You Have a Financial Advisor. Why Don't You Have a Travel Advisor?
You trusted an expert with your portfolio. You trusted one with your legal work. So why are you still spending Sunday nights comparing cabin categories? Here's what a travel advisor actually does.
Why Alaska Should Be On Every High Achiever's Radar (And Why We Almost Missed It)
We tried to get to Alaska in 2025. We waited too long and lost the sailings we wanted. Here's what we learned - and why 2027 might be your year.
Untethering in Progress …
It took seven full days on a ship before I stopped mentally composing emails I couldn't send. Here's what I've learned - and what I'm still figuring out.
Why Group Retreats are the New Client Retention Strategy
Most retention strategies are built around the product - better content, better tools, better onboarding. What they're missing is the one ingredient that creates loyalty that actually lasts: shared experience. This post makes the case for group retreats as a retention strategy across three audiences - coaches and consultants, professional associations, and small business owners - with data on what retention is actually worth and why a ship at sea is one of the most effective containers for the experience that makes people stay.
How to Price Your Coaching Retreat So Your Clients Say Yes
The anxiety coaches feel about pricing a retreat isn't really about the math - it's about the frame. And the frame is entirely in your control. This post walks through what a cruise retreat actually costs (with real numbers), why the all-inclusive model changes the pricing conversation entirely, and the specific framing moves that make a retreat investment feel like an obvious yes for the right clients. For coaches ready to stop underpricing their retreats and start designing them with confidence.
🚩 First Mate's Log: Why People Come Back From Retreats Different
You've seen it: someone goes away for a retreat and comes back shifted - clearer, quieter, more decisive. It's not the agenda that does it. It's the environment, the removal, the space to finally think. This post explores why retreat transformation is real, what it actually looks like when it happens, and why a ship at sea is one of the most powerful containers for it. For coaches, association leaders, professional development directors, and small business owners who've wondered whether a retreat is really worth it - this one's for you.
Venue Scouting Report: Could the Scarlet Lady Host Your Next Professional Retreat?
Before co-founding Untethered Voyages, Elizabeth Pochop spent years as an Executive Assistant - sourcing venues, managing group travel, and making sure events actually worked. Here's her honest evaluation of the Scarlet Lady as a professional retreat venue, through both lenses: the EA who knows what breaks when the venue isn't right, and the retreat planner who knows which ships do something genuinely different. Strong yes - with a few things every planner should know first.
🚩 First Mate's Log: The Question Every Coach Should Ask Before Planning a Retreat
Most coaches start planning a retreat by asking logistics questions - how many people, how many days, what's the agenda. But there's one question that changes everything, and it comes before any of that: What do I want my clients to be able to do after this retreat that they can't do right now? Here's why that question matters, and how the answer shapes every decision downstream - from length and programming to sea days versus port days and the environment itself.
The Real ROI of a Group Retreat (And How to Actually Measure It)
How do you know a group retreat is worth what it costs? It's the question every coach, association leader, and small business owner eventually asks — and the answer is more measurable than most people realize. Here's a framework for understanding the real ROI of a group retreat across four return categories: retention, referrals, revenue acceleration, and depth of work. With specific ways to measure each one.
🚩 First Mate's Log: Why the Caribbean in May Is Having a Moment
May is the Caribbean's best-kept secret - the crowds are gone, the weather stays, and the islands show up differently when they're not performing for peak season. For group retreats, it's quietly perfect: better pricing, more spacious ships, and a moment in the professional calendar when people are actually ready to be present. Here's why we're telling everyone about it this year.
What to Look for in a Coaching Retreat Venue (And Why a Ship Beats a Resort)
Choosing the right venue for your coaching retreat isn't just a logistics decision - it's a design decision. The container shapes everything: the presence your clients bring, the depth of the work, and whether the transformation lasts. Here's what to actually evaluate in any retreat venue, and why a cruise ship outperforms a resort on nearly every criterion that matters for coaching work.
🚩 First Mate's Log: What We're Seeing Right Now
The events landscape is shifting - and if you work with clients, lead a professional community, or run a small business team, you're probably feeling it. In our latest First Mate’s Log, we share what we're actually seeing right now: why people are raising the bar for in-person experiences, why cruise retreats are gaining real traction with coaches, consultants, associations, and SMBs, and why the planning window for 2027 is quietly closing. No trends report. Just what we're observing from the field.
How We Find the Right Ship for Your Retreat (So You Don't Have To)
Choosing the right cruise ship for your coaching retreat shouldn't require a 3-hour Google spiral. Here's exactly how we do the matchmaking work for you — from discovery call to 3 curated proposals — and why most coaches find their "heck yeah" option in the very first round.
The Retreat You Keep Putting Off (And the Real Reason It Hasn't Happened Yet)
You know you should do a client retreat. You've known for a while. So why hasn't it happened? It's not a priorities problem — it's an activation energy problem. Here's what that means, what it's costing your clients, and how to finally get the retreat off the back burner.
Why 2027 Is the Year to Do Something Different With Your Team
If you're a small business owner who wants to reward your team but doesn't have the time or staff to plan a major event, this guide is for you. Discover why a group cruise is the most effective — and surprisingly budget-friendly — way to run incentive trips, leadership retreats, all-hands meetings, and client appreciation events in 2027. We break down exactly why it works, what to look for, and three specific sailings we're recommending right now, including a one-way Pacific Coast journey, a 4-night adults-only Caribbean escape, and a private island overnight in the Bahamas. Plus: why starting the conversation now (while Q1 budgets are still open) gives you the most options and the best pricing.
We Built This for Her (And We Happen to Be Her): A Letter for International Women's Day
Two sisters. One group cruise. A business born from a family celebration. This International Women's Day, we're sharing the story behind Untethered Voyages — and why we believe women deserve to finally let someone else handle the details.
20 Ways to Build Real Connection at Your Next Cruise Event (Without the Trust Falls)
You already know cruise ships are incredible event venues. But knowing what to do once everyone's on board? That's where most group leaders get stuck. This guide gives you 20 practical, cringe-free ways to create genuine connection at your next cruise retreat - plus graphic suggestions, pro tips, and ideas that work on land too.
What We Learned About Being a Better Partner to You
We made a change to how we present cruise options — and here's the honest story behind why. A reflection on being a better partner at every step of the planning process.
The Hidden Retention Strategy Your Membership Organization Is Missing (It's Not Another Webinar)
Discover why 45% of members leave organizations that don't make them feel valued—and the surprising retention strategy that's not another webinar. Learn how professional membership organizations are using cruise retreats to solve the engagement crisis, transform the critical first 90 days, and boost retention rates by creating genuine connection instead of transactional touchpoints. The data-backed case for why your annual cruise event might be the smartest investment you make in 2026.
What's Your Biggest Event Planning Challenge? 5 Situations Where We Know We Can Help
Struggling with event planning? Discover solutions to 5 common challenges: convincing leadership, managing logistics, budget constraints, and creating impact.