trips, Azamara for dining and TAP Air Portugal for taking Best Stopover Program for the sixth consecutive year.

I must mention my recent introductory cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Grandeur. We took a two-day “shake down” cruise, flawlessly operated with class and style. I was particularly impressed with the artwork on board and the only Fabergé egg at sea. Upon departure, we were gifted with a print and authenticity certificate of the bejeweled egg. I had these framed with our two key cards as a remembrance of the trip. I shared this image with the team at Regent, and they said, “You are officially a Regent cruise lover.”

The world offers so many exciting opportunities that did not exist a few years ago, from cruising to flying to destinations and accommodations. Go and explore your Globility!

— Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO