Gallivanting Like A Royal

01/08/2025

✨ Why Arriving Early for Your Cruise Is the Ultimate Travel Hack

July 12, 2025 marked the start of my 14-day Norwegian Star voyage from New York City to Canada, Greenland, and Iceland—and arriving a day early turned out to be a masterclass in savvy travel strategy and style.

I booked a pre-cruise stay at Ink 48 Hotel, a chic boutique hotel tucked near the cruise terminal with swoon-worthy skyline views of the Hudson River. My Junior Terrace Room was pure balcony bliss: spacious, plush, and perfectly positioned for capturing Manhattanhenge—that rare celestial spectacle when the sun aligns with NYC's street grid like nature's golden spotlight. 🌇

But it didn’t stop there.
On the 16th floor, you'll find Hudson VU Rooftop, the real magic-maker. Think:
- 🪞 Reflecting pool with skyline shimmer
- 🛋️ Outdoor seating designed for sultry summer sipping
- 🍽️ Gourmet bites from a specialty menu that honors Manhattan’s moody romance
- 📸 A picture-perfect setup for Instagram—come dressed to impress
Hidden Gem: I got to watch the ship sail into port from my balcony.

I chose this hotel for the unbeatable combination of luxury and proximity to Manhattan Cruise Terminal—just a 10-minute walk, ideal if things go sideways with traffic, ride shares, or last-minute construction detours. Because let’s be real: even cruise embarkation day isn’t immune to chaos.

🧳 Pro Tips:
- Always arrive a day early to reduce cruise anxiety and boost your travel joy.
- Choose accommodations with dual-purpose perks: views + convenience
- Scan city calendars—surprise events like Manhattanhenge can add priceless magic

Follow me and subscribe to my blog for the full review. More photos and reels coming soon to highlight my luxurious stay. Subscribe to my Wanderlust & Wealth Wisdom blog for more amazing stays and strats! ✨

01/08/2025

We boarded the Norwegian Star dreaming of Lady Liberty… but ended up praying for a flushing toilet.

01/08/2025

🗻 Millionaire Mindset: Iceland Edition ✈️
This is how you start the day, the flight, and the adventure.
☕️ Volcanic coffee vibes before Saga Premium skies — because pacing yourself is a power move. From Reykjavík lounge espresso to glacier-kissed cruise views, this journey is grounded in strategy, style, and strong brew.

🚀 This Is How You Start the Flight, the Day, the Adventure
Volcanic coffee in Reykjavík. Saga Premium skies above. Wealth wisdom in every swirl.

Iceland may not grow its own beans, but trust—these blends are bold. Roasted locally, served ritualistically, and consumed like currency in a country that ranks among the top coffee lovers on earth.

Before the glacial landscapes, before the luxury lounges, before the Millionaire Mindset content rolls in hot…
☕️ I sip. Strategically.

Featuring fan favorites like:

• Reykjavik Roasters – Single-origin, ethically sourced, espresso royalty.
• Kaffitár – Sustainability meets sophistication.
• Te & Kaffi – Iceland’s specialty staple with that Reykjavík charm.
• Kaldi Kaffihús – Cozy vibes and cult-followed blends.

Because caffeine isn’t just a wake-up call. It’s an alignment. A slow burn of resilience, ritual, and reward.

01/08/2025

Norwegian Star Embarkment Day 1 - July 12, 2025

Stateroom 11102 - Club Balcony Suite

01/08/2025

The story begins today! Follow me daily this August for the Duchess Tells All….and there’s lots to be told !

01/08/2025

Spilling the Tea on Norwegian Star: Daily Cruise Review August Series from NYC to Iceland via Canada & Greenland with my diary & tips

Welcome aboard, wanderlusters! 👑 All August long, I’m spilling the tea—daily—on my 14-Day Norwegian Star cruise from NYC to Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. From luxe highs to “they really tried it” lows, you’ll get the unfiltered scoop on everything: embarkation drama, accessibility wins, cruise hacks, and the kind of travel wisdom they don’t put in the brochure. Whether you’re planning your own voyage or just cruising vicariously, this series is your backstage pass to life at sea—Duchess style.

🚢 Norwegian Star Embarkation Day Tips

Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Departure Port: New York, USA
Weather: 83°F / 27°C | Sunrise: 5:35 am | Sunset: 8:29 pm
All Aboard Time: 3:30 pm

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🧳 What to Expect on Day 1
✅ Luggage Delivery May Lag
• Bags might not arrive until evening—don’t panic.
• If missing by 8:00 pm, visit Guest Services (Deck 7, Mid Atrium).
• Airline-delayed luggage? They’ll help follow up.

🛂 Canadian Customs Form (E311)
• Mandatory for all guests.
• One form per household (same last name).
• Submit to Guest Services by July 13 at 12NN.

🚨 Mandatory Assembly Station Visit
• Required by maritime law (SOLAS).
• Info is on your stateroom door, key card, and embarkation letter.
• Visit your station any time on Day 1.

Assembly Stations Include:
Station Location
B, C, D Deck 7, Starboard Boat Deck
K Stardust Theater, Decks 6 & 7, Fwd
L La Cucina, Deck 6, Mid
M Aqua Restaurant, Deck 6, Mid
N Versailles Restaurant, Deck 6, Aft
X, Y, Z Deck 7, Port Boat Deck

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🎭 Evening Entertainment Highlights
• Welcome Aboard Show
8:00 pm | Stardust Theater
Meet Cruise Director Jeimy & the Star Production Cast.
• Sing It If You Know It Game Show
9:15 pm | Bliss Lounge
Musical trivia with Assistant CD Dany & party band B12.
• Welcome Aboard Party
10:00 pm | Bliss Lounge
Dance floor opens for night owls & party people.

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📺 Pro Tip
• Channel 12: PA announcements
• Channel 18: Virtual ship tour

🔮 What’s Coming Next…

Tomorrow kicks off Embarkation Day, and trust me—there’s more to it than welcome drinks and photo ops.
👀 “Embarkation Day on Norwegian Star: What They Don’t Tell You 🚢💼”
AND
🎭 “Day 1 Drama? Here’s How to Cruise Through It Like Royalty 👑”

01/08/2025

Cruising Through Prince Christian Sound, Greenland 🇬🇱✨

I’m Duchess DJ Love, Luxury Travel Media Storyteller on a mission to redefine wealth and accessibility — one bucket-list voyage at a time.

📍 Prince Christian Sound, Southern Greenland’s glacier-sculpted fjord, is the perfect backdrop for accessible luxury and unforgettable storytelling.
🛳️ As I sail through this surreal passage, I’m crafting content that blends emotional resonance, practical travel tips, and Millionaire Mindset magic.

This isn’t just a cruise — it’s a content goldmine.
This is Greenland through the lens of aspiration, advocacy, and authenticity.

💼 Follow for luxury travel hacks, accessible cruising strategies, and storytelling that converts wanderlust into wealth wisdom.

Daily during August, I’ll be telling all on my 14-Day Norwegian Star Cruise from NYC to Canada, Greenland, & Iceland. AND believe me there’s so much to tell and if this cruise is on your bucket list, then you must tune in.

31/07/2025

31/07/2025

👑 Millionaire Mindset: Part 2 — From Dishwater Deals to Sunday Royalty
Welcome to high school. Where I left behind my spelling bee win, my junior high cheer uniform, and the dishwashing gloves I couldn’t stand.

We didn’t have a dishwasher—unless you count me. But my daddy, ever the dealmaker, struck a bargain: “Make straight A’s, and I’ll buy you a dishwasher.” That was my first real negotiation. And let’s just say… I never washed another dish by hand again.

School wasn’t easy. The mean girls made sure of that. But in their absence, I found time to study harder, babysit more, and stack my coins. They thought they were breaking me—but they were building my discipline.

Still, the best lessons didn’t come from textbooks. They came from my grandma. She didn’t have much, but she never lacked anything. “If something’s needed, God will provide,” she’d say with full faith. She gave what she had—her time, her love, her service. She even volunteered as the church cemetery overseer, because giving was her currency.

And every Sunday? Her little trailer turned into the most exclusive event in town. Sunday lunch at Grannie’s was the social event of the week. My cousins—cool, confident, and popular across three counties—would show up like royalty. And the best part? They brought their friends.

At school, I might’ve felt unseen. But at Grannie’s? I was royalty. I was seated at the table with the coolest kids in the region, laughing, eating, and soaking up the kind of love that makes you feel ten feet tall.

And after dessert? We’d gather around the table for Texas Hold’em—betting coins, cracking jokes, and learning life. That’s where I learned to read people, manage emotions, and play the long game. It wasn’t just a card game—it was a masterclass in strategy, community, and confidence.

Those Sundays weren’t just meals. They were mindset training. They were proof that wealth isn’t always in your wallet—it’s in your roots, your rituals, and your relationships.

31/07/2025

💼 Millionaire Mindset: Part 3 — From Beachside Hustles to Big-Time Lessons
I graduated high school with honors, but college? That felt like a luxury we couldn’t afford. No one in my big family had gone, and the price tag looked more like a stop sign than a green light. So I did what I knew how to do—work.

I kept babysitting, but that hustle had run its course. So I packed my bags and headed to the beach. And that’s where I landed my first real job as a waitress. (That story deserves its own chapter—trust me, it’s coming.)

But let me tell you—waitressing was a phenomenal life event. It taught me how to:

Smile even when I was tired or hurting

Read people in seconds flat

Multitask like a magician—orders, refills, timing, tips

Make folks feel seen, heard, and taken care of

And yes… how to spot a good tipper by their license plate 😏

That job gave me more than money—it gave me confidence. And with a little cash in my pocket and a lot of grit in my spirit, I decided: I’m going to college.

So off I went—full-time student, full-time hustler. And the jobs I worked? They were a curriculum of their own:

Girl Friday for a roofing company (yes, I learned shingles and spreadsheets)

Front desk clerk at a hotel, then promoted to housekeeping supervisor

Office clerk at an electronics manufacturer

Bartender, serving up more than just drinks—I served stories, strategy, and survival

Parking cars at a concert pavilion (heels off, hustle on)
Leasing agent at an apartment complex, learning how to sell space and solve problems

Each job taught me something new—about people, about business, about myself. But the biggest lesson? That came from my microeconomics professor, who introduced me to a concept that changed my life:

Opportunity cost. The cost of anything… is what you give up to get it.

And for me? That cost was time. Because my time was money. And I had to learn how to spend it wisely—on work, on school, on dreams that didn’t come with a guarantee.

That lesson still shapes how I move today. It’s why I value ease, alignment, and systems that work for me. Because I’ve lived the hustle. Now I’m building the harvest.

From beachside tables to boardroom strategies, every job taught me something. And every dollar earned was a step toward the life I live now.

If you’re working, studying, or just trying to figure it all out—this chapter is for you. You’re not behind. You’re building. And your time? It’s your most valuable currency.

✨ Follow along every Tuesday in July as I share the jobs, the lessons, and the mindset that took me from side hustles to six-figure strategies. And if you’re ready to shift your money mindset and start building your own version of wealth? Check out my store for guides that make luxury possible—and profitable.

31/07/2025

What can we do in Sedona with only one full day to explore and no car? There is a lot to do. Learn how I explored Sedona with no car.