For some people, it's not a family vacation unless the pet is included. Travel gadget companies know this predicament, which is why there are a range of products available designed to make traveling with an animal a little easier.

Many people choose to stage their family reunions a massive vacations where the whole family travels together. However, visiting a city or other common vacation destination with the entire extended family poses some issues. How to make sure everyone stays together? And how to plan activities that everyone will enjoy? Grandma might be able to stay at a museum all day, but a four-year-old nephew likely won't last five minutes. Conversely, elderly travelers won't get much out of an amusement park.

When families plan a cruise, they most often think of the Caribbean and not much else. Yet there are cruises all around the world, and many of them can offer a nice change of pace from the traditional sand and surf vacations.

As the economy slowly begins to recover, travelers are finding themselves with a bit more money than before to spend on luxury trips. The luxury sector took a big hit during the downturn, but analysts are saying that the industry is slowly bouncing back, although not yet to pre-recession levels.

Always on the lookout for the next big thing in travel, Royal Caribbean Cruise lines recently launched the Oasis of the Seas, a 1,180 foot long, 20-stories tall vessel that ranks as the largest passenger liner ever set afloat.